Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Faith Adams

Sophomore Faith Adams’s background in gymnastics helped make her transition into cheerleading a natural one. Joining cheerleading for the first time as a freshman, Faith has been able to show a tremendous level of growth in her individual skills that she has become an integral part of the team. Faith’s maturity and skill development ensure she will have a bright future in the next two seasons, which are a few of the reasons why Faith is this week’s Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Having been involved in gymnastics until 7th grade, Faith tried her hand in volleyball and track, a sport she continues to play at OE. As a freshman on the JV cheerleading team, Faith admits she had a great deal to learn if she wanted to be the best version of herself. “Last season I was a flyer and realized I was not as flexible as I needed to be, something that at times was frustrating for me,” says Faith.

Self-admittedly, part of Faith’s growth this season has been due in part to her change in mentality. “I would say the biggest change for me this season was my attitude coming into the season, where I have tried to think more positively,” says Faith.

Head coach Tiffany Scholle is proud of Faith’s growth as a person and an athlete, saying, “Faith has matured so much in the past two seasons. She has been able to learn multiple stunting positions (base, flyer, back spot) as well as show incredible improvements in individual skills such as inverted jumps, level-four tumbling, and precise motions. I am most impressed with her personal growth and maturity since she has joined us. Faith demonstrates that she has a solid understanding of how cheer works and really works to take steps necessary to improve.”

Faith’s mother, Janice Adams, understands the role cheerleading has played in her daughter’s maturation as well. “As a freshman, Faith didn’t believe in herself as much as she should have and it impacted her attitude,” says Janice. She goes on to add, “This year, being a year older and wiser, she has put the work in and gained confidence. As a result, she has had a better attitude and started to become more of a leader.”

Despite the impact the pandemic has had on athletics, Faith found ways to fully immerse herself in the process of improving as an individual. “Faith’s improvement was perhaps more apparent in our virtual and disjointed season because Faith clearly took opportunities to work on her own outside of the gym to keep her skills, conditioning, and mindset in shape,” says Tiffany. She goes on to add, “Faith was ready when we were called back from the pause, and I anticipate Faith will continue to improve and grow over the next two years as she is always looking ahead for ways she can improve as well as help her teammates improve.”

Cheerleading, and sports in general, have been an opportunity for Faith not only to improve as an individual but also to bond with her siblings. As the oldest of 4, Faith is a role model for hard work and self-improvement. “As the oldest of 4, Faith is very motherly to her sisters,” says Janice. She goes on to add, “Faith will give her youngest sister advice on gymnastics and motivate her by explaining how much better she is than Faith was at her age. She will talk all things cheer to her youngest sister, and will give her freshman brother advice on how high school sports is an opportunity to create new friendships and memories.”

As a sophomore, Faith is not quite sure where she would like to attend college, or what sport, if any, she would like to continue playing, but is interested in a field that relies on math and science. “Faith is a matter-of-fact person with a vibrant smile and is hardworking and dedicated,” says Margo Partington, Faith’s Honors Geometry teacher. She goes on to say, “Honors Geometry is a difficult class, but faith stepped right up to the plate and threw herself into the content and excelled at it. Which, would be exactly what she would do in any career she in which she shows interest!”

With a 4.0 G.P.A., a desire to continually improve herself, and the motivation to enroll in rigorous courses and difficult courses, Faith’s future is undoubtedly bright. Despite her first two years of high school has been so drastically different from previous generations, Faith’s positive outlook means that as things begin returning to normal she will continue becoming a better example for her teammates, classmates, and siblings. As someone who has found the maturity to alter their attitude in order to self-improve, Faith advises future OE students to, “Try and relax and take it day by day, put out as much effort as you can, and if you do not see immediate results understand that change takes place gradually.”