While coaches typically take charge of their teams, the Oglethorpe County basketball cheerleading squad operates differently, with leadership coming from the athletes themselves.
“I'm really more of an administrator,” coach Ruth Wilson said. “I make the uniforms happen (and) I get the schedules out, but they teach the cheers to each other. They go on TikTok and find cute cheers and say, ‘Hey Coach, can we do this one?’”
Although the boys and girls basketball teams are just over a month into their seasons, Wilson said this year’s group stands out. Now in her fifth season as head coach, she believes the chemistry and leadership on the team is special.
“This is just the best group of girls,” Wilson said. “I know I’m going to squall on senior night, because they’re all wonderful girls. Everybody clicks and everybody works together really well.”
Of the five seniors on the squad this year, captain Tori Clark stands out as a natural leader. Clark joined the team as a shy freshman, nervous to try out for the team, but has grown into a confident leader.
“Now being a captain, it’s kind of different,” Clark said. “I’m not just on the team, I have to tell everybody what to do and come up with the (cheers), and I love it.”
As captain, Clark choreographs the cheers and teaches them to her teammates.
The squad cheers at both boys and girls home games, as well as weekend away games, meaning Clark prepares multiple chants and dances while balancing school and her job as a hairstylist.
“She’s just a very driven young lady and she brings that to cheer,” Wilson said. “And that to me is what a cheerleader should be. It should be somebody that (people) look up to. And not just because you’re out there and you’re cute in a skirt. The whole point is the leadership of it.”
Senior Ambreia Kelley and sophomore Shayla Richardson are the co-captains. Richardson has had the opportunity to learn from the two seniors and get to know her teammates, as she will take over as captain for the next two seasons.
Cheerleading has helped the athletes grow not only as leaders, but as people.
“You’re out there and you’re in front of everybody, but you’re not the spotlight,” Wilson said. “And I think that really builds a lot of confidence in the girls and gives them the courage to get up in front of people.”
That confidence and courage helps the team understand their role on the court: staying positive and motivating the team and the crowd, regardless of the score.
“If people are looking at us, I feel like we need to be on point, because we are hyping our team up,” Clark said. “We’re impacting how they do sometimes. We’re not playing basketball, but that’s our job, hyping them up.”