Jessica Ladd walked into the health room filled with pommies last May, just as anxious as they were. But with her positive energy and high spirit, the team’s worries disappeared.

Ladd is the new head poms coach, and has experience to help her with the job. Ladd was captain of her team at Francis Howell North High School her senior year, and strongly believes that has made her a better coach today.

“It has taught me how to work on a team with other girls, and how to make a dance team disciplined enough to get us where we need to be,” Ladd said.

She previously taught dance at Lucille Rapp Dance Studio for four years teaching hip hop, contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap and acro. During college she did some choreography jobs which helped the varsity’s home routine earn a third place at a competition at Missouri State College this summer. Ladd has high hopes for the team and many goals for the season.

“My biggest goal for the team is to is to build a stronger impact on the Kirkwood community, as well as the poms community. When other teams hear about our squad, I want them to say ‘Wow, Kirkwood is amazing,’” Ladd said.

According to Ladd, being a new coach can be challenging, but she has stepped up to the plate and is not afraid to push the team.

“She came into our team and saw where are were, and wants to take us even farther,” Jordan Woodruff, senior and captain said. “She is always throwing new ideas and skills at us to try so we can keep moving forward.”

According to Woodruff, having up to five practices a week can be stressful, but Ladd is very good at communicating with the captains and the team.

“As a new coach she was obviously timid around a team as loud as ours, but once we started talking more she is comfortable and isn’t afraid to tell us how it is,” Woodruff said.

Ladd not only strives to make the varsity team as good as they can be, she works to push the JV team just as hard according to Allison Tackes, sophomore and JV pommie.

“Jessie tries really hard to include [the JV team] with stuff that varsity does, because she wants us to eventually be at the same level of varsity and she pushes us really hard to get there,”  Tackes said.

Ladd has made a connection with all of the girls on both teams as not just a coach, but a friend.

“She makes everyone feel they can do anything, and she tells us never to give up,” Tackes said.