High school coaches do more than just teach athletes the ins and outs of a sport. They also help them get ready physically and mentally for competitions. Coaches can also serve as a role model to their athletes and even to other coaches. Cheer coach Cheyenne Carpenter says that she decided to become a coach because of on of her middle school coaches and the impact she made on her. “Coach Jen was my middle school cheer coach, she was my favorite,” said Carpenter.

“She showed and taught us how to hold ourselves to the highest standard. She helped build me to be the best I could be. She inspired me to bring all of those same qualities to my athletes and my students in the classroom. Coach Jen was a good role model for me and is a coach that helped build me into the coach that I am today.” Carpenter is the head cheer coach at Edmond Memorial High School. Before she took that position, she also coached at Oklahoma Gold. Along with coaching, Cheyenne has taught math at Central Middle School for three years. While her middle school coach made an impact on her life, Carpenter says that it was not until she was in college that she made the decision to become a coach.

“My coaching career began in college,” she stated. “I started coaching cheer and gymnastics and completely fell in love with coaching. I was able to continue pursuing my passions in a different capacity while helping young kids achieve their dreams. It was the best of both worlds for me.” Coach Carpenter loves coaching cheer but she says that there are other parts of it that she enjoys as well. “I love building relationships with my girls,” she said.

“Helping them build their leadership skills on the team, on the sidelines, in the classroom, and in every day life. My goal as a coach is to always build my girls up to be the best they can be. My biggest highlight is meeting new girls from year to year. I take pride in being a role model for each of my athletes. They always know I am here for them whether they have someone in their corner or not.”