Zeeland East cheerleader
Taylor hits high note

Tuesday,
December 11, 2007

By Cris Greer

The Grand Rapids Press

It's no small wonder that Beka Taylor finds time to captain the Zeeland East
competitive cheer team.

After all, she's also involved in
playing piano at her church, playing viola for her school orchestra and the
Holland Area Youth Orchestra, dance training at the high school, helping out
with a kindergarten class, hitting a punching bag at the Tulip City Athletic
Club -- and let's not forget about squeezing in school, family and friends.

Her mom joked about getting to see
Beka by attending her various performances.

"She stays connected with the
family even though she has so many outside commitments," said Sonia
Taylor, who plays viola in the Holland Symphony Orchestra. "She's had a
lot of good experiences."

First-year competitive cheer coach
Abby Lake
said she relies on Taylor
for leadership.

"She is one of my most
self-motivated cheerleaders," Lake
said. "She understands the sport and is my right-hand person when
explaining something. All the girls know she's the one to go to when they
need help."

A senior, Taylor has been playing
piano since age 7 and the viola since fifth grade.

"I mostly just take piano
lessons, but am the choir accompanist at
church," said Taylor,
whose favorite instrument is the piano. "I can really express myself. It
challenges me, and it's something that I can work on and continue to try to
get better.

"The piano is something that
when I have a bad day and just need to be by myself I can go to."

Though she has many different
artistic interests, her career goal is to become a doctor.

"I'm looking to be a
pediatrician," said Taylor,
whose dad Philip is an ob-gyn and mother is a nurse practitioner. "I
pretty much decided when I was 12 and have been working toward that.

"I'm hoping for possibly a music minor. I want to go to Hope and be part of their Symphonette program and keep playing piano in college.
Music has been a part of my life for such a long time, but as a career I'm
not sure. I definitely want it to continue to be part of my life."

Back to cheerleading.

"When I was a little girl, I
was such a girly-girl that all my family would get me the cheerleader
Barbie," said Taylor, who's also a sideline cheerleader for football.
"It was something I decided I wanted to do at age 5 or 6."

What are her goals for the Chix?

"We hope to do well at regionals and want to continue to improve and build upon
our program."

Competitive cheer

Coach: Abby Lake,
first year

Conference: O-K Green

2006-07: Last place in the
Green

Top returners: Senior Beka Taylor, junior Ashley Bouwman
and sophomore Rachel Tamminga

Outlook: It's only the second
year of competitive cheer at Zeeland East, so it will be another
learning season.

Coach's comment: "We're
kind of starting simple. Our routines are very basic so the team can
work on the skills to better themselves.  only have 12, but it's a
hard-working group."

Key date: Jan. 5 at Byron
Center Invitational