Many high school student/athletes were anxious leading up to the decision regarding fall sports from The Maine Principals’ Association, the Maine School Superintendents Association, and the Mills Administration.
While many seniors were hoping to be able to play a sport one more season that they have played for years, Cheyenne Beem was hoping she would get a chance to return to a sport that she played through middle school. The good news came on September 10th.
Beem played field hockey her first three years at Dexter High School. This year, she made a decision to make a return to soccer.
“It was a warm welcoming from all of them. I played sports with all of them growing up. They all know me and I know them. They made me feel welcomed. I am a little rusty, I know what I am doing, it is getting the skills down again,”Beem said. “I was thinking about it last year during field hockey season. It all kind of happened during softball season, once we didn’t have that season, I thought about what I wanted to do.”
Dexter girls soccer coach Jody Grant is also Beem’s coach during the winter, as Beem is one of the basketball leaders.
“She (Beem) expressed an interest in coming back to some of the conditioning and skills sessions. I have coached Chey for a long long time, going back to sixth grade basketball. I knew attitude and effort wise and all those things we try to preach, she would fit right in. I think her and some of the kids talked about it way more than they talked to me about it. We are happy to have her back. She will be a great addition on the field,”Dexter coach Jody Grant said. “She is one of the hardest working kids I have ever coached. In basketball, she punches the time clock, and goes to work. You can’t teach some of that stuff. She will pick right up where she left off in middle school. I am excited for her.”
Beem added, “I knew that I would always be welcomed back to the soccer field. I always know that I have a spot on Coach Grant’s teams. I just needed a change, I am glad I made the best decision.”
Beem has gone to school and played sports with her senior classmates- Abigail Wakefield, Peyton Grant, Jade Wintle, and Olivia Peakes for years and is happy to be back with them on the soccer field.
“Her (Beem) and Peyton (Grant) have played multiple sports together since they got here as freshmen. They both came in and started at multiple sports as freshmen. Her and Abby (Wakefield) have played basketball toghether, this will be there fourth year. Going back to middle school with Olivia (Peakes) and Jade (Wintle) in multiple sports. They welcomed her with open arms,” Coach Grant said. “She (Beem) connects well with some of the younger kids. They look up to her because they have seen her play multiple sports. A lot of these kids are basketball players as well, they have seen Chey at the tournament and those sort of things. There is that element as well, they look up to her. She is a good leader.”
Beem added, “I am excited to be playing with them. I miss playing with them.”
Beem will add depth to an already deep Tigers team.
“I told her that I am going to move her all over the place. That may happen within a game. We have two or three kids we sometimes do that with in a course of a game,” Coach Grant said. “We try to put them in spots where they will be succesful. I don’t think it will matter where we put her, she will compete like a son of a gun. She is going to help us.”
Beem said, “I have been playing a little bit of both. But thinking I will play a little bit more defense.”
Dexter senior Jade Wintle added, “Cheyenne used to play defense, goalie and stuff. So it will all go together really fast.”
Click here to listen to the Dexter seniors and Coach Grant talk about the upcoming season.
