Throughout a coach’s tenure, one of the main things that they want to see is growth. Individual growth and team growth. This comes from hard work and dedication by all the members of the team. Megan Shipp is in her fourth year as the coach of the cheer team at Lawton High School. She says that she is proud of the growth that she has seen in her squad.

“Within the last four years, we have started competing at Game Day,” she said. “We’ve taken our team from being second to last to making the top 15 within one year. We have also taken girls to AllRegion tryouts and had them advance to All-State the last three years.” Senior captain Breanna Ivey enjoys being a part of the team and how the team gets along so well. “I enjoy how we can have fun together and not have to be serious all the time,” Ivey said.

“We love each other and that’s what’s important.” Koreana Harfield is a senior co-captain on the team and she says that keeping the crowd involved in the games and cheering on the team is something that she really enjoys. “I love cheering for my school because we have fun while leading the crowd and bringing spirit to school events. Even if our team loses, we stay positive and cheer them on until the game ends.”

While they know how to work hard, Shipp also says that her team knows how to have fun together too. “As a team, we love to spend our quality time having lockins where we get to hang out, watch movies, and be a group of good friends enjoying each other’s company,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of this team and the teams I’ve had in the past few years. As a woman dominated sport, we’re not always taken as seriously as we deserve but they never let that get them down. We are pushing through stereotypes and showing that cheer is a sport to be recognized and respected.”

Another member of the team, junior captain Aiyana Keller, loves to see the school spirit that surrounds the team. “I enjoy the school spirit aspect of it and seeing everyone having fun at pep rallies, games, and the spirit assembly.” Sophomore Kemyra Cole enjoys cheering on her school’s teams but she also enjoys the time she is able to spend with her teammates. “What I enjoy most about my team is the laughter,” she said. “My cheer team and cheer coaches tend to make the best out of bad situations. My team always knows how to crack a good joke and make the team
smile even when we’re going through unhappy moments!.”