Athlete of the Week: Jolie McBride

Jolie McBride has spent her whole life as a cheerleader. In fact, the only thing she’s done more than cheer is to be a student, and those two things have shaped her life and provided direction for her future.

“I’ve always loved being a cheerleader,” the now White County High School senior said. “It gave me a purpose and a place to belong. I’ve always looked up to older cheerleaders and knew that I wanted to be that person one day.”

Warriorette head cheer coach Tracy Mason said you would be hard pressed to find another girl who embodies everything the Warriorettes strive to be.

“Jolie is one of the sweetest young ladies you will ever meet,” Mason said. “She is an awesome cheerleader and a great captain.”

McBride, who began cheering as a Findlay Falcon when she was just 8 years old and moved on to being a Warriorette in middle and high school, said that she never imagined a day when she wouldn’t be a cheerleader and has been working toward being a collegiate athlete since day one.

“I’ve always been working toward the ultimate goal: being a cheerleader in college,” she said. “I just wanted to keep practicing and keep getting better year after year.”

Of course, college isn’t just about cheerleading, and McBride knows that. She plans to spend her time off the cheer floor studying to become an elementary school teacher.

“I loved my years at Findlay - loved being a student, learning new things, loved all the experiences,” she explained. “And I loved my teachers – they helped shape me into who I am. If I can be that person for a child someday, that would be amazing.”

McBride went on to say that cheerleading hasn’t been just about poms and dances and ball games. She said it’s been about creating a family and learning responsibility.

“As we get older, just in life in general, we have more responsibilities,” she explained. “Becoming a captain on the Warriorettes cheer team has taught me about responsibility, about being accountable, but also about helping my teammates with those same lessons. I’ve had to lead by example but also learn when to listen and help rather than just set expectations.”

“This team is like a family,” McBride continued. “We are together so much, we know each other so well. You know that you have people who are going to lift you up, support you, be there for you – for all the ups and downs of life. That’s what being a part of the Warriorettes is about. I’m going to miss these girls when it’s over.”