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Jackson serving up spikes and cheers
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
YEATESVILLE — Whether it’s smashing a volleyball or waving pompoms, Tiffany Jackson is enjoying every moment of her busy senior year.
The Northside High School standout is especially busy this fall, playing volleyball for the Panthers and cheering for the football team. Despite doing two sports in the same season, Jackson is able to maintain A’s and B’s in the classroom.
“You have to have the will to want to do it,” Jackson said about balancing two sports with schoolwork. “If I didn’t want to do it, I probably wouldn’t be able to do all of it. I really love volleyball; I love cheerleading and I make sure school comes first.”
Jackson, who plans to study pharmacy at either the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill or Campbell University beginning next fall, said her coaches help balance her full workload.
“My cheerleading coach has definitely let me put volleyball as my first priority,” Jackson said. “She works with me with practices and I usually go after volleyball practice and do some cheerleading. I make sure I practice over the summer so that when volleyball season comes around I’ll be okay.”
Jackson has been a leader at the net for the Northside volleyball team this year. A growth spurt has helped the agile Jackson become a stronger force.
“I’ve grown a couple more inches (from last year) and I want to average a lot more kills-per-game,” Jackson said. “That’s my main goal.”
Her solid net game, not to mention a strong service game, has helped the Panthers already win more games this season than last.
“Northside has averaged about three wins every year I’ve played,” Jackson said. “We’ve already won (five) matches. I’m not happy with just (five), but we’ve already broken our record from last year.
“I think we’re going to improve and come back strong in the second half of the season.”
Coach Tami Wagaman, in her first year at Northside after having spent the last several at Southside, has helped Jackson with her game.
“She’s been very supportive,” Jackson said. “She’s showed us new techniques, new ways of doing things. She just helps make us better volleyball players.”
“Tiffany is an overall great girl,” Wagaman said. “She’s active in everything.
“This year she has really stepped up and is hitting the ball well. She’s getting self confident and becoming a real good player.”
While she loves pounding the ball and the satisfaction that comes with a powerful kill, Jackson said the best part about volleyball is the time spent with her teammates.
“I like being with my friends,” Jackson said. “Volleyball is a sport that you can improve so much. We’ve really grown as a team.”
Jackson has just as much fun standing near a football field cheering on the Panthers as she does whacking volleyballs in a gym. She’ll be rooting on her team Friday night when Northside plays host to Plymouth.
“I love football and watching football,” Jackson said. “Being able to go to every game and support my friends who are on the football team, getting to cheer them on is really fun. That’s more like my ‘fun’ sport.”
The pretty blonde said there’s much more to cheerleading than just smiling and waving the pompoms.
“It is hard work, especially stunting and stuff,” said Jackson, who is also co-captain on the dance team and plays softball at Northside. “It’s dangerous, too. It’s harder than what people think.”
Though it’s hard work, Jackson is able to excel at volleyball and cheerleading while also keeping up her grades. She said having the support of her parents, Randy and Mary Beth Jackson, certainly helps.
“My parents have supported me in everything I’ve wanted to do, whether it was band, cheerleading, gymnastics, volleyball, softball (or) basketball,” Jackson said. “I’ve done all that and they’ve supported everything I’ve done.”
She’ll continue to lean on that support while striving to be the best she can be at whatever she does in her final year of high school. And she’ll be sure to enjoy each and every moment.
“It’s really hit me that it’s my senior year,” Jackson said. “I’m trying to slow everything down. I don’t want to rush through senior year. I want it to go slow and I want to get everything out of it.
“I’m definitely trying to enjoy my last year.”
The Northside High School standout is especially busy this fall, playing volleyball for the Panthers and cheering for the football team. Despite doing two sports in the same season, Jackson is able to maintain A’s and B’s in the classroom.
“You have to have the will to want to do it,” Jackson said about balancing two sports with schoolwork. “If I didn’t want to do it, I probably wouldn’t be able to do all of it. I really love volleyball; I love cheerleading and I make sure school comes first.”
Jackson, who plans to study pharmacy at either the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill or Campbell University beginning next fall, said her coaches help balance her full workload.
“My cheerleading coach has definitely let me put volleyball as my first priority,” Jackson said. “She works with me with practices and I usually go after volleyball practice and do some cheerleading. I make sure I practice over the summer so that when volleyball season comes around I’ll be okay.”
Jackson has been a leader at the net for the Northside volleyball team this year. A growth spurt has helped the agile Jackson become a stronger force.
“I’ve grown a couple more inches (from last year) and I want to average a lot more kills-per-game,” Jackson said. “That’s my main goal.”
Her solid net game, not to mention a strong service game, has helped the Panthers already win more games this season than last.
“Northside has averaged about three wins every year I’ve played,” Jackson said. “We’ve already won (five) matches. I’m not happy with just (five), but we’ve already broken our record from last year.
“I think we’re going to improve and come back strong in the second half of the season.”
Coach Tami Wagaman, in her first year at Northside after having spent the last several at Southside, has helped Jackson with her game.
“She’s been very supportive,” Jackson said. “She’s showed us new techniques, new ways of doing things. She just helps make us better volleyball players.”
“Tiffany is an overall great girl,” Wagaman said. “She’s active in everything.
“This year she has really stepped up and is hitting the ball well. She’s getting self confident and becoming a real good player.”
While she loves pounding the ball and the satisfaction that comes with a powerful kill, Jackson said the best part about volleyball is the time spent with her teammates.
“I like being with my friends,” Jackson said. “Volleyball is a sport that you can improve so much. We’ve really grown as a team.”
Jackson has just as much fun standing near a football field cheering on the Panthers as she does whacking volleyballs in a gym. She’ll be rooting on her team Friday night when Northside plays host to Plymouth.
“I love football and watching football,” Jackson said. “Being able to go to every game and support my friends who are on the football team, getting to cheer them on is really fun. That’s more like my ‘fun’ sport.”
The pretty blonde said there’s much more to cheerleading than just smiling and waving the pompoms.
“It is hard work, especially stunting and stuff,” said Jackson, who is also co-captain on the dance team and plays softball at Northside. “It’s dangerous, too. It’s harder than what people think.”
Though it’s hard work, Jackson is able to excel at volleyball and cheerleading while also keeping up her grades. She said having the support of her parents, Randy and Mary Beth Jackson, certainly helps.
“My parents have supported me in everything I’ve wanted to do, whether it was band, cheerleading, gymnastics, volleyball, softball (or) basketball,” Jackson said. “I’ve done all that and they’ve supported everything I’ve done.”
She’ll continue to lean on that support while striving to be the best she can be at whatever she does in her final year of high school. And she’ll be sure to enjoy each and every moment.
“It’s really hit me that it’s my senior year,” Jackson said. “I’m trying to slow everything down. I don’t want to rush through senior year. I want it to go slow and I want to get everything out of it.
“I’m definitely trying to enjoy my last year.”
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