Coupeville Sports

Nicole Becker

Becker during her senior season, with fellow cheerleaders Iris Ryckaert (middle) and Emily Clay. (Robert Bishop photo)

Walking away is never easy to do.

But one of the nice things about the Coupeville High School cheer squad is that once you’ve been a part of the team, you never really leave the squad. You move on with life, to college, work and beyond, but you can always come home and be welcomed back.

For Nicole Becker, this football season has been a new experience, one of being on the outside looking in at what she used to be a huge part of.

Last year she was a senior captain for the Wolves, capping a long run that started in elementary school. This season she’s in the stands as a fan, but will always be a part of something bigger than herself, something she will look back on fondly.

Becker’s thoughts on the transition:

When I moved to Coupeville in fourth grade I knew I wanted to be one of those cheerleaders you saw on those red and white boxes Friday night.

I cheered elementary school and a middle school program; that secured my thoughts to be a Coupeville High School cheerleader. Cheering four years and over eight seasons gives you a big family.

While I spent my time on one of those boxes for two years and constantly having football guys turn around to tell me to “shut up” was comforting, also knowing that those girls that stood beside me had my back was the icing on the cake to me.

Now being graduated and going to home football games is weird to me; I’m used to showing up at 6:15 PM and prepping for the game, but this time I showed up at 7. Wow, was that different.

Seeing familiar faces and hugging everyone was still the same, but I wasn’t in a uniform with sparkly eye shadow all over my face. I was me.

I have a loud voice that carries, so still being loud enough to have some of the football players turn around was a great feeling, but not being around a family was kind of lonely.

I have no doubt in my mind that those girls on the sideline are doing CHS proud.

Do I wish to be back up on a box under those Friday night lights? No, not really, I had my time. I’m needed elsewhere.

I have good memories being a part of the CHS cheer team, which will never be forgotten.