ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL CHEER SQUAD FINDS SUCCESS IN COMPETITION AND LIFE

ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL CHEER SQUAD FINDS SUCCESS IN COMPETITION AND LIFE

WRITTEN BY KEITH TAYLOR, WEBMASTER & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

There’s more to cheer than cheerleading.

That’s the consensus of three outstanding members of the award winning Allen High School Cheer team and its first-year coach, Shawn Mosely.

“I enjoy getting to work hard at something that challenges me and being surrounded by people who are so passionate about cheer as well,” said senior Riley Pickard.

Squad members senior Kambrey Williams and junior Weston Kelly back up her enthusiasm.

“Cheer has helped me with time management and how to balance work and school, Kambrey said. “I also think we have gained a lot of leadership skills in guiding our teams through whatever circumstances are thrown at us -- whether it’s learning new routines or just practicing.”

For Weston, he enjoys being in the spotlight as well as the teamwork of being a squad member.

“I like the feeling of competing and performing,” he said. “Stepping out on the stage and being under the lights drowns everything else out. The drive, the family, and the passion of the sport translate into everything you do and it changes you as a person.”

“We all have the same end goal. It’s just a great experience,” Riley concluded.

Sharing that goal has led to big results: Allen cheer squads won national championships at the National Cheerleading Association competition in Dallas and an invitation to perform and march in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

“We had two squads. We were all on our intermediate squad and there was a novice squad,” Riley said. “Both teams won at nationals this year and it was a really cool thing.”

Kambrey said the opportunity to display the results of the team’s hard work was rewarding.

“This was our first time competing at the national event where we were able to showcase our talent. We had a lot of talent come in and out of this program, so having the ability to showcase our performance at this prestigious level was an honor.”

The journey to victory was not without its challenges, as the squad faced strong competition from across the country. However, the teams’ determination has resulted in national recognition.

“There have been a lot of opportunities afforded to us since we won the national championships,” Coach Moseley said. “We’ve been invited to the Dr. Phil show. The Allen City Council presented us with a proclamation, and we were recognized by the district’s (Allen ISD) Board of Trustees.”

Coach Mosley is no stranger to success. During her 10-year tenure as cheer coach at Clear Creek High School near Houston, her teams won eight national championships.

“One of the main things I wanted to do in Allen was assess the talent and see if we could compete on the national stage,” she said. “I didn’t know if we could do it or not, but I had a formula for success, and we applied it to see if it would work and it did. We took two teams to the national competition and won in two different divisions.”

Starting work in the district in July 2023, Shawn has a background in the area having graduated from Plano East High School and previously working for the City of Allen. She is married to Curtis Middle School Coach Leroy Mosley. Their daughter Synclaire, 10, is a fifth grader at Olson Elementary and participates in competitive cheer. Their two sons, Langston, 16, plays basketball and baseball at Allen High School, and Bennett, 14, plays basketball at Curtis.

For Coach Mosely, the victories represent the culmination of months of hard work and dedication.

“It was a lot of work and a lot of practice,” she said. “The squad members trusted the process. They devoted their time and energy, and their parents trusted us as well. And it just worked out.”