Meet Jazi Cangany
Jazi Cangany, daughter of John and Marty Cangany, is 18 and a senior at Center Grove High School. She lives in the Auburn Trace neighborhood and is active in both cheer and softball. In addition to her many accomplishments, Jazi recently received the “Highest GPA” award for fall varsity cheer.
What drew you to participate in this sport/activity?
My older sister participated in cheer and I have always looked up to her, so that’s what drew me to cheer. My older brothers participated in baseball and I always found it fun, so that’s why I started playing softball.
How long have you participated in this sport/activity?
I have been cheering since I was about 4 and playing softball since I was 5.
Where/how often do you normally practice?
I cheer for both football and basketball so practice usually starts over the summer in June and does not end until February. For softball, we have workouts all throughout the winter, starting in November, and it leads into the season in March and it lasts until June. For both sports, I have practice two to four times a week for about 2 hours.
Are you on a team?
Yes, I am on the Center Grove Varsity cheer team, and I also cheer for our school's competition team. I also am on the Center Grove Varsity softball team.
In what types of events have you participated (tournaments, other types of competitions, etc.)?
For cheer, I have cheered all tournament games for the football players,= and I was able to cheer at state at Lucas Oil Stadium. For softball, I have played in many competitions including county, MIC, all postseason games, state championship, nationals and more.
What awards or honors have you won?
I have won the “We Before Me” award for cheer twice, and I have also won the captain award for cheer as well. For softball, I have won the MVP award. I have gotten MIC academic all honors for both sports for every Varsity season I have played.
What have you learned from participating in this sport/activity?
Cheer and softball have taught me a great amount of time management, and they have also taught me how to be responsible and respectful. Without these sports, I would not be the person I am today because my coaches and teammates have taught me a lot.
What do you like the most about the sport/activity? Describe your favorite moment.
In cheer, my favorite moment was definitely cheering for the 6A state football game. The energy was insane and it was a very close game, so everyone was on edge. Once we won, it was the greatest feeling. In softball, my favorite moment was winning state my freshman year. As a freshman on the roster, I was only a runner but I learned all the aspects of how to be a great teammate and contributed everything I could to our win.
What do you plan on doing after graduating?
After graduating I plan on attending Indiana University and majoring in Biology at the School of Arts and Sciences. I also would like to minor in Psychology.
What is your favorite teacher/coach/mentor’s name?
My favorite coach is either Coach Delp, my cheer coach, or Coach Coleman, my softball coach. Both of these women have taught me not only how to be better at my sports, but they have taught me many life lessons in the process, and I could not thank them enough.
Who do you idolize in this sport/activity?
I do not necessarily idolize one person, but I do idolize traits that others have in order to hopefully develop that trait over time by watching them and learning from them.
Have you met anyone famous or traveled somewhere special for this sport/activity? I have traveled to many states around the US to play softball, and in February I will be traveling to Florida to participate in Nationals for the Center Grove Competition team.
Give a tip for someone looking to get into this sport/activity:
If you are looking at getting into cheer, I would recommend pushing yourself to do the little things because it will help you in the future. If you are looking at getting into softball, I would recommend working day in and day out to improve your hitting and fielding in order to stand out from others because “hard work outworks talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”