60FALL STUDENT LIFE Toe Touch Transition Hard work and passion push new cheer team member Kadyn Harris to success. ATHLETICS AT HARDING returned for the 2021-22 school year. After a year of setbacks due to the pandemic, the football and basketball teams were excited to welcome spectators, and the cheer team was eager to lead the crowd in enthusiasm. The cheer team welcomed new recruits to their team in the spring and summer of 2021. Sophomore Kadyn Harris tried out and made the team despite having no past cheer experience. Harris attributed her success to hard work, practice and a passion for sports. “In high school, I played basketball, volleyball, ran track and was a softball manager,” Harris said. “I was always in a sports season, or staying busy with chorus and theater. Now, I am doing something brand new. Really, it combines the things that I loved from theater and sports training. I loved being active and the relationships I had from being on teams.” Harris’ passion for sports piqued her interest in cheer after the encouragement of other women on the team. After hours of practicing and memorizing routines, Harris made the team. Sophomore Evie Boyd shared her excitement about Harris’ addition to the team. “Kadyn brings determination and drive to the team,” Boyd said. “She is so positive and willing to do anything anyone asks. We’re blessed to have her with us.” Junior Riley Shephard agreed with Boyd on what Harris brought to the team. The cheer team was a self-sustaining group that operated on working relationships. Since there was no head cheer coach, leadership fell to the juniors and seniors. It was a top priority of upperclassmen to train the freshmen and sophomores to become leaders of the squad. “Kadyn continues to rise to challenges that come up by facing them head on,” Shephard said. “Often, especially with stunting, things can just not work, but Kadyn has been super coachable and willing to adapt to make things work. She’s always willing to try again to make things great instead of ‘just okay.’” In addition to cheer, Harris was enrolled in 17 credit hours, an active member in women’s social club Ju Go Ju and worked at Evolve Boutique. She led a busy life, but her past skills developed flexibility and determination to take everything in stride. Harris was grateful to the supportive community found on the cheer team. “We’re teaching and helping each other through everything, which has made our relationships so much stronger,” Harris said. WRITTEN BY HANNAH DILES
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