Oswego East Co-Student Athlete of the Week

Junior Amanda Osman’s leadership style would not be characterized by being vocally loud, which is slightly ironic because of her role as member of the cheerleading team. Although excitement and a loud voice has its place in cheerleading, competitions rely more on skill and choreography to capture 1st place trophies. Amanda’s quiet, but stabilizing, presence on the team helped lead her team to one of their best competitive seasons ever, which is why she is this week’s Oswego East Co-Student Athlete of the Week.

Amanda’s journey as a member of the Wolves cheerleading team began early in life. She started in kindergarten, taking classes at Oswegoland Park district in cheer/poms, dance, and gymnastics. From there her journey took her to the Oswego Youth Tackle Football and Cheer (OYTF), and was named a captain of the state qualifying Plank Pirates. Upon her graduation to high school, Amanda’s skills earned her a place on the varsity roster as a sophomore, and helped lead her team to a 2nd place finish at the ICCA state tournament this season.

Since arriving at Oswego East, Amanda has shown a great deal of growth and maturity. Her mother, Jennifer Osman, says, “[Amanda] has grown to appreciate the role and responsibilities of being a cheerleader, and what it means to be part of a team.” Her coach, Tiffany Scholle, has seen how Amanda’s hard work has led to an increased role on the team. She says, “[Amanda] is a quiet presence of stability and control on the team that helps to keep everyone focused on the big picture, and has grown into a smart athlete that is able to process the needs of herself and the team for success and then come up with an action plan for how to get there.”

Amanda fills various roles within the team. She competes as a base, jumper, and tumbler during the competitive season. Amanda enjoys the camaraderie of the team, or as she says, everyone “Is like a family.” Unfortunately, Amanda suffered an injury, which held her out of the competitive season. Rather than dwell on what might have been, Amanda used her opportunity to serve in a mentor/coach role. “[Amanda] made a point of not just coming to every practice, but being an active participant in critiques, help for specific groups, and video review.” Scholle goes on to add, “This showed a great deal of maturity as she temporarily accepted a coach/mentor role for her peers, instead of focusing on her own disappointment of not being able to physically participate.”

Besides being a member of the cheerleading team, Amanda spends the spring season as a member of the track team, participating in the 200 and 400 meter sprints. Amanda’s success also translates to the classroom, where she carries a 3.9 G.P.A., which places her in the top 15% of the junior class. Amanda challenges herself with difficult courses, such as AP US History and Pre-Calculus. Her Pre-Calculus teacher, Kay Knutson, sees first hand just how hard of a worker Amanda is in the classroom. “Amanda is an excellent student with strong math skills,” says Ms. Knutson. She goes on to add, “When given the opportunity to work in a group, she becomes a leader and helps explain the process to obtain the answer, rather than just giving the answer.”

As far as future plans are concerned, Amanda is looking for a small school structure, possible Carthage College in Wisconsin, where she can compete athletically and study psychology, with an emphasis in sports and athletics. Although she still has her senior year left, this bright junior has a wealth of experience at East to share her advice with future Wolves. Amanda says, “Get involved and don’t be afraid to talk to other kids.”