From Our Schools: Boyle County mourns loss of cherished cheer coach

Published 12:44 pm Tuesday, February 4, 2020

By RILEY COULTER

Boyle County High School

Recently, Boyle County High School has been grieving the loss of their head cheerleading coach, Denise Young. She was a beloved member of the community and she left an immense impact on many people, including the athletes she coached.

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Athletic Director Kyle Wynn shared that it was obvious to him that she truly loved working with the team.

“The biggest thing I could see from her was just the hard work and her dedication to the students,” he said.

Senior cheerleader Izzy Gervacio had plenty to say about how Coach Young was always putting students first and the big impact she had on their lives.

“She was always there for us, and she always motivated us to be better,” Gervacio said.

Young is the reason why Gervacio cheers today.

“I used to love cheerleading, but it became not as important in my life because I found softball. When I came to the high school, she told me I needed to cheer and that I could influence a lot of others to join as well,” she said. “She really made me think about cheering in college, and hopefully next fall I’ll be cheering at Morehead State.”

Cheerleader Haleigh Ingram mentioned her compassion for others, and said that Young was always there for her.

“I’ll always love her and I think about her every day,” she said. “I think she’s one of the best people to ever come to Boyle County.”

Young was also a picture of optimism for her senior leader. While Ingram’s grandmother was simultaneously fighting her own battle with cancer, her coach always found time to provide encouragement and reassurance.

Ingram said, “She always taught me to have hope, to never give up, and that there is always an answer.”