One fact everyone in her life knows is Coppell senior Sydney Benson has always done everything with a smile on her face.

“[We] met back in kindergarten at Pinkerton Elementary when we were in the same class,” said Coppell senior Ally Jobe, Benson’s childhood friend. “While we were young then, I found Sydney bubbly and hilarious.”

Benson incorporates passion and a positive attitude into cheerleading. Despite its rigorous progress, many do not realize the extent of cheer’s complexity.

“When you think of cheer, you think of football games and being on the sidelines,” Benson said. “Not many people [think of] competitive cheer, and how it is such a demanding sport both mentally and physically.”

Benson has always been involved with dance-related sports. Prior to discovering her passion for cheerleading, she was put into gymnastics. She had strong opinions about the type of exercise.

“I would throw tantrums when I did anything besides tumbling,” Benson said. “So, my parents were like, ‘OK, let’s try something else.’”

When she was able to switch to a sport more in tune with her strengths at 4, Benson regained the smile that would no longer leave her face, even after all these years.

“We moved to Spirit Cheer and it was where I learned to like the technique and intensity,” Benson said.

More than her interest, Benson has cheer in her roots.

“My mom [Alicia Benson] was a University of Ohio cheerleader at some point 30 years ago and was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, so she has a big cheer background,” Benson said. “That’s how I got into it. From the second that I stepped in the gym, I fell in love with it.”

Benson stayed with her competitive cheer team throughout her childhood until the start of high school, where she made the tough decision.

“I actually didn’t do competitive cheer in freshman year,” Benson said. “The reason I decided to take a break that year is because I wanted to let myself focus because I was starting high school.”

Her switch to a different type of cheer was a sudden transition to something she had never done before.

“I never did any type of sideline cheer before my freshman year of school,” Benson said. “I wanted to be part of the school team because I love this sport too much.”

Benson brought her talent to the team but also introduced a powerful influence through her personality.

“She’s as elegant and graceful off the mat as she is on the mat,” senior cheer manager Abigail Berhe said.

In her four years on the team, Benson has become an important part of the cheer team family inside of Coppell.

”As a teammate of Sydney’s, I can confidently say cheer would not be complete without her,” Jobe said. “She is so full of life; if sunshine was a person it would be Sydney.”

Benson extended her ability to help others socially into becoming a daycare caretaker at Coppell-based Primrose Montessori. She has a special connection with the school, which is why she chose to take on the job.

“I actually went to Primrose for as long as I could,” Benson said. “The current director was my teacher when I was a little baby [and it’s] like a full cycle.”

The students immediately bonded with Benson and introduced a new perspective to her decision-making regarding her potential career path

“I’ve never thought about child psychology, until I started at Primrose and working with kids with learning disabilities,” Benson said. “It’s helped me get more comfortable in that space,and I’m able to relate to [and learn from] all different backgrounds.”

Her decision of going to the medical field spans back to when she was a kid in elementary school, just starting to think of her future.

“I want to be a psychiatrist,” Benson said. “Ever since I was in third grade, I’ve known I wanted to be some type of doctor because I’m so passionate about mental health.”

Along with working on her academic interests, Benson intends to pursue college cheer.

“I recently have been going to different camps, cheer clinics and to a few colleges,” Benson said. “I’ve actually been invited to go down on the field as a recruit and get to know the team.”

Having fun experiences with teams is not the only part in Benson’s decision on her choice of school. Benson is looking for a deeper connection and relationship.

“All college teams are different,” Benson said. “But with some of them you can really tell that they’re being genuine and want the best for each other.”

For now, Benson is enjoying the last moments in her senior year.

“It makes it worth it, all of the literal blood, sweat and tears,” Benson said. “It’s rewarding to me because I get to be with my friends.”

Follow Maya (@mayavpalavali) and @thesidekickcoppell on instagram.