West Carteret has many amazing and committed athletes. In this column, I hope to highlight a current West Carteret senior athlete to inspire others to get involved within the school. This edition’s spotlight is focused on star cheerleader, Laney Atkinson.
1. When did your cheer career start? And Why?
My cheer career started when I was 2 years old when my mom opened a cheer gym here in Morehead City. I have literally grown up in the gym and won my first national championship at 5 years old. My cheer career has grown to be so much more than just being a participant though. I now coach 2 teams at the gym and give private lessons to kids who want to learn how to tumble and have learned that coaching is truly a passion of mine. I have now been in the sport for 15 years and have been on the Varsity team at West since my freshman year.
2. How have sports changed you as a person?
Considering I have been doing cheerleading for 15 years, the sport has impacted my life in countless ways. I have taken on more of a leadership role in my community by coaching at a local gym and giving private lessons to young athletes. The sport has also taught me how to persevere through any obstacles that may come my way, and that hard work always pays off in the end.
3. Why do you like your sport? What is your favorite part about competing?
I love the teamwork aspect of cheerleading. In this sport, you literally cannot have a full practice without the entire team being there, which allows everyone to really bond. My favorite part about competing is the adrenaline rush that you get right before you step on the mat and being able to experience the good and bad performances with my teammates, because both are super important to getting better.
4. What is your favorite sports memory?
I honestly have so many, but my favorites would definitely have to be getting ready with my team before games and competitions and winning the state competition my freshman year. From a coaching standpoint, I absolutely love watching the kids I work with grow in any way, whether that be getting a new skill that they have been working on or just watching them come out of their shell and begin to express themselves.
5. What is one piece of advice you would give to an underclassman?
One piece of advice that I would give to an underclassmen would be to never give up, even when times are tough. From a cheer perspective, when you have a bad practice you almost always come in the next day and everything just seems to work out. With everything you do in life, things will get hard but they will always get better with time and it will all be worth it in the end. I would also tell them to focus on school and learn how to balance everything. I have school cheer practice and all-star practice almost every day on top of school, so learning to balance everything was crucial to me.
6. What do you plan to do in the future?
I plan to attend a 4-year university, with my top choice being UNC Chapel Hill. I would love to continue with cheerleading in college and hopefully also continue to coach at a gym that is nearby. I want to go to Physicians Assistant school after completing my Bachelor's degree.