Frances Kimball

By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Frances Kimball puts her heart and soul into cheerleading.

“Frances has shown such strong dedication during this fall season to her coaches and her team. She has had excellent attendance, good grades, has acted as a leader for her teammates during practices and games, and has taken all the extra steps she can toward bettering her tumbling, jump and stunting skills,” Lake Region varsity cheering coaches Ashleigh London and Kelley Tibbetts said. “She has really proven herself to be an all-around cheerleader, working all the various positions and aspects of the sport. That’s why we have chosen her as this season’s Player of the Week.”

In recognition of her strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Frances is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed t-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

The Kimball File

Name: Frances Kimball

Year in School: Junior

Town: Bridgton

Parents: Annette and Frank Kimball

School Activities/Sports: Cheering and tennis

Q. Why did you choose cheering? FK. When I was in the fourth grade, my friend brought me to a Friend Day at Western Maine Dance and Gymnastics. From that day on, I fell in love with dancing and gymnastics, so I chose cheerleading. It’s both dancing and gymnastics mixed together.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish this season? FK. This season, I hope the team can up our game to the next level. We’ve been improving every year, and I hope we continue this trend.

Q. What do you enjoy the most? FK. What I enjoy most about cheerleading is being with people every day who love the sport as much as I do.

Q. What do you like the least? FK. The thing I like the least is that not everyone takes the sport seriously — from my peers at school to the people on the team.

Q. What makes you successful? FK. I feel that dedication is what makes me most successful.

Q. What would your dream moment be? FK. My dream moment would be winning and getting first place at any competition.

Q. What has the sport taught you? FK. Cheering has taught me about teamwork. It’s taught me that everyone has a different personality and making them work as one can be difficult, but it can be done.

Q. Who has inspired you? FK. My coaches inspire me every day. They tell us that we can do new skills when we think they’re too hard. They also encourage us when we’ve had a hard practice.