Not so long ago it seems to Lori Maxwell, daughter Molly was doing acrobatics on every soft piece of furniture in the house.
She’d throw her arms in the air to mimic what cheerleaders do to elicit response from a crowd.
While other little girls wanted Barbies and tea sets; Molly yearned for cheerleader outfits, which she’d then wear to games so she could cheer along with the big girls.
“I’ve always wanted to be a cheerleader,” Molly said.
“Always” is about to arrive on a bigger stage. Come Sept. 3, she’ll be on the sidelines of Kansas State University games when the Wildcats open the 2011 football season against Eastern Kentucky.
For the past four years she’s enthralled Iola High fans with her flips and handsprings as a cheerleader. Now she’ll be performing before 40,000 rabid, purple-clad fans whose school song is “The Wabash Cannonball.”
MOLLY’S APPLICATION found favor when Kansas State announced cheerleader tryouts in April. She was among 200 hopefuls, including some who were on last year’s squad. There are no holdovers; everyone starts fresh each year.
It was a little frightening, Molly allowed, when she arrived in Manhattan three days ahead of the May 1 tryout for mandatory practice sessions and got a close look at her competition.
“There were so many talented girls, from big towns, Kansas City and Wichita, and even from out of state,” Molly said. She steeled herself, remembering her mother’s admonition to never give up, to keep trying — and keep smiling.
Molly dived headlong into the pre-tryout workouts.
“We worked on our tumbling and doing routines to the ‘Wabash,’” she said.
The work came second nature for Molly. Her preparation really started at age 4 when she enrolled in classes at South Street Dance, and had the good fortune to be tutored by Tasia (Cooper) Choudhry.
“The South Street experience was a big plus for Molly,” Lori said. “Tasia pushed her and emphasized attention to detail from that very first year.”
“Tasia encouraged me to be a performer, an entertainer, when I was on stage,” not just a dancer, Molly said, and, this turned out to be important, to smile at her audience, to let all know she was having a good time.
She also had the advantage of nine years of gymnastics, as a student and also an instructor in Iola’s recreation program.
All those trying out were experienced and could perform flips and cartwheels and dance like the dickens. The component of her repertoire that Molly thinks made the difference was her smile.
The K-State cheer “coach told me that every time she looked at me, I was smiling,” Molly said. “She said she really liked that.”
When the big moment arrived, Molly was among the 50 selected, although success was a little bittersweet. She felt sorry for those not picked, many of whom had become friends even in so short a time.
As a K-State cheerleader, Molly also becomes a Division I athlete, with the same commitment of time expected of others who represent the university.
Cheer squad members will report Aug. 14 for “boot camp,” two-a-day practice sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. for three days.
During the school year they will practice 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and work with Special Olympics kids one evening a week as a public service.
WHY K-STATE?
“Granddad (Tom Maxwell) went to Kansas State and we’re close,” Molly said. “I figured I’d better keep K-State in the family.”
Being a small-town girl, she also likes the atmosphere in Manhattan and knows she’ll be able to get a good education at the university.
A goal of Molly’s is to become an educator. Her mother, McKinley Elementary principal, taught before becoming an administrator.
“I want to be a speech pathologist,” Molly said. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and this past year I found I like being one-on-one with students.”
Her career path was charted in Iola High’s job shadowing program, when she worked with Stephanie Larson in speech pathology at McKinley.
“That made up my mind,” Molly added. “I really like the interaction with the kids.”
“She has a special rapport with special needs kids,” Lori said.
While cheerleading provides no funding other than to pay expenses associated with the activity, Molly was awarded scholarships to help with her academic costs.
