There are people in each of our lives who make an impact and help us become the people we will be. While there are a lot of options that people can look up to, for Mattie Jones, her’s are a major part of her everyday life.
“My biggest role models are my parents,” she said. “They do whatever they can to get me countless hours of private practice and drive countless hours to practices and college cheer clinics. They help me strive to be better.”
Jones is in her senior year at Cushing High School. She is an accomplished member of the school’s cheer team. She has been doing cheer for nine years, All-Star cheer for eight years, she is a three-time All-American, and serves as the captain of the CHS cheer squad. Outside of cheer, she is also a member of the National Honor Society.
While cheering may not be a sport associated with physicality, it requires strength, dedication, and a lot of work.
“To be successful in cheer is putting in countless hours of hard work,” she said. “I have learned that tumbling skills and mastering stunts do not come overnight. You have to be constantly working in the gym to get the skills. I’m very competitive at what I do, and I challenge myself to be better every day.”
As a cheerleader, Mattie not only has her team’s competitions, but they are also on the sidelines at football games, keeping the support up for the players on the field.
“I have been on the sidelines for six years now, cheering on the football team,” she recalled. “My favorite part is being on the sidelines with my team and seeing my student peers cheering on our team. It’s a great feeling to see that our community comes to every home game to support us on our home turf.”
There have been some great memories that she has made over her career, but for Jones, there is one that stands out.
“My highlight moment of my cheer career was when I was invited as a senior recruit to the OU football game against Michigan,” she stated. “I got to have the game day experience on the sidelines with the cheerleaders.”
