VYPE: What grade are you currently in and how long have you been a cheerleader?
Braley Hix: I am seventeen and I started cheering when I was nine, so I have been involved in cheer for eight years.
VYPE: What makes being a student-athlete at Broken Arrow special to you?
BH: What makes being a student-athlete special to me at Broken Arrow is how involved I get to be in school events. I love being able to cheer on fellow athletes and celebrate their victories with them.
VYPE: Who has been a big influence in your life and why?
BH: My mom is the biggest influence on my life because she is constantly there cheering me on and encouraging me to realize my full potential. I admire the way she loves people and is constantly doing for others.
VYPE: What other clubs or groups are you involved in at school?
BH: I am involved in leadership and eco friends. Cheer keeps me very busy and is something that I also work on outside of regular practices. So, I don’t have a lot of free time. However, I love being involved in leadership and will continue to grow my capacity as a future leader in college. There are leadership activities that I participate in outside of school through a local nonprofit organization and that is very enriching for me.
VYPE: What are your plans for after graduation?
BH: After I graduate, I plan to pursue a degree in Psychology with an emphasis in behavior analysis and international securities. I tend to think that I will end up at OU, but I have not ruled out Ole Miss or the University of Tennessee.
VYPE: What is your job on the cheer squad?
BH: On the cheer team I am a flyer.
VYPE: How much time do you spend practicing before the school year even starts?
BH: Cheer is basically a yearlong sport. This past summer our team spent over 200 hours in the gym preparing for this year’s competition season. To be a member of the cheer team it requires a great deal of commitment and I think most would agree that it requires some sacrifice. Like any athletic team, our goal is to be successful, and that requires practice.
VYPE: What teammates do you look up to or what former teammate has left an impression on you?
BH: I love and admire all of my teammates. However, one teammate that stands out is Jaxon Roop. Jaxon is a selfless leader who constantly lifts everyone up. He is a hard worker, and has the most positive attitude, and those are great attributes in a cheerleader.
VYPE: What do you love most about your teammates?
BH: I love how close our teammates are. The way that we support one another on and off the mat is really special. We are more like a family or a group of friends than simply a team.
