Athlete of the Week: Langley Austin

Langley Austin

Langley Austin is everything good a cheerleader is supposed to be - happy, supportive, appreciative of her teammates, and in love with her sport and the friendships it has provided her with. When she puts away her maroon and gray uniform and pompoms for the final time next spring, she is going to have left nothing undone.

“I’m going to miss being with everyone,” the White County High School senior and captain of the Warriorettes cheer squad said. “Everyone is going to go their own way after graduation, and we won’t be together again like we are now. So I’m just making all the memories I can and soaking it all in right now.”

For Austin, who has been cheering since she was a third grader at Findlay Elementary School, cheerleading has been all about relationships.

“Cheerleading has provided me with a whole community of support,” she said. “These friendships that have formed because of this sport gave me a family to experience things with. To go through these years of my life with.”

The Warriorette captain knows that those relationships weren’t only about fun and comradery; they taught her some important life lessons, too.

“The biggest lesson was probably teamwork,” she said that learning to work together and be supportive was a lesson that will transcend the sport she loves. “It’s not one person’s fault if something falls or a cheer gets messed up, and it’s never just one person’s fault when things don’t go the way you planned in life. In cheer, you have to make sure you are communicating to get everything right and make it look good for the audience. In life, communication is going to be key – whether that’s school, career, or home. More will get done, and you will be happier and less stressed, if you learn to communicate.”

Cheer coach Tracy Mason couldn’t agree more with Austin, saying that what she brings to the squad in the form of leadership is invaluable.

“Langley is the epitome of a cheerleader,” Mason said. “She is an awesome captain, and we are blessed to have her on our squad.”

After she graduates, Austin plans to attend a four-year college where she will follow one of two career paths. She hasn’t quite decided yet whether she will head into the medical field and pursue a career as an echo technician or return to school as an elementary education teacher. As far as cheering, she doesn’t know if there are any more pompoms in her future, but she said she isn’t against the idea if an opportunity presented itself.

As for advice to future White County cheerleaders who will take to the floor after Austin is gone, she had some advice.

“You have to believe in yourself, you have to believe that you can do it - to have that drive. You have to be motivated, have that confidence in yourself,” she said. “And don’t forget to enjoy all the moments. Enjoy being a teammate.”