Legacy Middle launches East Central ISD’s first-ever middle school cheer team, fostering a sense of community and empowerment among its members.
SAN ANTONIO — A middle school in East Central ISD is making history and changing lives one cheer at a time.
Legacy Middle School just launched the district’s first-ever middle school cheer team. What began as a new after-school program quickly turned into a sisterhood built on spirit, courage and one incredible comeback.
Making history on the court
Thursday marked the Legacy Knights Cheer Squad’s first-ever performance at a basketball game. The team has 25 members, guided by four coaches and more students are joining each week.
The girls practice three days a week, an hour at a time, and perform once a week at games and campus events.
“The kids, they needed something for after school. They needed something to belong to and have ownership in,” said Charlyssa Duplechain, a safety monitor and cheer coach at Legacy Middle School. “Allowing them to come to school, know that after this I get to let all that energy out and cheer for my classmates and my peers – that’s what we look forward to.”
The squad is made possible through the school’s ACE grant, a statewide program that funds after-school activities, paying teachers to lead clubs that keep kids engaged and inspired after hours.
“We’re not having the kids fork out any financial money for this,” said cheer coach Rhenique Nichols, who also serves as a 6th grade English teacher at the school. “It’s purely just, ‘We have a shirt for you. If you want to join, join!’ It builds that community for them.”
All types of experience, one common goal
The Legacy Knights Cheer Squad includes girls with all kinds of experience. For some, this is their first time ever cheering. Others came in with club backgrounds or years of experience.
Elisha Corley, another cheer coach who grew up cheering in East Central ISD herself, said seeing the next generation take over is special.
“I grew up in this district. I cheered at the high school, my sisters cheered at the high school, and now my babies cheer at the high school,” said Corley.
And now, she’s giving back, alongside three other women with cheer backgrounds – each sharing their expertise and passion.
“I’m naturally loud,” laughed coach Jamie Serna, who’s also an English teacher at Legacy. “I found my niche!”
Confidence on and off the sidelines
Coaches say the transformation has been incredible.
“You can see it in their faces, the way they walk through the halls. They know they’re leading their campus,” said Serna.
Sixth-grade cheer captain, Nevaeh Durham, says the nerves haven’t completely disappeared, but the confidence is growing.
“I was scared if I mess up,” she said. “Then in my mind I was like, ‘I got this!’”
Seventh-grade cheer captain Brooklyn Rochester quickly mastered the skills she once found intimidating.
“Some things that have surprised me about cheer is how fast I could do the moves,” she explained.
For cheer captain, 8th grader Emily Nolasco, the experience goes beyond cheering.
“I didn’t have nothing to do at home, so I was like, why not cheer?” said Nolasco. “It makes me feel good because I’m helping others.”
Their coaches agree the growth is visible and it’s not just physical.
“They get really excited when they did good or better than the last time and they notice it in themselves,” said Corley. “That’s what sets my heart on fire.”
A scare that strengthened the squad
Two months ago, tragedy nearly struck.
Coach Duplechain, known affectionately as Miss D, collapsed at school in September. She later learned she had an undiagnosed heart condition.
Nolasco remembers it vividly.
“I bet Miss D on a race down the hallway – that’s when it happened,” said Nolasco. “It was pretty traumatizing for me because it was me and another friend who were with her.”
“It was scary at first because nobody knew what to do,” added Rochester.
The girls quickly got help from the other coaches and their fast action saved their coach’s life.
“The girls saved my life that day,” said Duplechain. “You’re not supposed to run in the halls, but that day I ran and it saved my life.”
After more than a week in the hospital followed by heart surgery, Miss D returned to the sidelines, leading the team she calls family.
“Finding out the heart condition that I have, at the end of the day, I am now better,” she said. “I am back, and we are loud and proud about it.”
Leading with love
Now, Miss D and her coaching team say the girls are walking taller and holding themselves to higher standards – both in and out of uniform.
“These cheer members have expectations,” said Duplechain. “They have to maintain good behavior and good grades.”
And that pride extends far beyond the gym.
“They have come together and formed not just a community within cheer, but within themselves,” said Duplechain. “They make sure no one is left behind.”
Even the parent/coach/cheerleader group chat is full of energy – sometimes pinging before sunrise.
“Our chat is blowing up, 5:30 in the morning, late at night,” Duplechain laughed.
Many of the girls now have their sights set on high school cheerleading, and the coaches couldn’t be prouder.
“Brooklyn used to be shy and timid, but once she gets out there, she’s very much a leader,” said Nichols.
“Things are gonna happen. Scary things are gonna happen, but we still have to get through it as a team,” said Nolasco. “Us cheerleaders and the whole school, Legacy, we’re not only a school, but we’re family. We just have to be there for each other.”
From a brand-new after-school program to a full-fledged movement of spirit and strength, the Legacy Knights Cheer Squad is already making an impact, proving that cheer doesn’t just lift a crowd. It lifts each other.