It’s May of 2021 in Dallas, Texas, and Tate Wilcox is grasping her hands with her teammates. The lights blind their faces, the loud noises deafen them, and confetti falls over them. Her all-star team, Lady Lightning, is called out as the 2021 NCA champions. The journey to the top isn’t always easy, but Wilcox can attest that it is a worthwhile fight. Two years later, Wilcox is still on top of her craft as a senior leader on CHS’s large coed cheerleading team.
Wilcox began her cheerleading career at age four when her gymnastics gym started a cheer team. She worked her way up to one of the most nationally recognized all-star cheerleading teams, ICE Lady Lightning. They compete at competitions all across the country and most importantly at the NCA World Championships. Thousands of gyms compete at NCA in Dallas, Texas in a giant arena, where the best of the best go to compete for a national title. After winning two NCA national titles, Wilcox decided to retire her ICE uniforms.
Fortunately for CHS, she decided to come onto Chesterton’s cheerleading team. High school cheerleading is very different from all-star cheerleading, as high school cheerleaders cheer for football and basketball season on the sideline, whereas all-star cheerleading is more competitive and stunt-based. Though Chesterton’s team still competes, they compete in the game-day division, which is centered around crowd involvement as opposed to stunting. Wilcox made the switch from All-Star cheer to Chesterton Cheer because she felt that the environment at All-Star had become emotionally abusive. She felt that Chesterton Cheer would give her the better family environment that she was looking for.
As it is Wilcox’s last season on the Chesterton cheer team, she hopes to make it to the UCA national finals with the team this year. Finishing out her senior year strong and having the most fun possible are the two most important things for her this season. Being one of the senior leaders on the Chesterton squad, Wilcox makes a huge contribution to the team and all of its success.
“Tate brings a different level of intensity to the program here at Chesterton. She is very talented, but more importantly, she is a great motivator and is very passionate about the sport”, Varsity head coach, Tara Graf, said in regards to Wilcox’s role on the team.
Her impact is visibly seen in the performances that the cheer program puts out. Through her triumphant tumbling skills and her high-level stunting ability, Wilcox is an unstoppable talent. However, not only does Wilcox impact what CHS cheer produces, but she also impacts her team and the people around her which is arguably more important.
“Tate always reminds me of my achievements. She’s very knowledgeable about the sport and if anyone has a question they always know that they can go and talk to her. She is not only a teammate, but a best friend to many”, sophomore varsity cheerleader Mady Novak commented when asked about Wilcox’s impact.
Regardless of whether it is all-star cheer or high school cheer, the nature of cheerleading can always be taxing on the athlete. Throwing human bodies in the air, and being thrown always poses physical risks. Injuries are bound to happen and it takes a level of grit to push through.
“More than anything, I rely on my autopilot. I know that if I practice something enough even if I blackout and freeze in front of people, if I just close my eyes and block everything else my body just knows what to do. I just rely on that”, Wilcox commented.
Along with physical stressors, cheer can become mentally draining and stressful. Unlike other athletic seasons, the Chesterton cheer team’s season spans an entire 11 months as they cheer for football, boys and girls basketball, and their own competitions. Though of course, the team is very close and tight-knit, being with thirty other athletes every day for the majority of the year does not always come lightly.
“When things get hard or confusing, I don’t forget why I’m there. If I feel like I’m being hard on myself or my teammates I just remember why I cheer in the first place. I try not to take anything for granted”, Wilcox says.
Looking into the future, Wilcox plans to sign with Morehead State in Kentucky to be on their Division 1 cheer team. College is always an exciting and nerve-racking feat and deciding on where to go is the scariest part. I asked Wilcox about why she decided Morehead would be the best fit for her athletically.
“I knew as soon as I walked in that I wanted to be on the Morehead team. There was such a great atmosphere and I could feel the drive radiating off of people there. They made me feel very wanted. They came to me and said we really want you here and my offer is how they proved it” Wilcox responded.
After giving her blood, sweat, and tears to cheer, whether it was all-star or high school, her future is brighter than the lights at any competition and anybody around her knows this.
“Without a doubt, Tate has many more years of cheer ahead of her and I am certain she will be an absolute asset to whichever college program she chooses”, Wilcox’s coach said.
