Missy Perry Thanks Nantucket Cheer, Island Community

To the editor: I am extremely proud of the accomplishments, improvements and the solid foundation that I have made to the cheerleading program at Nantucket High School. I have been coaching cheerleading at NHS since the fall of 1990. Improving the cheerleading program was always a yearly goal for me. Cheerleading has always been a passion for me since I was about eight years old. Coaching gave me the opportunity to share that passion with generations of Nantucket athletes.

Throughout my coaching career, I always made the effort to improve my knowledge and skills by taking independent cheerleading and coaching classes, attending camp, keeping up on the rules and the changes in cheerleading, and, most importantly, listening to the kids. Helping them to grow and become the best individuals and teammates they could be.

A special thank you to Vito Capizzo for hiring me and putting me on my coaching journey. I am very lucky and proud to have been part of Vito’s team.

Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to the athletic directors that I have had the privilege of working with over the years who have supported me as a coach – Jack Malloy, Nancy Larrabee, Tom Holdgate, and last but not least Chris Maury, who was a huge mentor to me, more than he will ever know. I will always be grateful for his guidance and support.

To all of the cheerleaders I have coached throughout the years - thank you! I couldn’t have done it without any of you. Your dedication, enthusiasm, hard work and perseverance helped create the strong foundation that the Nantucket High School Cheerleading Program has in place today. Each and every one of you has been a part of this journey and I am so proud and grateful of what we accomplished together. This will be hard to match.

I recently had surgery and at this point in time I need to make getting healthy my priority. Cheerleading will always be in my heart.

Once a Whaler, always a Whaler.

Varsity Cheerleading Coach Missy Perry