Janel Jackson never set out to be a cheerleading coach. Growing up, what she really wanted to be was a lawyer.
She was at her college’s chapel when she felt her heart and life shift in a new direction. She had been spending more time helping with kids. Now, she’s been an awarding-winning coach for 34 years.
“When I transferred out to California I was doing my internship with a person who was also involved in cheerleading,” Jackson said. “I was still involved in cheer and competing in an all-star program but then I got connected with somebody who was involved in high school cheerleading and one day I was just there helping out and they were like, ‘Oh, you know you should really think about this.’
She didn’t lose her love for law or political science her junior year of college she changed her major and got her master’s in education.
“I never thought I was going to be a teacher,” Jackson said. “I was working with inner city, underprivileged, at- risk students. I really loved that. I loved seeing them be able to achieve and overcome things in their life, and cheerleading was a way they could do that.”
She was a high school cheerleader, a gymnast and owned an all-star cheerleading gym for about 13 years. Once she turned 18, she started working for Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) helping them out.
“I’ve experienced coaching a lot of different types of athletes. So one thing that I take a lot of pride in is I’m not the kind of coach that really wants to take a group of athletes that already has the highest level of skills and just have them compete to win.” Jackson said. “I really enjoy taking a student athlete that maybe they don’t have a lot of experience in. I can see potential in them, and their desire to succeed, and teach them how to do those skills and how to be a leader.”
She’s a part of the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA), an organization for all female sports; she was honored for the team’s UIL State Championships achievements. She was presented with TGCA State Championship rings by Herff Jones.
“I was honored, you know, it was nice. I was most excited because it represented our school, being in a room full of all the other Texas coaches and them saying, “Coach Janel Jackson from Caney Creek,” Jackson said. “That was my favorite part. It isn’t that these awards don’t mean something to me, because they do, but they mean the most because it’s for this school.”
She’s incredibly proud of herself and the team and what they have accomplished for the school.
“This is where I want to be, you know. I don’t have to be here, but I want to be here.” Jackson said. “It’s the kids I want to work with, it’s the parents that I want to work with, and it’s the teachers and administrators that I love.”
