Howell Puts Heart Into Memorial Meet

ROCHESTER HILLS — There’s a famous saying from Dr. Seuss that goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

That’s definitely something Rochester Adams competitive cheerleading coach Brooke Miller and her program are dealing with now that this season is done.

On one hand, Miller admits it’s going to be a sad and strange sight not being able to coach a member of the Schultz family anymore.

But on the other hand, she’ll never stop smiling over what it was like to coach a family that provided a lineage of more than 30 years to Adams cheerleading. 

It started during the 1990s when Stephanie Schultz (then Sutherland) was a cheerleader at Adams. In 2017, her oldest daughter Carly Schultz joined the program, followed a year later by her younger sister Gigi. 

Finally, the youngest of the three sisters, Libby, came along and was a senior this year for an Adams team that took third at the Division 1 Final. 

“With Libby now graduating, it truly feels like the end of an era and it will certainly be a significant loss for the program,” Miller said. “The entire family has been among the biggest supporters of Adams cheer.”

Libby Schultz was technically a four-year varsity cheerleader at Adams, but it feels like she was a member of the team her entire life growing up around her sisters.

Libby said her mother would frequently dress her and her older sisters in cheerleading uniforms and have cheerleading-themed birthday parties, all the while telling stories of her days cheering for Adams in the 90s. 

“I can only imagine my mom with her big perm, dark hair flipping around in a uniform that looked like it was in a ‘Grease’ movie,” Libby quipped. 

But Libby quickly fell in love with cheerleading following the family around to competitions or other events.  

“I remember being in the back of my mom’s car as she drove them from practice to practice and I would watch them so intently, that I couldn't wait for it to be my turn,” Libby said. “I loved cheer so much that our Rochester community cheer team let me cheer as the youngest girl ever because every practice I would sit in the sideline and imitate every move.”

Miller said Libby was always a constant presence around cheerleading events involving Adams, whether it was volunteering out of love and passion or providing support to her sisters or others on the team. 

But even Miller admitted she underestimated just how valuable Libby would be once she finally arrived in high school.

“I always believed she would make an impact once she officially joined the team, but I didn’t realize just how significant that impact would be until she was named captain during her sophomore year – the first time we’ve ever had a captain that young,” Miller said. “Because she had been involved with the program for so long, she came in with an understanding of the team, the culture, and the program’s needs that was far beyond most athletes her age.”

Miller said Libby will be nearly impossible to replace, given how well she led others in the program.

“She worked hard every day,” Miller said. “Constantly pushing herself to her limits while encouraging her teammates to do the same. She never complained and consistently reminded the team to keep their ‘why’ in mind so we could continue pushing through even the toughest days.”

The good news for Libby is that her cheerleading days are not over. She will continue to be involved in cheerleading as a member of Michigan State’s co-ed team, joining older sister Gigi. 

“Cheerleading not only has allowed for me to truly understand what it takes to be a good leader and teammate but has helped me to create better time management skills throughout my life,” Libby said. “Because high school has consisted of loads of homework, being student council president as well as having cheerleading practice every day for two hours, I have learned to manage my day and time more effectively.” 

No matter what the future holds, Libby and the rest of the Schultz family have forever been shaped by their high school experiences at Adams and are leaving a legacy that will forever be remembered.

“Cheerleading has also enhanced my high school experience by helping me become more confident and involved in school activities,” Libby said. “Performing in front of crowds at games and events pushed me out of my comfort zone and improved my confidence and communication skills. Overall, it made school more exciting because I felt connected to the teams and the community through celebrating wins together and creating my best memories.” 

Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Libby Schultz stands front and center in Rochester Adams’ formation during the team’s Round 3 routine at this season’s Division 1 Finals at Central Michigan University. (Middle) The Schultz sisters take a photo together during a youth community team competition, left, and Carly, Gigi and Libby Schultz take another photo together a few years later when Carly and Gigi are on the Adams team. (Below) The Schultz family, from left: Stephanie, dad Don, brother Ryan, Libby, Gigi and Carly. (Finals photo by Hockey Weekly Action Photos. Family photos courtesy of the Schultz family.)