VOLUNTEER COACHES ARE BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH CHEERLEADING

Saints Cheer coaches are selfless volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to help young athletes develop their skills, build confidence, and achieve their goals. They often sacrifice their personal time to attend practices, games, and competitions. These coaches not only teach cheerleading techniques but also serve as mentors, role models, and positive influences in the student-athletes’ lives. These coaches inspire a sense of sisterhood and teamwork among their pupils, helping to instill values of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. The impact that our coaches have is immeasurable, and we appreciate their contributions to the sport and to our community.

Meet St. Philip’s quartet of dynamic SAINTS CHEER coaches:

Tosheia Smith has been working and coaching at St. Philip’s for several years and built the cheer program into what it is today. She is the backbone of its success. “Coach T” as she is known by the cheerleaders, has created catchy cheers and chants, instilled discipline, and even developed little disciples during her many years of service. Tosheia credits her success to the support of her parent volunteers and the dedication of the cheerleaders.

Assistant Coach, DeAnn Lax , is a parent of two St. Philip’s students. She began coaching the cheer squad in 2015 and has developed many of the stellar routines the girls perform. For Coach Lax, it’s been a blessing providing support and encouragement to each team over the years. “I like being able to use the talents God has given me to minister to the youth,” says Lax. Next season, she’s looking forward to creating new state-of-the-art routines to Christian rap music.

As a Team Mom, Ashlyn Fisher, has witnessed the evolution of her daughter, Naima, through cheer. Ashlyn says Naima loves everything about being a cheerleader and has been active in the program since Pre-K4. She’s now in the 4th grade! Fisher has found the most rewarding aspects of the cheer experience is watching her daughter’s confidence grow from internalizing positive affirmations to witnessing her build and maintain relationships with her peers.

Perce Tate is an active Team Mom whose attention to detail, servant-heart, and commitment to ensuring that the cheerleaders are having fun has not gone unnoticed.

Saints Cheer Creed

COACH CRAIG BLACK: REJOICING FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE

St. Philip’s is excited to recognize Craig Black for his 20th anniversary year of volunteering with St. Philip’s School and Community Center as a dedicated coach in our athletic program. Coach Black began working with the Saints football team in 2003 and has spent the last two decades guiding and mentoring hundreds of our young Saints. He’s also volunteered during basketball season, helping at the concession stand and front entrance. During his time at St. Philip’s, Black has impacted the lives of over 800 athletes, encouraging them to build friendships and stretching them outside of their comfort zones. He loves working hands-on, particularly developing the players’ skills on the field.

For Coach Black, coaching is about more than football; it’s instilling life skills like trust, discipline, and self-improvement into our youth. He encourages each athlete to be respectful and pursue excellence on and off the field. Black is proud to display his care for each player, emphasizing that this team environment requires the best of each of them.

When asked why he keeps choosing to share his time with St. Philip’s, he began to reminisce on how far our athletic programs and facilities have come and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of something so remarkable. “It keeps getting bigger and better.” he says, recalling the upgrading of our athletic facilities, including the Snyder Activity Center and Doherty Fieldhouse.

In 2013, Coach Black was awarded the Nancy Dillard Lyon Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. This gesture of appreciation was not only heart-warming, but it also motivated him to stick around for another 10 years!