The lone cheerleader

One of the things I like about this job is rubbing elbows with fellow publishers when they come to print their publications here each week. We trade notes, and vent, and laugh and generally help each other make sense of this business called life as best we can.

This week’s best news comes from the Hale Horizons, the community newspaper that proudly claims to be “Your Hometown Heartbeat.” Here’s an example of what this means, taken from a front page article called “The Lone Cheerleader.”

During the recent CLAA Basketball Tournament, the Northwestern Lady Eagles were playing against Keytesville’s girls for consolation. Usually, the Northwestern cheerleading squad numbers five. But due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances, 17-year-old Tori Adams that night found herself in uniform alone.

Standing in front of a large crowd in a competitive arena can make anybody nervous. Standing by yourself can be downright frightening. But Tori was up to the task and did her best.

By the second quarter, Tori was having second thoughts. She stepped out into the hallway to talk to her mother, naturally fighting feelings of intimidation.

The opposing Keytesville squad noticed. After talking among themselves, a couple of Keytesville cheerleaders offered to “share” their squad to join up with Tori to lead neutral cheers boosting both teams so that Tori wouldn’t be alone.

Hardin-Central was playing the next game, and the cheerleaders from Hardin-Central took notice. They stepped up and offered to cheer with Tori so as to allow the Keytesville squad to return to their side of the court.

At first, the girls thought that Tori could teach Hardin-Central the cheers that the Northwestern gals use. But Tori soon suggested that teaching one (meaning herself) new cheers would be easier than teaching nine.

These gestures of empathy and sportsmanship put smiles on the faces of many sitting in seats throughout the gymnasium that night. And, to cap this account, there’s even a happy ending.

Tori, daughter of Blaine and Becky Adams of Mendon, was named All-Conference 1st Team Cheer Squad that evening. And cheer team honors went to Hardin-Central.

As writer Karlene Hart quoted Brandon Stockwell of Mendon in this week’s Hale Horizon, “Yes, it was pretty special that the cheerleaders came to support Tori. But as a testament to her as an individual (before the others came to help), she stood there ready to support and cheer in what I would think to be the most intimidating situation a young lady could face in any group sport or activity.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Hale publisher Rob Corf knows a good story when he sees one. Hale, MO, may not be on the radar of very many souls in this world, but reading this bit of goodness is a reminder that what we each individually do matters.

Rob says he thought one of the TV stations in Kansas City picked up on the story. And, for what it’s worth, it does my heart good to pass this story on to you.