CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — The Chesapeake-based Lady Iconz step team took home first place at the Youth Step USA National High School Stepping Championships in May.
10 On Your Side first interviewed the team with they won the first place prize last year alongside their male counterparts, the Iconz step team.
For the second year in a row, the Lady Iconz came home to the 757 as national champs, proving the team, lead by Coach Shawn Wyman, is taking all the right steps on and off the stage.
“In my opinion, the step is last. It’s second,” said Wyman. “It’s more about the growth and development so when you see these kids walk across the stage, I actually can feel like I had a part in that.”
Now in his 15th year as a coach, Wyman says his Iconz, Lady Iconz and Atomic Iconz step teams not only teach elementary to high school-aged kids how to build a sisterhood and brotherhood, but also teach important life lessons.
“Writing resumes, career fairs such as prepping them, making sure they’re prepped for SAT/ACT, make sure they’re set up for the next step outside of high school, going into college, or if it’s going into the career field,” Wyman said.
For team moms like Lydia Turner, showing teens like hers the endless potential they have is the real gift.
“Even though they came from a part of a city, the world was open to them. And that just blew my mind that you don’t have to limit yourself based on your zip code or your area code,” Turner said.
Turner’s daughter Jalyne says she didn’t see herself among the sea of other sports teams her peers were falling into before she joined five years ago.
“Basketball, football, soccer, all the sports. And I’m like, none of these sports really stick out to me. They don’t really touch me. I don’t really feel anything when I do them,” said J. Turner. “So it was like when it came to step, it was like, ‘Wow, I really like this.'”
And Jalyne says the team’s growth speaks for itself.
“They were able to put their hands together, stomp their feet, their voice, you know, yell out. It was squeaky at one point and then it was just bold the next,” said L. Turner. “I’m super proud. I am.”
As Jalyne moves on to her next chapter, she has one message about the team.
“If the team don’t speak for itself, three-time national champs. So, it’s not really much more I can say,” said J. Turner.
This is the 3rd national championship for Lady Iconz in the last few years.
Also worth mentioning, all team members must maintain a 3.0 average to stay on the team, Coach Shawn conducts random grade checks for team members, and they have a 100% high school graduation rate across their three teams.