Spring 2003 - tssaa

TRINA MELTON
We had another outstanding cheer coaches conference at the Opryland Hotel in
Nashville. There were coaches from middle schools and high schools that attended
some great sessions with phenomenal speakers. Three coaches and an
administrator were honored at the Awards Luncheon during the conference.
The East Tennessee Coach of the Year was awarded to Raycean Hollis of
Dobyns-Bennett High School where she has been the varsity and junior varsity
cheerleading coordinator, sponsor, and head coach for the last three years. While
fulfilling her duties as a classroom teacher, she commits the time required to coach
the varsity cheerleading squad and the competition
cheerleading squad.During the past three years at
Dobyns-Bennett, Raycean has developed two National
Athletic Championship squads. Her squad placed 2nd at
the 2000 and 2001 TSSAA State Championships and
placed 3rd in the 2002 State Championship. Her
cheerleaders have received three top awards and her
2002-03 squad placed 6th at NCA High School
Nationals on their first attempt. She has had 48 NCA
All-Americans and four cheerleaders who received
NCA Staff Application Awards. She has had two
RAYCEAN HOLLIS
Dobyns-Bennett cheerleaders make university squads in
dance and cheerleading. Raycean is a tireless worker, a
team player and possesses a genuine love for her students and cheerleaders, while
married to Damon they have a daughter, Haden who is 10, and a son, Skylar who is
8. Two of her major gifts are a very positive personality, and a tireless work ethic
in which she strives for perfection. Teachers and coaches are constantly
mentioning how great Raycean is to work with. The cheerleading community at
Dobyns-Bennett is one that uses a “pulling together” type of atmosphere, which is
directly attributable to Raycean. Raycean’s cheerleading squads are always
seeking ways to support their school’s athletes and to help maintain the high degree
of success. She continues to tweak the cheerleading program’s constitution and
continues to work toward raising the code of conduct expectations for her
cheerleaders.
The Middle Tennessee Coach of the Year was given to Grace Pack of Lebanon
High School. Grace has been a leader and coaching cheerleading for 30 years. Her
involvement has helped students excel academically and athletically. Her efforts
always provide the motivation to have students obtain excellence. As a member of
the Lebanon High School faculty, Grace sponsored the Beta Club for 15 years, was
director of the Academic Banquet for ten years, kept the scorebook for all
freshman and varsity basketball games for eight years, and organizes the
Junior/Senior Prom. She has taught all levels of mathematics including AP
Calculus and serves as chairman of the Math Department. In the community she
has been involved with Dixie Youth Baseball for ten years. In addition to all of her
activities, she has raised three successful children and has three grandchildren.
Grace has been the varsity or freshman cheerleading coach for 14 years. She leads
her squads to superior status in all capacities. She truly
has a gift of helping athletes meet and exceed all
expectations. Her leadership demands respect,
dedication, and hard work. She expects her
cheerleaders to be leaders in the school showing high
moral character as well as academic achievement. Her
squads have placed several times in cheerleading
competitions such as the Smokey Mountain
Cheerleading competition, UCA camp competitions,
and TSSAA competitions. As a coach, she produces
GRACE PACK
Eighth Annual Cheer Coaches Conference
quality squads that any school would be proud to have.
The West Tennessee Cheer Coach of the Year was
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awarded to Christie Plunk of McKenzie High School. Christie has been coaching
cheerleading for eight years. She graduated as Salutatorian from Adamsville High
School in 1991. She was a cheerleader for four years and
captain her senior year. Christie received her B.S. in
Education with emphasis in mathematics from Freed-
Hardeman University in 1992 and received a M.A. in
Education from Bethel College in 1999. Christie is
married to Anthony Plunk and they have one child,
Payten. Christie has taught math and has been the
cheerleading coach at McKenzie High School since
1997. Her first job as coach was to create a cheerleading
manual, which delineated the role, responsibilities, and
CHRISTIE PLUNK
expectations of a cheerleader at McKenzie High School.
Christie has worked tirelessly to upgrade the
cheerleading program in her school. She has built the
cheerleading program by sponsoring fund-raising such as candle sales, ice cream
sales, and clothing with the school’s mascot attached. She has always had summer
camp and work sessions for her cheerleaders and has scheduled practices once or
twice a week throughout the year and also attends coaching seminars at UCA
summer camps. Since she sponsors cheerleaders for football and basketball
seasons, she works year-round at a job that pays little monetarily in return.
Christie’s squads have consistently competed in the TSSAA State Cheerleading
Competitions in Murfreesboro. Her cheer squad placed 3rd in 1997 in the Nonbuilding
division of the TSSAA competition and this past year her cheer squad
finished first place in the Cheer Non-building division. Along with all of her
cheerleading awards, Christie works equally as hard in her assignment as math
teacher and was named the Teacher of the Year in 2002.
Cheerleading coaches are encouraged each year to nominate an administrator at
their school if they feel that they are supportive of their program and dedicated
throughout the year. This year’s administrator’s award was given to Julia
Nicholson of Montgomery Central High School in Cunningham. Julia has been in
education for 22 years. She has coached girls basketball on all levels for 15 years.
She is currently the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Montgomery
Central High School in Cunningham, Tennessee. Julia is the District 10 AA
Coordinator and Region 5 Coordinator for the TSSAA
and is a member of the TIAAA and NIAAA. In 2001,
Julia received the Tennessee Award of Merit from the
National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator’s
Association. Julia is well organized, professional and
personally involved in all of the athletic programs at
Montgomery Central High School and treats each group
with special care and respect. Cheerleaders at
Montgomery Central feel that Julia has been a breath of
fresh air for the cheerleading program. Because of her
JULIA NICHOLSON
leadership, the cheerleading squad has become a
nationally ranked team with widespread community and
school support. Julia has dedicated exorbitant amounts
of time and energy to the cheerleading program, going far beyond the call of duty,
and is enthusiastic in doing so. For the past two years, Julia has traveled to UCA
Nationals in Florida with the cheerleading squad to lend the support of the schools
administration. She is extremely professional and well organized, creating coaches
handbooks and conducting in-service for all coaches. For schools to have
successful cheerleading programs, it is important to have the support and respect of
an administrator like Julia Nicholson that goes above and beyond the normal call of
duty.