Win or lose, Kamiah Miller is always all smiles. The reason is simple.
No matter what happens, Kamy has her team. Whether caught up in the heat of competition, having goofy dance battles, or sharing a meal after a long day of cheer, she knows she has a sisterhood of teammates who have her back no matter what.
Even if there are tears, Kamy can smile through them. She’s not alone, and that’s what matters.
Kamiah found the sport as a freshman at Largo High School and hasn’t looked back. It has provided her a voice she never quite knew she had.
“When I first started cheer in ninth grade, I was very reserved in school and cheer. I did not talk to many [people] and was shy,” she says. “After I completed a season of cheer, I felt myself becoming more social. I made new friends and was more open in class.”
Of course, it’s also a whole lot of fun.
“Traveling with my cheer sisters is so much fun… from dance battles in the hotel room to team dinners. Whenever I’m with them I always end smiling, even on my worst days,” Kamy said. As she got older, cheer also provided leadership opportunities. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, Kamy became a Junior Captain on her Varsity Cheer Team.
Serving in a leadership role as an underclassman is a big deal in Varsity sports. It reflects the importance and value placed on an athlete by her team and coaches. Kamiah’s persistence and commitment are in no small measure important aspects of who she is, but a leader is many more things when it comes to a team.
Leaders have to enjoy the work and sacrifice just as much as they do the praise and attention. They have to be willing to put their best face forward in defeat just as much as they are gracious in victory. Most importantly, leaders must be the example. “Do as I say not as I do” is not a rule which true leaders espouse. People like Kamiah do and say exactly what they mean, authentically and with great passion, because it’s what they truly believe.
“Cheer has taught me to be a leader, and how to persevere,” Kamy says of her involvement in the sport. “[It] taught me how to handle crisis and also how to be a better friend, leader, and team player. On my really bad days, when I couldn’t bare to go to school, I pushed through because I knew at the end of the day I had cheer practice, and that would make everything feel better.”
Kamy has grown tremendously from cheer. It’s something she has truly loved ever since she made her first team almost four years ago. She ran with it and has never looked back.
“I think it’s important for kids to be involved in sports so they can make lifelong friends,” says Kamy. “Of course, we want to win in cheer and in any sport, but losing with your team will always be [a] good learning experience. It will make you tougher and also teaches that even if you work hard, there might be people working ten times harder… which means you have to come back swinging.”
Fundraising with Double Good definitely allowed Kamy and her team to keep swinging. In fact, working with Double Good saved her time and effort, both of which she was able to devote to working out and, naturally, cheering. She was able to quickly offset the costs of cheer camp, new shoes, and the costs of her upcoming senior year of competition cheer.
“All I had to do was share the link and I made sales instantly,” Kamy said.
On top of the support of her teammates and coaches, Kamiah gives a lot of credit to her Uncle Matt.
“Uncle Matt always makes sure I succeed and have support in whatever I do,” Kamy says. “Uncle Matt wants to make sure I am as happy and successful as I can be.”
We definitely could all use an Uncle Matt in our lives, but anyone would benefit from a teammate and friend like Kamiah Miller.
It’s simple, after all. She’s all smiles.
Got your own team that needs to cover costs? We got you.