Sallisaw cheer coach inducted into OCCA Hall of Fame
Three cheers for Robbi Martin!
The Sallisaw High School cheer coach is used to encouraging students to cheer others, but now they can focus energetic spirit on her. Why?
Martin was one of six inductees into the Oklahoma Cheer Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Wednesday night at the Southern Hills Marriott Ballroom in Tulsa for the OCCA’s fifth annual event.
The honor was fitting for Martin. She was a cheerleader growing up and mom (Fran Bewley) was the coach. Bewley would later be inducted into the 2022 OCCA class.
Martin grew up knowing the inner circle of cheer coaching titans that laid the groundwork for this organization’s growth. Bewley was also part of the original cornerstone of the OCCA plan to join the Oklahoma Coaches Association.
“Cheerleading was such an important part of my relationship with my parents,” said Martin, whose dad Nelson Bewley was Fran’s assistant coach. “Cheerleading taught me all the best things in life. It (OCCA) plays a huge role in the state of Oklahoma.”
While Martin’s parents get the lion’s share of her career path, one incident in Martin’s junior year sealed it.
The Sallisaw cheer squad was in Tahlequah doing a “shadowing” event before the state competition began soon after. Martin met Michelle Martin (no relation) in one of the Tahlequah gyms.
Michelle was there to make sure certain skills could be performed. She asked Robbi to do a skill she had not tried.
“Can you do that?” Michelle asked. It was Michelle’s job to convince the cheerleaders they had the right stuff to compete.
Robbi answered, “Yes.” However, she had no time to stretch or prepare. It was now or never.
Bam! Robbi did the routine perfectly.
The routine was over, but was the beginning of raising Martin’s confidence to attack any obstacle in the gym or in life. That one exercise in the Tahlequah gym would vault her into a 14year cheer coach career as an adult at Sallisaw High School.
“I’ve lived my dream,” Martin added.
Joining Martin in the OCCA Hall of Fame Class of 2025 were Tulsa Union’s Cathryn Weeden, Chickasha’s Lisa Turner, Weatherford’s Donna Miller, Washington’s Sheila LeForce and Hinton’s Jennier Hohmann.
