GETTING THE SPIRIT: Students practice pom skills at THS clinic

Skyler Hammons, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·3 min read

Feb. 6—Students at the Tahlequah High School Spirit Clinic danced through the afternoon Feb. 6, putting their pom skills to the test.

Amy Wright, coach of the THS Pom Squad, said the clinic is for Pre-K through fifth-grade students in the surrounding area.

Wright said they normally hold two clinics a year, with one strictly cheer in the fall and the other a spring pom clinic. Both are fundraisers for the high school team.

"It is just to help with the cost of things, like poms," said Wright. "Each pom pom costs almost $20 each, so when you have 20 girls, and you have $30-$40 worth of poms for each girl. That's a lot of money."

The students will participate in practices Feb. 6, 7, 9, and 13 at the Tahlequah Middle School gym.

Wright said the clinic leaders, which are those on the THS pom squad, help young students to learn a chant and cheer, which is performed during halftime at a high school basketball game.

"They'll listen and they'll pay so much attention to you, and it's just you have so many little eyes on you," said Lexye Wright, a THS junior and member of the pom team. "I just love being able to teach and show them and being able to show it to their parents and how excited they get."

Lexye said this year marks her sixth clinic, but she first got acquainted with it when she was in elementary school.

"They were my favorite thing [in high school], and I was just excited I got to go hang out with the high school girls," said Lexye.

To help assist with skill, the grade levels are separated, and accommodations are made to the dance for some age groups. Wright said their largest age range has been first, second, and third graders.

"They just love it. They just love getting on a court and just being like, 'Look at me. I'm fancy.' They love it. When they start getting to fourth and fifth grade, they start getting a little more shy," said Wright.

The pom clinics that Daily Molloy, a member of the THS Pom Squad, attended when she was in elementary school helped spark her joy and passion for the sport.

"I want them to get involved in the school, and when they come up in the high school and middle school, they know what they're looking at and they already feel comfortable with our sports," said Molloy.

Lexye said hosting the clinic seems to help the younger kids not be so intimidated by high school students.

"That was a big thing for me, as I always thought the high school girls are all big and scary, and I just love being able to remodel them," said Lexye.

Helping to lead the clinic practices and groups, Wright said, has given the high school girls a chance to be like older sisters to the participants.

Molloy feels like the clinic helps build school spirit among younger students.

"I think it just gets the community involved. It gets them excited to go to games, and then it just brings more people to our games. It just builds a community spirit," said Molloy.

Check it out

On Feb. 14, the students participating in the clinic will perform during halftime at the Tahlequah High School boys' basketball game.