As Russellville High School varsity cheerleader coach since 2012, Stephanie Mayfield says each squad has its unique strengths.
But Mayfield admits there's something special about this year's group, particularly the nine senior girls who have been with her since middle school.
Captains Destiny Hatton and Leah Grimes, along with Co-Captain Lauren Mae Sturdivant, Shelby Carson, Ashlyn DeArman, Callie Palmer, Abby Peters, Lily Pounders and Karly Tidwell, lead a squad whose talent their coach describes as 'off the chain.'
“Most of these girls have cheered since 7th grade. They really have been the backbone of this program since they were in 9th grade as junior varsity cheerleaders,” Mayfield said. “You can't imagine the talent level we'll be losing.
“A couple of them plan on cheering at the collegiate level. The University of North Alabama will have its tryouts very soon. They will go on to be successful at the next level regardless of what they choose to do,” she added.
Eight of the nine seniors received the prestigious Legacy Award, given to girls who cheer from 7th through the 12th grade. They will also receive scholarships from Mayfield and her husband Mike.
While no one would choose to go through their senior year of high school in the midst of a health pandemic, Mayfield's nine seniors never got down or felt shortchanged about their final year on the squad.
“They've been troopers through it all,” Mayfield said. “They didn't get to go to a college campus for cheer camp, so we had a home camp for the first time. These seniors never complained and they are an inspiration for the younger ones.
“During the season, they've helped me and we've tried to have little treats for them during the year, like the ice cream party we had this week,” Mayfield added.
The Class of 2021 cheerleaders have also excelled beyond their accomplishments with the squad.
“I've invested so much time with these girls they're like my own children. I'm so proud of them. They're leaders in our school, with some of the highest ACT scores in the entire school and they take hard classes. I can't say enough about them,” Mayfield said.
That respect and admiration flows the other way, as well.
“She's been our coach all four years,” Grimes said of Mayfield. “When we came in, she took us in like her own. She's always hard-working and wants us to do what's best. We used to complain she was too hard on us but seeing other squads and seeing what she does for us, we realize we have one of the best coaches any school could have.”
Grimes, a cheerleader since the 8th grade, was selected by team members as this year's captain, along with Hatton. Mayfield expects a lot from her captains in their leadership roles, and she encourages the girls to hold them accountable.
“The girls know their peers better than I ever know them. They watch their social media sites, check them out and see if their walk matches their talk. They want someone who will absolutely go the distance the whole season and not quit on them,” Mayfield said.
While Grimes said it's an honor to serve as captain, it can be difficult to be in a leadership role to her friends and teammates.
“It is definitely a challenge to make decisions for my peers and friends, but overall when we make those decisions it's always what's best for the team,” Grimes said. “We've always been super close and this year has seen us grow even closer. I hope the upcoming (2021-22) squad stays close. We've had sleepovers and that helped draw us closer. I hope that's something they continue.”
Hatton, a competitive dancer who works at AFTT Studio in Russellville, choreographed the dances for her varsity and JV squad, along with three of the band dances this year.
The respect her teammates have for her speaks for itself. They have voted Hatton a captain each year since they were in 7th grade.
Hatton will attend UNA next year as part of the school's criminal justice program. She also plans to try out for the UNA Dance Team. But don't think she's closing the door on cheering.
“After two or three years I plan to transfer to Texas A&M or the University of Alabama, complete my degree in criminal justice and try out to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader,” Hatton said.
Sturdivant, who serves as co-captain, plans to return to the classroom one day as an educator. She will attend Northwest-Shoals Community College next fall to get her basics, then transfer to UNA and major in elementary education.
When asked what type of teacher she hopes to be, Sturdivant looks no farther than Mayfield.
“Ms. Mayfield has really inspired me as a leader and as an educator. She always goes above and beyond for her students,” Sturdivant said. “It's never been just like an athlete and coach relationship. She's more like a friend we can always to to with anything.
“We trust her and know she'll always take care of us and be in our corner. I want my future students to realize I'll be there for them and always be cheering them on,” she added.
As for their unusual senior year, Sturdivant and her teammates describe it as 'different, but complete,' and have never dwelt on what they might have missed.
“Whenever I think about this year, one word comes to mind---blessing. This year has been a blessing,” Sturdivant said. “Through the quarantine I got to spend a lot of time with my family and words cannot express how much I enjoyed that.
“We've done so many things no other senior class has done or experienced, so I definitely feel like it was a complete experience. We've seen support from our community, as people realize we've not had a chance to have a senior year like other classes. I'm thankful we even got to be in school and do the things we did,” she added.
