Photo Credit Shelby Laine Photography
By Joanna Chadwick
When Kari Schott became the assistant cheer coach at Derby, her daughter, Lexi, was in third grade.
“I have practically grown up in the sport,” Lexi Schott said. “I think the biggest positives of cheer is the people I have met because of it. The relationships I have gained from cheer are not just my teammates, but my sisters.”
Kari put her daughters into cheer because she knows the benefits.
“Cheer is a selfless sport that requires dedication and pride,” Kari said. “I think Lexi has become more confident in herself and has learned valuable team dynamics that will help her succeed in the future.”
Lexi didn’t start cheer until seventh grade and initially didn’t plan to do high school cheer, where her mom is the head coach.
“Lexi wasn’t going to try out for her freshman year, but she decided to last minute,” Kari Schott said. “She is thankful she did because she has made some amazing friends and has experienced awesome opportunities in the process.”
She’s also grown as a cheerleader.
“Lexi has excelled in having precise motions, learning material quickly and has learned to be a diplomatic leader,” Kari said. “… She has a great crowd presence and an unwavering love for her teams.”
Lexi plans to cheer at Washburn.
“I think the reason I have chosen to cheer in college is because I truly love cheer and I feel like it is such an important part of my life, so not continuing it would be hard,” she said.
But cheer takes up a lot of time.
“I think we, and many of the other spirit activities, are truly the backbone to the game-day feel at Derby,” Lexi said. “We do so much work behind the scenes that the average person would not know. But I think that’s what helps make the experience of going to a football game or basketball game something special.
“… I just like making a difference in my community and being a good role model for younger kids. We put in a lot of work outside of practices, but it all feels worth it when a little girl asks you for a picture on Friday night.”
