By Josh Beavers
If there is just one lesson longtime educator Lessie Brown wants members of the Minden High Tider Line to learn during their time as part of the team it is that you must prepare for everything in school life and beyond.
As part of that lesson, Brown oversaw the annual Tider Line camp last week which culminated in a Saturday retreat where team members completed vision boards of their lives five years in the future.
A vision board is a visual representation of a person’s goals. These poster-sized visuals contain images and text that represent something a person is trying to accomplish.
“They practiced routines they learned but then worked on their vision board,” Brown told The Journal during a telephone interview Monday morning “In five years where will you be? They had to consider what plans they needed to make now so they could achieve their goals.”
Brown, who has been teaching Spanish at MHS since 1999 and an educator for 47 total years, said the team worked on their boards for several hours. “They need to know they have to put all they can into their future. You say you want to be a nurse, but what steps do you have to follow to get there?”
Prior to Saturday’s retreat, Brown said the team participated in a week-long camp at Minden High. At camp, the team was instructed by Coach Willie Miller and Coach Teshia Lincoln with Pro Styles Elite and Delta Phi Delta Dance for Eternity, Inc.
Brown said the camp was intense as the presenters taught six dance routines as well as proper procedure for performing in pep rallies, field shows, and parades.
“It was an effort to introduce new techniques,” Brown said. “They showed them what they were doing right but how to adapt and adjust for what they were doing incorrectly. Toe point here, flex here. It was an explanation, demonstration, practice – really something the girls needed.”
Brown, who has sponsored the Tider Line since 2010, said the team must give everything during performances because they represent Minden High School and the City of Minden.
“It’s not just about you, I tell them,” she said. “You are always on display. Our presenters reinforced that. It’s not just about athletics. It’s about who you are and who you represent.”
The team has been preparing for camp all summer. The team gathers at 5 a.m. daily to run, lift weights, stretch and practice.
“We are full force,” Brown said. “We are intense and want our girls to be the best they can be every time they step out to represent their school.”
