I couldn’t have done it without all the people who helped me. I just want to thank them all ... and most of all my mom for encouraging me so much.”

UM Cheer-squad signee Hope Mann

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. – Central Christian senior cheerleader Hope Mann signed with the University of Mobile Rams cheer team April 5. Mann inked her scholarship papers in the CCS gym with teammates, classmates, friends and family along with UM cheer-team coach Kami Whiteis.

Mann said she kind of tumbled into cheering through her gymnastics background.

“They were looking for a flyer and I had been doing gymnastics for a while, so I think that helped me get comfortable doing it pretty soon. Before long I really fell in love with it.”

Whiteis said Mann was recruited for her outstanding academic record as well as her athletic skills.

“Hope is a great all-around cheerleader. She’s a great jumper, a great flyer and she has some nice tumbling skills, so she fits the bill perfectly. We do love that she is a flyer and it happens that we will be needing her next year. And it helps a lot that she has a great background in gymnastics and has been doing stunts here at Central. Also, her enthusiasm out there is so great. When you’re the flyer all eyes tend to go toward you, so you have to present that enthusiasm while you’re flying and Hope has that great smile on top of her athletic performance abilities. So, we’re really excited to have her join us. But of course, academics come first at the University of Mobile and all our student athletes come in knowing that. And Hope will really bring that obviously great attitude to the classroom as well as the gym.”

Mann, who plans to study engineering, said she was excited to continue cheering at the college level.

“It really is a lot of fun,” she said. “It can also be a lot of work and I know that will continue in college, probably even more so. But I am really looking forward to continue cheering.”

She added words of thanks for everyone who got her interested in cheering and gymnastics and who supported her efforts along the way.

“I couldn’t have done it without all the people who helped me. All my teachers and coaches (Sherri Charles, Shelia Shelton, Peggy Lassiter), all my friends and coach Whiteis” she said. “I just want to thank them all and most of all my mom (Jennifer Mann) for encouraging me so much.”