Chapin Cheerleading's 5A Victory

Trust the process: How Chapin Cheerleading Built Their 5A Victory

At the 2018 Cheerleading State Championship, no one was betting on Chapin High School for the 5A title, at least not this year. It was their first year being in the higher division and they’d been struggling throughout the season. They were taking second place titles at competitions when they were used to taking first. The difficulty of their routine that day was huge, with the hardest stunt being attempted at that level of competition. And then the stunt fell.

When the time came for the name of the state champion to be called, every single girl wearing a Chapin uniform was sure it wasn’t going to be them. Head Coach Vicki Williams told the girls to stop holding hands and to get ready to clap for whoever did get the title. Assistant Coach Billy Williams, Vicki’s daughter, had already walked away to the restroom because she thought they didn’t have a chance. But then something happened.

The name was called, and it was Chapin High School walking away with the win - their fourteenth state title in school history, and their most surprising yet.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Williams. “It’s probably the best win we’re ever had, because we didn’t expect it.”

Ashley Miller name the 5A Cheerleader of the Year

To understand how the program pulled it off, you have to understand exactly who Chapin Cheerleading is. From the top of the pyramid to the bottom, the program is solid, steady, and built to last. In 2001, Vicki Williams was coaching at Irmo Middle School when Chapin’s JV coach asked her to take on the responsibility of heading up the Chapin program. For a year, she coached both schools, directing practice at Irmo before driving over to Chapin for the evening practice slot. The next year, she left Irmo Middle and won her first state championship with Chapin. Since then, the Eagles have racked up a total of 14 titles from 2A to 5A, with all but the first coming as a result of Coach Williams’ leadership. There has never been a 1A State Championship in the state of South Carolina, or they probably would have won that too.

At a glance, it’s easy to think that Chapin just had some kind of magic that no other school managed to tap into. But the truth is, there’s nothing magical about their number of championships. The program’s success is a proprietary blend of tradition, work ethic, and smart leadership.

Coach Vicki likes to win, but she likes to win in a very specific way: on paper. In cheerleading, scores are given in two parts. The first is difficulty, which grades how challenging the stunts and planned routine are. The other is execution, a score based on how well the group does the stunts and moves that they had planned. For Williams, the priority is to up the difficulty points and then train hard to execute the best they can. Though they struggled throughout the year with their confidence in the 5A division, Chapin didn’t let down on the difficulty level, and that’s what brought them the win.

“My coach has always said that we’re not entitled to anything, we are only given the opportunity to work hard and do our best”

- Ashley Miller

“It kinda seemed like everyone was starting to give up,” said captain Mary Grace Calloway about the change to 5A. “Then one day, we sat down and we talked about who we do this for and why we cheer. After that, we started to get the fire back.”

The team kept the difficulty level high throughout the year, and though they dropped a stunt at state, other teams struggled to hit their performances as well. The difficulty made the difference.

“My coach has always said that we’re not entitled to anything, we are only given the opportunity to work hard and do our best,” said Ashley Miller, a junior and another team captain. “That’s really what came through in the end this year. Our execution on the rest of the routine and our difficulty is what pulled out the win.”

Ashley Miller was named the 5A Cheerleader of the Year after Chapin took the state championship. Ashley, who prides herself on her leadership and positivity, was selected by her teammates for the award after serving as a captain for the state’s 5A championship bid.

“I always try to encourage everyone,” she said. “I love my teammates and I just love cheering them on.” Ashley had her mind set on Chapin Cheer since the age of 3 when she went to a little girls’ clinic for the school. With such a legacy to look up to, it’s no surprise what she has accomplished with her teammates and her coaches around her.

Even after winning titles, everyone involved seems to have the same understanding of why they work so hard.

“The best part is the relationships that you develop with your teammates and your coaches,” said Mary Grace. “Because when you’re together every day and you’re working really hard, and you’re all dying from practice, just being able to come together really brings us closer.”

Coach Vicki agreed. “I might yell and scream and want it to be perfect, but they know that off the mat, I love them. That’s the only reason I coach,” she said. “It’s for the relationships, the relationships that I have with these kids.”

Wiliams Family

It’s not just talk. Those relationships are what got her through her first battle with breast cancer as a young coach. Having something to focus on gave her inspiration and distraction, and she coached throughout treatment and into remission. And when the cancer came back, the team was there for her again as she beat it once more.

“The girls helped me,” she said. “It really helped me believe that I could get through it, that there was something on my mind besides the chemo and all the awful stuff I was going through.”

With this woman to lead them, it’s no mystery how work ethic and determination became common words in the program. Vicki Williams has made an impact on a long list of alumni who’ve put in their time at Chapin, and been an inspiration to girls who are making their way up through the ranks.

“She’s made me not only a better athlete, but she’s developed me as a person,” said Mary Grace. “It’s shown me what commitment is, it’s shown me that if you really want something, you can’t just sit around.”

Chapin Cheerleaders receive recognition at the State House.

But the Williams legacy is much more than just winning titles. It’s a lot of things. It’s the girls at Chapin Middle School who look up to the champions and dream of being in their shoes. It’s the long list of alumni who went on to cheer at USC, or Clemson, or even Newberry College. It’s Mary Grace Galloway, the junior class vice-president who is learning what it means to be a leader. It’s Taylor Till, who coaches her own team at Chapman High School while her younger sister carries the torch at Chapin. It’s every single girl who came before and put in their hours of sweat, tears, and back handsprings to bring that number of state titles from thirteen to fourteen. It’s being able to say, “Chapin is your 5A Cheerleading Champions.”

And if, like me, you’re wondering who’s going to take that title next year?

“We’re not entitled to anything,” Ashley reminds me. “But we will be in the gym all the time working toward another state title.”

Photographs by GoFlashWin.com (cover, 1, 3) and Charliene Maier (2, 4, 5)