Welcome to #WOLVESTALK – a SweetwaterNOW exclusive series where Green River High School Wolves inspire our community by telling their stories in their own words.

Ever since I was little, I always loved doing gymnastics and dancing in my room and when it came time to try out for sports my freshman year, I knew cheerleading was exactly what I wanted to do. I came into it not knowing exactly what to expect. I had no background knowledge in the stunting area so it was all new to me. At first, it was hard to learn but I was dedicated and determined to become the best that I could possibly be. I worked all summer to become a better flyer by standing on soup cans, working on flexibility, and taking in as much information as I possibly could to improve. My freshman season was definitely the hardest as I had so much to learn before I was ready to cheer at either football or basketball games and start preparing for state but I feel like it was the season that made me who I am today as a cheerleader. I pushed myself freshman year by trying out for All-State and I just remember being so nervous but as soon as I found out I made it, I was so excited and knew that all the hard work was worth it. I was also one of only two freshmen to compete at UCA high school nationals that year which came with much more hard work but it truly led to the best memories and results. 

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I am so grateful to have tried out for cheer freshman year as it has brought some of my happiest moments and made me the best of friends. I will always value being taught by Allison Luna, Mikayla Smart, Ryli Bluemel, and Jennifer Rocha as they have taught me so much both inside and outside of practice. These four have guided me all throughout high school and how to be the best person and teammate I can be and I am so thankful for that. I am also grateful to have been able to lead my team as a captain for the last two years as they all truly mean so much to me and I have loved being able to watch them grow throughout the seasons. Cheerleading is different in the sense that it has such a long season and therefore, emotions can get the best of people at times but there is no one else I would want to bicker with or celebrate hitting a full out with than my teammates. We push each other to be the best we can as we rely on each other so much.

I have won four state championship titles, four All-State honors, and three All-American honors within my four years cheering for Green River High School and while these are some of my greatest accomplishments, cheer has always been more than that to me. While I was at practice for two hours a day, I was able to escape from everything else in the world that was bothering me and just be present. I was able to hang out with my best friends and do what I loved most. Cheer has been a home away from home for me that grew into a family I never knew I needed. I have never laughed as hard as I did at some of those long Saturday practices while also learning so much about myself at the same time. I cherish every practice, competition, or game that I was able to be at because I was able to hang out with the people I love and do what we all had a passion for and that is what cheer was all about. We lifted each other up both physically and mentally on the days we needed it most and were able to celebrate every little victory along the way.

After graduation, I plan on continuing my education and hopefully cheer career at the University of Wyoming! I love the environment that they have to offer and feel like I would feel right at home in Laramie. I am super excited to see where cheerleading is able to take me in the future and would love to coach my own team one day. I have loved every minute of cheerleading and want to share my love for this sport with others. I feel like cheer has given me so many opportunities that I would not have even dreamed of without it and I want to pay it forward.

To close out, I would like to thank everyone who has helped me throughout cheer as I would not be where I am today without them. I am very grateful for this experience and everything that cheer has taught me and even more excited to see where cheer will take me in the future!

– Allysa Drinkle