Coach inspires at her alma mater
Assistant RCHS Varsity Poms coach Paige Cassidy (right) celebrates the 2024 State Championship win on December 14 with head coach Christina Leone. Christina coached Paige for two years during her time on poms during high school at RCHS.
A former Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) student, poms team member and school newspaper writer, Paige Cassidy is the school’s assistant varsity poms coach. Paige graduated RCHS in 2010 and returned to coach in 2014, following her graduation from CU Boulder.
Paige loves being part of her students’ lives, both in and out of the gymnasium. Coaching a two-season sport with summer training, she spends most of the year at the school. Paige’s favorite part of coaching is watching her dancers grow from freshman to mature, confident young women who are ready to take the next steps after high school.
Being part of poms is a big undertaking. Not only do team members train for the competitive season, they also cheer for other sports at school. “They are immensely hard workers, and I am so proud to be their coach. I love helping them navigate challenges, setbacks and celebrate the good stuff—whether it be good grades or a new dance skill,” Paige shared.
Paige is truly passionate about dance. It combines artistry, skill and athletic power. “Unlike other sports, we do not have an entire game to make up points or fight for a win—we have two minutes,” she explained.
It is extra special for Paige to be coaching alongside her former coach, head coach Christina Leone, who started at RCHS when Paige was a junior. The junior varsity and freshman coaches are also alums of RCHS’s dance program. “There is something special about coaching for a program you were part of during your high school years,” offered Paige.
In addition to coaching, Paige is a midwife at Colorado Birth and Wellness in Denver. She delivers babies at all hours, day and night. She finds that coaching and midwifery intersect in a way. “I get to be a part of people’s lives—the special parts, the good parts, and the hard parts too—I love creating a connection with both my patients and my dancers and getting to be there for big life events!” she shared.
If that is not enough, Paige recently married her husband, Blake, last August and the couple share a Corgi puppy.
Being a coach keeps Paige young. She learns all the new lingo and clothing trends while spending time with her beloved students. “There is no better feeling than knowing that a senior class is going out into the world to succeed and hoping that being a part of the dance team at Rock Canyon helped prepare them for that,” she concluded.
Assistant RCHS varsity poms coach Paige Cassidy (back right) is pictured with head coach Christina Leone (side left) and this year’s varsity poms team at the National Competition in Orlando Florida. The team made finals in all three routines – Gameday, Pom and Jazz.
Paige Cassidy was married last August to her husband, Blake.
By Elean Gersack; courtesy photos
