Senior Adam Carman does it all: cheering, wrestling, track and field, chorus, and is now a Private in the Army National Guard. Adam headed off to bootcamp this summer to complete his training to become a soldier. He described making such a big decision while still in high school.
“I had thoughts of [joining the military] all my life. A lot of the thoughts were, ‘Is this the right decision?’ ‘Am I ready for it?’ ‘Am I mature enough for it?’ I think I definitely was ready for it. It’s probably the best decision I’ve made.”
Even before Adam worked hard to attain the title of Private, he worked hard to become a two-sport state champion in wrestling and cheerleading.
Adam recalled how his involvement in cheerleading derived from wrestling, “When I was seven, my parents put me and my brothers into dance to get us more flexible for wrestling. When I got to middle school…our cheer team had a chance of winning, and I wanted to win.”
While at Park, Adam has garnered the respect of his teammates. “Adam is a very positive, welcoming teammate” said Amber Yanchak, a fellow cheerleader, when asked about Carman.
Shawna Shepherd, the head coach of the Wheeling Park Cheer Team, has worked with Adam for 4 years. Without hesitation, Shepherd described Adam as, “disciplined, dedicated, and focused.”
Although Carman is talented in the technical aspects of cheerleading, his head coach also has other reasons to be amazed by the senior.
“He is always nice and kind to everyone,” said Shepherd. “He is the first to hold the door, the last to make sure everyone is included. He is always respectful and speaks for everyone. He goes out of his way to make sure everyone feels good, comfortable, taken care of. He is just an all around good kid, you know? You can count on him.”
Adam’s goal for his senior year is to win more state titles in all of his sports.
Adam plans to attend Marshall University after graduation and continue his cheerleading career as a Bison.
Adam will leave big shoes to fill at Wheeling Park, but his future is bright and we are excited to see what he will accomplish.
