When Becky Weslow came in 1992 to teach at St. Michael in Orland Park, the school had no competitive cheerleading program.
But there were sideline cheerleaders for sports, so she thought she would take the school’s temperature regarding interest in competing against other schools.
The temperature was red hot.
“I spoke to kids about it and we were hoping for 12 girls to come out for that first season,” she said. “After my presentation, we had 76 girls sign up. It was something that the school had never seen. The newness and the excitement was enticing to a lot of girls.”
More than 30 years, 1,500 athletes and 20 Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association state championships later, it’s still enticing to be a member of the Wildcats cheerleading team.
It took a few years to build the team into championship material, but the Wildcats won their first ICCA state title in 1998 and then won 19 more including their latest title this year. The St. Michael squad won the large team division Jan. 6-7 at the BOS Center in Springfield.
For Weslow, it never gets old.
“Every year presents its challenges,” she said. “So every year is unique. It’s a different set of kids. It’s different chemistry.
“But I really enjoy it. It’s fun seeing the kids mold into a team and shoot for a goal and be successful.”
While it’s St. Michael’s 20th trophy, it’s Weslow’s 21st as she also picked up a trophy coaching at St. Bruno in Chicago before starting the dynasty in Orland Park.
In her years at the helm at St. Michael, Weslow has seen sets of sisters and cousins participate and even mothers and daughters.
Fifth grader Scarlett Vickers is on the team and her mother, Lindsay was in the program in 1998.
“She expected the same amount of perfection back then that she expects now,” Lindsay said. “She’s not going to take a chance. She wants to know it’s secure and she wants to know what’s going to hit and that’s what’s going to get her the ‘W’.
“That perfection gets her all of the trophies.”
The team is made of fifth through eighth graders. Scarlett Vickers admits it’s a little tough being one of the younger athletes on the team, but she is adjusting. She said Weslow is a good coach.
“She drives us to do our best,” Scarlett said. “Even when we’re tired in practice, she knows that it’s good for us. She drives us to do well.”
It’s not all business when it comes to the team. There is some fun mixed in.
“In practices leading up to state, we did some activities for team bonding,” Scarlett said. “We had some practices where we would dress up the same way and wear the same thing.”
The members of the 2024 roster are Addison Aguinaga, Abby Barnum, Olivia Clark, Reese Guzior, Shannon Harring, Violet Hassan, Hope Kohlstedt, Abby Kovac, Kate Major, Mai McCarty, Ainsley Messina, Mackenzie Mutch, Savannah Mutch, Natalia Navarro, Gracie Rybak, Hannah Sniegowski, Lily Spano, Kate Swalec, Vickers, Alexandra Wendt, Brookelyn Wojkowski and Julia Yock. Assistant coaches are Kim Williams, Amy Weslow (Becky’s daughter) and Jill Bertucci.
Becky Weslow was a Queen of Peace student who was a cheerleader for St. Laurence. She loves the sport and throughout her career has worked in many areas aside from coaching to keep the sport thriving.
She served as a member of the Illinois High School Association Advisory Committee and continues to promote cheerleading at the state and national level. She has served as a cheerleading official at local, state, and national competitions, including collegiate and world championships.
She has been named the ICCA Coach of the Year, an initial inductee into the ICCA Hall of Fame, and also helped win eight national titles.
Three of the most successful high school cheerleading schools in the state – Sandburg, Providence and Marist – almost always have St. Michael alum peppered on their rosters.
Weslow plans to continue her involvement with the sport because she gets the rewards of seeing young athletes grow into successful adults.
“I enjoy seeing the girls find a passion for the sport,” she said. “They build a camaraderie. People don’t become lifelong cheerleaders – this is not a profession. But it’s something that teaches girls so much more than just the sport.
“It’s about building confidence in yourself and being able to present yourself in a proper way and I think the kids learn so much from the sport. It’s just something I’m really passionate about.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
