Love of sport bonds sister All-American Copperas Cove cheerleaders

By Wendy Sledd

Special to Leader-Press

Both girls started cheering at age 5. Both girls cheered in junior high and high school, serving as captains of their squads. Both girls earned the honor of All-American Cheerleader. Now, it is time for the two sisters to say goodbye.
Copperas Cove High School cheerleaders and sisters Allyssa and Emily Kimball are not sure what life will be like in a couple of weeks when Allyssa heads to college and the spirited duo will live in different cities for the first time in their lives.
"My first cheer team was Gymkix Mini Starz, and that's where I fell in love with cheer. My sister was on the Tiny Starz, and we loved putting on our lipstick and shaking our little pom poms. It was the best thing in the world to us,” Allyssa Kimball said. “I eventually made the junior high and then high school teams, being named All American (cheerleader) my eighth grade, junior, and senior years.
“My sophomore year, my little sister was entering the seventh grade, and she came to me about being interested in joining the cheer team at Cove Junior High. I was so excited to be able to share my love of cheer with her again, so I coached her to help her make the team, as well as make captain her eighth grade year, a position in which I also served.”
When Emily became a freshman this past year, Allyssa was excited to serve with her again as a cheerleader with Emily as captain of the junior varsity squad and Allyssa captain of the varsity squad. The two girls cheering together is all that Emily has ever known.
Although Emily started cheering when she was five years old, cheer has been in her life since she was born. Whether she was cheering on her big sister from the audience or performing with her own team, Kimball has been involved in cheer for as long as she can remember. Through Allyssa’s coaching to help Emily make the squad in junior high and then again in high school, the pair of All-Americans knew that this final year together was special.
“This past year was my last opportunity to cheer with my sister before she goes to college, and I worked to make every minute count,” Emily said. “She’s been my sister, friend, teammate, captain, and much more. I will never forget what she’s taught me along the way.”