Many girls do cheer at PHS, but there’s only one who does competitive cheer outside of school: senior Taylor Morgan.
Morgan started at the age of four, when her mom and Ashley Wilder owned a gym. Her mom taught dance, while Wilder coached the cheer program.
“My mom, being a dance teacher, obviously put me in dance to follow in her footsteps. I cried constantly and would point at the cheerleaders, begging. Finally, she gave up on me dancing and let me cheer,” said Morgan.
Morgan has cheered at many gyms, some more successful than others. The first gym was Tumble Time in Paoli, but it closed after a few years. Next, she cheered at ICE in Bedford; her mom owned the building and taught dance there. This gym also closed after a few years because the main coach quit.
Morgan’s third gym was Royers, located in French Lick, but it was not a good fit for her or very competitive. She then attended Fullout in Jasper for four years, but it eventually closed due to a lack of athlete interest.
Morgan is currently at GymTyme and has been for four seasons.
“GymTyme is the best decision I have ever made; it is my second home,” said Morgan.
GymTyme has been the most successful gym Morgan has competed at. She has been to the Summit (a national cheer competition) three times, reached the finals twice, and won the WSF (World Spirit Federation) twice.
Morgan’s coach at GymTyme, Richard Ramsey, has many good things to say about her.
“(Taylor) is a very driven athlete and has been one of my favorite athletes to coach as far as being positive and taking corrections. She always comes into practices with a good attitude and is willing to do whatever to help her team,” said Ramsey.
Morgan has never wanted to quit competitive cheer because it has given her so many new and exciting experiences.
“The coaches, teammates, and goals I have make me keep going. I am always a happier person at cheer; you get so many life lessons and experiences through this sport. Cheer is such a diverse sport that anyone can do; we even have cheerabilities, so you meet and work with so many different kinds of people, which helps build an open mind. This sport creates trust, teamwork, and teaches you how to push yourself mentally and physically for your team. I have had so many experiences in the places I have traveled for this sport as well. Overall, I’ve gained bonds between my teammates and coaches that will never break,” said Morgan.
Morgan has competed and will compete in many competitions this season.
“So far this season, we have had our annual showcase in November, and I just competed at WSF. We had Supers in January, along with many competitions till April, then the Summit in May is the final competition of the season,” said Morgan.
Morgan is interested in cheering after high school, either in college or competitively, but has not yet chosen. Being an assistant coach is also something she is interested in during college. In the fall, she plans to attend the University of Alabama to study International Studies
and Spanish.
