Most people would consider New York a land of opportunity and a place for pursuing dreams. For coach Kourtney Benson it was only the beginning of a journey that started when she was a seventh-grade cheerleader.
Benson was born and raised in Queens, New York, before she moved to Lexington, North Carolina, and attended Lexington Senior High School, where she made varsity as a freshman and was an All -Star cheerleader for four years. As a senior, she was voted captain of her squad and MVP by her peers because of her hard work and leadership qualities. Benson attended North Carolina A&T State University, where her cheerleading squad won three national titles before she graduated. Three years ago she moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in pursuit of a bigger dream to become a lawyer. With the help of her father and his empty vacation home she was one step closer to her personal goal.
During that time Benson decided to inspire girls to learn to love themselves 
and others regardless of their cultural and physical differences through cheerleading. The three-time college national champion helped Mandarin Athletic Association’s Jr Midget division place second in regionals and seventh at nationals in 2011. In 2012, she helped Mandarin Athletic Association to fourth place at nationals. In her first year as a head coach, she took the Pablo Creek Saints Jr Peewee team to first place at regionals out of 16 squads and sixth place at nationals.
Benson says she shows youth that it takes teamwork to make the dream work. What she enjoys most about coaching is watching the young girls grow and develop in cheerleading and experience what it is to be a team. “Everything we go through as a team will make us stronger and stand taller than the rest,” Benson says.
With the help of her of assistant coaches, Benson is molding young girls by teaching them values and teamwork through the spirit of competition. Her first year as head coach, she had her work cut out for her, with the youngest squad she has ever coached. Most of the girls have been together for three years, and for several girls, it was their first year. Benson found out that it’s not easy getting a young group of girls ready for competition level, but she defied those odds with her accomplishments this year. “Bringing the best out of each and every child and touching their lives keeps me coming back each year,” Benson says.
Coach’s Corner / Jacksonville Florida / March 2014
Kourtney Benson
Pablo Creek Saints
Jacksonville, FL
By Joey Lopes
The New Yorker Finds Success in Jacksonville
Kourtney has always been an amazing, beautiful, joyful, loving person! I am so proud of her and blessed to have her as a friend even though we miss her here in Lexington, NC!! Keep going hun! Bryanne S.