ICE Boys OK2B Highlight.ai

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This month, OK2B’s Athlete Spotlight shines on an outstanding group of young men, their coaches
and their gym, the Cheer Factory & Flip Flop Shop in Bellville, Texas. We sincerely thank them for
honoring Drake Mallory and spreading the OK2B message to their school & community.
Almost immediately following Drake’s passing, well wishes and displays of support came in from
all over the country. One of the most touching (and impressive!) tributes came even before the
official formation of OK2B from a group of male cheerleaders and their coaches from Cheer Factory’s
Team ICE. In May of 2013, Will Beausoleil, Blaine Hanath, and brothers Chandler & Payton Lamance;
along with their coaches, Brett Rojas and Marcus Ware; dedicated their school talent show
performance to Drake’s memory by putting on a moving, action-packed display of stunting, tumbling
and cheerleading skills.
As wildly impressive as the skills were, the boys’ determination to make the talent show a tribute
to Drake and to take a stand against bullying was even more admirable. When it came to our attention
that mail delivery wouldn‘t arrive in time, Blaine’s mother, Shannon, drove all the way from Bellville to
Round Rock to make sure they would have official “For Drake” t-shirts for the show. That’s a round
trip of over 220 miles!!
The boys’ resolve to support “For Drake” and OK2B comes from each of their own experiences
being a guy cheerleader and with bullying. Cheer Factory‘s staff and coaches, lead by owner & head
coach Shea Davenport, have created a positive support system that has helped these young athletes
develop the confidence in themselves to inspire others.
Payton, a 5th grader; whose interest in Olympic
tumbling and an invite from a friend to check out
the gym led to his interest in cheerleading; has
a policy of walking away from bullying.
He’s found that avoiding those type of
negative situations is the best way to
deal with them!! He doesn’t have
to worry about that at the gym
with his teammates.
Blaine, also in 5th grade, was
implored to give cheer a try
after excelling in his power
tumbling classes. After only a
few team practices and his
very first competition, Blaine
quickly realized he had found
his sport.
Cont on pg.2
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TOP: Chandler Lamance
BOTTOM (l-r): Blaine Hanath,
Payton Lamance & Will Beausoleil
Now in his fourth competitive season,
Blaine uses the support of his parents & teammates to deal with bullying; like when he was
once called “a girl” for cheering. He believes
that their Talent Show dedicated to Drake
made a lot of kids realize boys can cheer too...
and be good at it!!
Will, a 6th grader, joined his first competitive
cheer team 3 years ago after tumbling classes
with his sister. He used to keep any bullying
or teasing he experienced to himself; choosing
not to tell anyone about the occasional bumps or
name-calling in the hallways at school, the majority of
which centered on the fact he cheers. He has since realized
that sharing these things with his parents, teachers and coaches
truly helps. Their ideas and support gave him the confidence to rise above those situations. With the backing of his
ICE teammates, Will plans on trying out in the Spring to be his school’s first Guy Cheerleader!! He says the main
thing is knowing “I’m not those names that they call me!”
Chandler, in 8th grade, started out as a tumbler at Cheer Factory. He wasn’t really interested in checking out cheer
until the Level 3 team lost an athlete mid-season, which prompted an invite from the team’s coaches. Chandler
decided to help out and gave the team a try...he ended up loving the sport and stuck with it. Knowing his friends
have his back helps him ignore any taunts thrown his way; once relying on their help & support to avoid a physical
confrontation after being shoved and called “gay” at a school dance last year. He’s decided the opinions of people
like that don’t matter to him, “they could never do what I do!!”
OK2B applaudes each of these young men for finding the strength to deal with bullying, and the other hassles and
challenges associated with growing up, in their own personal ways. The common thread being the confidence they
have built within themselves through sharing with their friends, family, teammates and teachers. No young person
should ever have to deal with bullying alone. Mandy Beausoleil feels the comradery and positive mentoring present
between the coaches and athletes, and between the young men themselves is what has made Cheer Factory home.
The best advice her son recieved from his coach about bullying was to first, always let an adult know, and second to
“know who you are, and that’s not who they say you are. Stay true to your belief in yourself.”
To Watch Team ICE’s Amazing Talent Show Performance Dedicated to Drake Mallory,
Visit www.ItsOK2B.com or www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-Yj4fbw1k