By Derrick Smith
There are a lot of things student-athletes can learn while participating in sports. Along with learning about the sport they play and how to become better athletes, Annie Williams feels that they can also learn things that will help them off the playing field as well.
“I think it is very important to prioritize sports like school,” Williams said. “I believe playing sports teaches kids to be coachable, employable, compassionate, tolerance, and how to get along with others that they typically wouldn’t pick as friends. Most importantly, sports teach them to experience hard work and reward.”
Annie is the mother of three kids, all of whom are in the Edmond school system. She says that her family loves Edmond and has felt welcomed by the community.
“We love EPS,” she stated. “My girls staying active in cheer has been such a blessing. I worried about the girls transferring schools, adjusting, and fitting in. We have only been in Edmond for 4 years, and loving every minute. The girls have had very caring sponsors and coaches, who also keep them in line academically.”
Madeline, Williams’ oldest child, is a junior at Edmond Memorial. She is on the varsity cheer team and is also on Respect, a level six all-star cheer team. Caitlin, her middle child, is a freshman at Edmond Memorial. She is a member of the freshman cheer team and is on Rubies, a level four all-star cheer team. The youngest, Knox, is in kindergarten at Redbud elementary. He plays baseball and football with Edmond All Sports.
A graduate of Bixby High School, Annie was a member of the marching band and the pom squad. Now, she is the booster president of EMHS Cheer and team mom of her daughter’s all-star teams. She says that she loves being involved.
“I stay caught up with my kid’s activities by staying involved,” she said. “If there is a team mom or a committee to join, you’ll usually find me. I enjoy helping with my own kids and others.”
When she has free time, she enjoys relaxing however possible, but it usually still involves some kind of sport.
“I enjoy laying by the pool, watching my husband race sprint cars, or catching a sporting event.”
