VINEMONT, Ala. — Vinemont sophomore Maggie Payne is cheering on the varsity squad for the first time this season and she’s had an incredible experience so far.
“It has been amazing. I competed in competition cheer for a few years. I cheered my first-ever varsity spring game in May. I have never been a big football fan, but I have turned out to be a huge Vinemont football fan. I feel like I have been cheering with this team for years. Everyone was so welcoming and extremely helpful. With switching schools and starting a new type of cheer, I have learned to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. Going to cheer camp also taught me accountability and personal responsibility. Through all of the people that I have met, I realized that I really like country music too.”
Maggie’s had a blast so far, cheering with some great cheerleaders, and has learned so much from them so far.
“We have four seniors on the team that are true leaders. They have shown me grace while I’m learning new cheers. I want to make their senior year memorable, just like I would want mine to be, so I plan to work hard to be my best at competitions. While we have no juniors on the team, five of my teammates are upcoming sophomores just like me,” Payne said. “They have welcomed me to the team and to the school. I’m really looking forward to cheering the next three years with them. We also have three upcoming freshmen that bring great energy to the team. This team did amazing at Regionals and state last year. They have set the bar high, and I hope to learn so much from all of them to be a valuable asset to the team.”
She added,
“They really excel when it comes to sharp motions and knowing their cheers. It pushes me to try and do my best every day. I have learned so much about the sport, watching them be so committed and precise. Cheerleaders have the responsibility of representing the school on and off the field. All of my teammates exemplify good sportsmanship and inclusion of other students at school, which is so important.”
She has soaked up as much as she can from some great coaches.
“I have had the opportunity to get to know the previous cheer coach at Vinemont, Mrs. Bridges. who from the beginning, encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try out for school cheer. I appreciate her so much for believing in me. Miss Ballard does so much to motivate this team and to eventually take them to competitions Vinemont has never been to before. It was such a big part of why I wanted to try out for school cheer. I live for doing traditional routines, and I’m excited to be a part of the program. She pushes us to accept responsibility and encourage one another. Above all, I admire her strong faith in God.”
She added,
“I learned that nothing comes free or easy. There is so much hard work and dedication that is put in all season long. Each motion or small cheer takes time behind the scenes before it can be showcased to anyone, especially the routines. Another thing I have learned from them and from my coaches at VCA is that you have to be mentally and physically strong to pursue the sport. Each minute that goes by makes the season more intense as it may be getting closer to football, basketball, or even competition season. The biggest thing they all have done for me is they continue to believe in me.”
Maggie has already seen some great improvement from her performance so far and worked hard all summer to get everything down before cheer season gets underway.
“This is the first year I have dead-mat tumbled, and I am proud of the progression I have made. I still have so much I want to learn, but I’m here for it. I didn’t realize how many cheers there was for me to learn, but I’m working hard to learn them all,” she said. “I worked to make my motions sharper, my tumbling stronger and more consistent. I have worked really hard on my flexibility, and band dances that are all new to me.”
She talked about the goals for this upcoming cheer season and what will make this cheer squad special to watch.
“My individual goals are to get my standing tuck down, improve on my jumps, and to build my overall strength, while maintaining good grades. For team goals, I would love to win as many competitions as we can. No matter the outcome, I want us to be able to take pride in having a good season and building our relationship as teammates,” she said. “What makes our team special to watch is that we all enjoy the sport, and you can feel it when you watch us. It makes everything worth it when you find something enjoyable in what you’re doing. We all truly have fun working on a team together.”
She talked about the best advice that someone ever gave her, what she’s looking forward to the most this upcoming season, and what she has learned the most during her first-year cheering at Vinemont so far.
“The best advice anyone has ever given me as an athlete is to push yourself to be better than the person you look up to the most,” she said. “The thing I’m looking forward to the most are the pep rallies, because they are new to me, and competitions, because I love to compete. I never thought I would even have an interest in school cheer, let alone enjoy it, but I have come to find out that it is what I enjoy doing the most.”
Maggie has several role models in her life that she looks up to.
“Lacy Stancil really guided me through my beginning years of cheer and helped me develop a love for it. The group of coaches at VCA show up every day to push me and guide me through all the good and bad days. I look up to Raven Adams as my biggest supporter; she pushes me to achieve my goals and she always believes in me.”
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