Felicity Smith - St. Mary's High School
Full Name: Felicity Leihana Smith
Age: 17
Parents: Leacha Clark
Siblings: Destiny and David Stallworth
Year in School: Senior
School: St. Mary’s High School; Stockton, CA
Coach: Margo Kozina
Instagram: @fe.lit.city
Twitter: @Felicityluv3
St. Mary’s High School Senior, Felicity Smith, was born and raised in Stockton, CA. She is talented, outgoing, and smart with a confidence beyond her years. What most people don’t know about Felicity is that she wasn’t always the extrovert that she is today. “As a young girl, I was extremely shy and didn’t talk much which affected my ability to speak. For many years, I worked with a Speech Therapist. Being a cheerleader, at that time, was probably the last thing I would ever imagine myself becoming,” Felicity admits. “It took years of work for me break out of my shell, but it wasn’t until I watched the movie, Bring it On, that I knew I wanted to become a cheerleader. In the 3rd grade, that became a reality and I cheered for the North Stockton Bengals Youth League. I’ve been cheering ever since and now, I’m captain of the St. Mary’s Varsity Cheer team. Me overcoming my shyness really has motivated me to cheer my heart out because, through cheer, I’ve gained self-confidence and it helped me with my speech.”
Most people don’t consider cheer a sport. How much time do you and your team dedicate to practicing and perfecting your routines/stunts? How important is it to keep in good shape as a cheerleader?
Cheer is so much more than everyone thinks it is. It’s way more than smiling and looking pretty. There is so much to learn and work on. You have to be able to learn routing and incorporate jumps, motion, dancing, and stunting. To me, stunting is the hardest thing in cheer because if you do not have the physical strength, it’s impossible to do. You must have enough power to either be a base, back spot, or flyer and if you lack this, someone WILL get injured. We work on our halftimes, sidelines, and cheers every week to cover everything and get it as close to perfect as possible. Being in good shape as a cheerleader is essential because it can be very physically demanding to do what we do.
How do you successfully juggle the demands of school, practice, and games?
For me, my education comes first and is always the top priority. I have to keep my grades up and in doing this, I might have to stay up late and/or get up early especially if a game is coming up. Learning how to manage my time and give myself enough time for school and cheer helps me so I don’t stress out, especially on the days that I have tests and a game.
How do you prepare for cheer on and off-season?
I watch and study routines from cheer competitions and college squads. Also, I make sure to keep myself healthy by making sure I hang out with the right people and stay in the right environment.
What are your strengths physically and mentally as a cheerleader?
My strengths are being a leader and having patience. I’ve seen captains in the past who’ve been unnecessarily hard on their teams. Cheer is a team sport, so we rely on each other to be at our best. As a cheer captain, it’s important to remind my girls how great and valued they are, but also to motivate them to give 110% at all times. We all work hard.
What is your philosophy on discipline?
My philosophy on discipline is that it’s necessary, but my approach is to be positive and encouraging. When my team feels good about who they are and what they’ve accomplished in practice, it shows on game days in our performances. The discipline comes naturally without me having to push them.
What is one word or phrase that you hope your teammates use to describe you?
Caring.
What is the next step for you as a cheer athlete? What are your plans after high school?
I will be attending Langston University in Langston, OK in the fall as a Nursing major. In April, I plan to fly to Oklahoma to try out for the cheer team. I hope to become a Pediatric Nurse someday.
What are some of your other outside interests/hobbies?
A huge passion of mine, other than cheer, is music. Both cheer and music have blessed me with some wonderful opportunities: singing at the 49ers stadium, at my high school football home games, and recently, I was accepted into the Honor Choir for the San Joaquin County. I’m also in a female singing group called prima Voce and do musical theater. I played Addapedale in “The Wiz”.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
My family. They are my biggest support system and always encourage me to do my best.
What is the biggest lesson that cheer has taught you and how can you apply that to real life?
The biggest lesson that cheer has taught me is that, in life, you should always be filled with joy. As a cheerleader, it’s your job to be happy and smiling and show your audience the passion you have for the team. In real life, life is too short to be unhappy.
What is your most memorable moment of the season?
I was having a really rough day and came to a football game just not in the best mindset. My team saw this and uplifted my spirits. It showed me that, even on my darkest day, the people around me care.
What is your biggest regret of the season?
I can’t say that I’ve had any regrets this season. My coach and teammates have been such a blessing to me.
What is the biggest lesson that you’ve learned from your coach this year?
The biggest lesson that I’ve learned from my coach this year is that life is worth living. My coach has been there for me at my lowest and has done so many things for me that not even my own father has done. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have Coach Margo in my life. She constantly reminds me how I really have people who love me and wish nothing but the best for me.
3 words to describe yourself:
Loving
Dedicated
Happy
3 words that others would use to describe you:
Compassionate
Multi-talented
Unique
3 little known facts about you:
I am obsessed with anything that has glitter
My greatest wish is to sing the National Anthem for an NBA game
My biggest fears are: spiders, heights, and roller coasters!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I see myself with a cute little family living life to the fullest!
What advice can you give to someone who is thinking about trying out for cheer, but has no dance/gymnastics/cheer experience? Is it possible for people in this situation to learn what others have been doing for years?
My advice for someone who wants to try out, but doesn’t have the experience is to just “go for it”! To boost your self-confidence, ask for help from someone who does have experience and pick their brain. They can give you great insight since they’ve been through the try-out process and will tell you what you can expect. Do your research! There are so many videos online on cheer from movements, sidelines, jumps, to how to do hairstyles and makeup for game days. I believe that it is possible to learn what others have been doing for years when you put time and effort into it.
Is there anyone that you’d like to thank or acknowledge and why?
I would like to acknowledge every person I have in my life because every single one of them has shown me unconditional love. I am thankful for this because not everyone gets to experience this. Most importantly, I would like to thank God for all the doors he has opened for me and the blessings he has gifted me with.