Coupeville Sports

       CHS cheerleader Holly Craggs and some guy with dimples that she likes to hang out with.

If you can look at this picture and not smile, there’s something wrong with you.

Holly Craggs is living the dream.

The irrepressible Coupeville High School senior, always a good tennis player, stumbled on the new love of her life when she finally gave in to friends and force-of-nature Wolf cheer coach Sylvia Arnold and picked up the pom poms for the first time this fall. Now, the only question is, why didn’t she do this before?

“I love it! All the girls on the squad are awesome and I definitely have the best coaches and captains,” Craggs said. “I never really thought of myself being a cheerleader, but now that I’m doing it, I really wish I could have done it my past years in high school.

“After the first open practice we had, I ended up falling in love with all of it,” she added. “None of the girls that tried out got cut, which I think is amazing. I’m so blessed to be on a team that is so accepting and loving towards everyone. No one ever brings you down and you’re always loved.”

Already part of two close families — the one at home and the one at the Coupeville Living Hope Foursquare church, she has found an equally welcoming group dressed in red and black. 

“My girls and coaches are so uplifting and supportive. I’ve never once heard anyone say anything bad about the other,” Craggs said. “It’s just a great atmosphere to be a part of and we’re all determined to do our very best.

“Jai’Lysa (Hoskins) and Emily (Clay) are the perfect captains. They do such a great job making sure everyone is paying attention to our coach and giving ideas and suggestions to everyone,” she added. “Coach Syl and Coach Cheridan (Boyd-Eck) are amazing. Every practice we’re laughing and dancing and just having a great time with each other. I wouldn’t trade any of them for anything.”

Craggs, who has worked at Papa Murphy’s in Oak Harbor since she was a freshman and enjoys her yearbook and contemporary issues classes at school, has hopes of attending a Christan college. She would love to one day end up at Ecola Bible School in Cannon Beach, Oregon, but plans to spend the first year after graduation on Whidbey, working and raising money for her education.

While she doesn’t expect to participate in cheer past her high school days, she is marinating in every moment it has been offering her this year.

“With this year being my first and last year as a cheerleader, I just want to have fun with it,” Craggs said. “I’ve loved every moment of being a cheerleader and wish it would have lasted longer.“

And, like a lot of newcomers to the sport, she has come to realize just how much hard work goes into pulling off what looks like effortless routines on the sidelines.

“Almost every practice I’m sweating, because we’re making sure we’re getting our cheers and dances right,” Craggs said. “It’s not as easy as it looks.

“Coach Syl makes us work hard and wants us to look our best before we get out there to cheer for our boys in front of everyone,” she added. “Like any other sport, you need practice, determination, strength and motivation, which cheering definitely requires a lot of.”

When spring rolls around, the “Big Bang Theory” buff and die-hard fan of the “irresistible Justin Bieber“ will pick up her racket for a third season under the tutelage of girls’ tennis coach Ken Stange.

“I plan on going all out this year and playing harder than I’ve done in my past years,” Craggs said. “I’d really like to beat South Whidbey this year because they’ve always beaten us. But I plan on making this year different.”

Cheer. Tennis. A job she enjoys. A supportive family and church. A tight-knit group of friends who she goes on shopping sprees with. What more could a well-balanced young woman want?

Well, there is that guy in the #40 uniform, the one with the dimples.

When asked about who has helped her or influenced her, one name bubbles up quite easily.

“This is a little mooshy-gooshy/lovey-dovey, but one person comes to mind — Brett Arnold,” Craggs said. “He’s so supportive with everything I do and makes me want to do my better than my best. I love spending time with him and his bubbly, fun, loving family.

“Being able to talk to him about anything that happens in my life, and him being understanding about it, really makes me feel blessed to have such a supportive and caring friend,” she added. “Whenever I’m having a bad day he’s the one I go to first to help me turn it around and he usually does. I don’t think I could have asked for a better best friend.”