Replacing a legend is no easy feat.
For new cheerleading coach Kelsey Sugg, it is not a matter of taking over and instilling a new philosophy, but more a task of building on that legacy of former coach and mentor Kristi Maley, who resigned earlier last month after 20 years at the helm at The Dalles High School.
“I have some huge shoes to fill. I have a lot of learning to do, but luckily I have Kristi to support me every step of the way and there is no one else I would rather have to teach me what I need to know,” Sugg said.
In addition, Sugg plans to move The Dalles back to its roots of competitive cheer, an area dominated by the program from 1998 until 2008, winning 11 cheerleading championships in a row.
In 2009, TD ended up in second place by a close margin, and then it was decided the focus should be on dance and drill.
For the first three seasons, TD did not win any awards, but in 2013 and 2014, the team picked up consecutive third-place awards.
Finally, in Maley’s final season, The Dalles Flyte Dance and Cheer earned its first state championship.
Sugg, a former state champion cheerleader as a flyer and a base, made the switch based on her vast knowledge of the intricacies of the sport.
According to Sugg, cheer requires teamwork and trust.
The team works for the entire year to perform one flawless routine and there is dance, tumbling and stunting.
A diverse and committed group of athletes is necessary to achieve success.
Dance is based on technique, spacing, projection and choreography.
Cheer also has an element of choreography, but requires more physical strength, energy and flexibility.
“I chose to move back to competitive cheer because that is what I am most passionate about,” Sugg said. “I lived for cheerleading and I want to bring it back. It was definitely a hard choice. It took a lot of convincing. Some of the girls on the team were not so sure about it, but after a lot of long talks with Kristi and letting them know how excited I am about it, most of us are all on the same page.”
Sugg cheered all four years in high school, and in her freshman year, was an alternate for the state champion team in 2007.
In her sophomore year, Sugg added back-to-back titles to her resume.
After placing second by a close margin in 2009, The Dalles made the shift from competitive cheer to dance.
Sugg graduated from The Dalles in 2010, and then attended Oregon State University for four years with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Sciences in 2014.
Now 23, Sugg is currently the head preschool teacher at St. Mary’s Academy, and she is starting her Master’s program in the fall.
This past season, Sugg joined Maley’s coaching staff as an understudy to Maley, so the transition was seamless.
Maley, an instructor for The Dalles Dance Academy, is excited to have one of her Alumni take the reins.
“She is organized, energetic, a great role model and leader for this team,” Maley said. “One of the many reasons I resigned was because I knew I had someone great to take my place. One of Kelsey's strong points is her knowledge and experience in stunting. She was a flyer and a base, so she knows all aspects which will really help them in competitions this upcoming year.”
Sugg said that some of the most important coaching aspects are leadership, organization, and the ability to make athletes be creative and dedicated.
She hopes that winning formula is in the bloodlines.
Just a few years ago, starting in 1993, Sugg’s father, Steve, skippered The Dalles High School baseball program to a dominant run of nine semifinal berths, six state championships and 300 wins in his career.
Steve, who is the varsity football coach, was selected as an Oregon High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer in 2013.
“My dad has been a coach for many years and I have always looked up to his coaching philosophies,” Kelsey said. “Hopefully I can be as good a coach as my dad someday. We are super excited to get to coach together this year.”
Kelsey takes over a program that loses all-state winners Ale Pena and Sydney Langer to graduation, but there are plenty of talented dances such as Mackenzie Smith, Meara Crawford, McKenna Bailey, Jordyn Hattenhauer, Zaida Lopez, and Megan Kendall ready to step in.
Kendyl Kumm, Jessika Nanez, Aileen Luna-Lopez, Brianna Gamez, Jenifer Salinas, Bryonna Otzoy, Keagan Rice, Lillia Chance, Taylor Sugg, Delaney Schanno, Abigail Helseth, Maddison Richardson, Tianna Smith, Orion Smith, Addison Smith, and Logan Nerdin round out the team of 23.
“I am absolutely excited for the program. They are a great group of talented girls,” Pena said. “Kelsey Sugg is a great teacher and coach in my eyes. I feel that this team can continue to do well for many years to come.”
Kelsey admitted that change is nerve-racking on many fronts both for the coach and the athletes, but that once the adjustment period wears off, the success that breeds from the hard work will pay off in spades.
“The girls and I are going to have to give every practice 110 percent and more and literally dedicate everything we have to building this program back up,” Sugg said. “I have more than enough faith in my team. I have an amazing group of girls and I can tell they are super excited to bring cheer back.”
Being a cheerleader was one of Kelsey’s most memorable parts of her life.
She credits Maley, and her mother Leslie, who made that experience as a dancer and cheerleader unforgettable.
“It’s hard to explain the sisterhood of cheer,” Kelsey said. “We built a bond during the season that resulted in life-long friendships and memories. We worked so hard, year-round, to be the best in the state. Our reputation was built by young women; dedicated, strong and athletic.”
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