May 05, 2019 at 01:13AM
Michaiah Bolar's youth activity of choice as a youngster was gymnastics.
To her, anything else was simply uninteresting — especially cheerleading.
"I grew up as a gymnast," Bolar said. "One day, one of my friends convinced me to try out for the cheer team, and I was always against it. I was like, 'No. I will never cheer.'"
A few minutes with the sport quickly changed her opinion.
"I ended up loving it, and I've been doing it ever since," she said.
Friday morning, Bolar's West Lauderdale cheer teammates, family and friends packed the school's library to watch the senior sign her national letter of intent to cheer this fall at the University of West Georgia.
Bolar cited the school's anthropology program, its intimate campus and the inviting personalities of future teammates and coaches as drawing her to the
"I went to a clinic and I fell in love with the cheer team, and I fell in love with the coaches," said Bolar, who aspires to have a career in forensic anthropology. "I didn't want a big campus, and it's Division II, so it's not too big or too little. Everything was perfect."
East Mississippi Cheerleading owner and instructor Laura Posey recalls working with an adolescent Bolar as she learned tumbling routines. Bolar's proficiency and talent ceiling at the time impressed the instructor.
"Michaiah started out as a young athlete in gymnastics and started coming to me when she was still involved in gymnastics but was transitioning into the interest of cheerleading," Posey said. "I feel like her gymnastics background definitely had a huge part in the development of her tumbling skills. The beginning stages of tumbling are what's so important to advance you to upper-level skills later on."
Bolar joined West Lauderdale's cheerleading team as an eighth-grader. During her five-year high school cheering career, she's accumulated four state championships and has competed in a handful of states. She said the aspect of the sport that provides her the most fulfillment is the spirit of competition.
"The competitiveness," she said. "I'm a big competitor, and I love competing.
Bolar's and Sara Knox's West Lauderdale paths converged when Knox was named the Lady Knights' cheerleading coach during Bolar's eighth-grade year.
"She's always been an amazing athlete," Knox said. "Her gym skills have truly carried our team. She's always been one of the best tumblers, so that's been a great asset for our team."
While Friday's signing set forth a chapter in Bolar's academic and athletic life, she said she grateful for the memories and achievements she and her teammates experienced at West Lauderdale.
"They've been great," Bolar said. "We've been through many ups and downs, and I have loved every minute of it. I really wouldn't change anything about my cheer career."
Michaiah Bolar's youth activity of choice as a youngster was gymnastics.
To her, anything else was simply uninteresting — especially cheerleading.
"I grew up as a gymnast," Bolar said. "One day, one of my friends convinced me to try out for the cheer team, and I was always against it. I was like, 'No. I will never cheer.'"
A few minutes with the sport quickly changed her opinion.
"I ended up loving it, and I've been doing it ever since," she said.
Friday morning, Bolar's West Lauderdale cheer teammates, family and friends packed the school's library to watch the senior sign her national letter of intent to cheer this fall at the University of West Georgia.
Bolar cited the school's anthropology program, its intimate campus and the inviting personalities of future teammates and coaches as drawing her to the
"I went to a clinic and I fell in love with the cheer team, and I fell in love with the coaches," said Bolar, who aspires to have a career in forensic anthropology. "I didn't want a big campus, and it's Division II, so it's not too big or too little. Everything was perfect."
East Mississippi Cheerleading owner and instructor Laura Posey recalls working with an adolescent Bolar as she learned tumbling routines. Bolar's proficiency and talent ceiling at the time impressed the instructor.
"Michaiah started out as a young athlete in gymnastics and started coming to me when she was still involved in gymnastics but was transitioning into the interest of cheerleading," Posey said. "I feel like her gymnastics background definitely had a huge part in the development of her tumbling skills. The beginning stages of tumbling are what's so important to advance you to upper-level skills later on."
Bolar joined West Lauderdale's cheerleading team as an eighth-grader. During her five-year high school cheering career, she's accumulated four state championships and has competed in a handful of states. She said the aspect of the sport that provides her the most fulfillment is the spirit of competition.
"The competitiveness," she said. "I'm a big competitor, and I love competing.
Bolar's and Sara Knox's West Lauderdale paths converged when Knox was named the Lady Knights' cheerleading coach during Bolar's eighth-grade year.
"She's always been an amazing athlete," Knox said. "Her gym skills have truly carried our team. She's always been one of the best tumblers, so that's been a great asset for our team."
While Friday's signing set forth a chapter in Bolar's academic and athletic life, she said she grateful for the memories and achievements she and her teammates experienced at West Lauderdale.
"They've been great," Bolar said. "We've been through many ups and downs, and I have loved every minute of it. I really wouldn't change anything about my cheer career."