The days start early for Forrest City Coach Sue Jayroe.
Since the first day of school on Monday, Jayroe gets to Mustang Arena before 7 a.m.
By 7:30 she has a gym full of seventh-grade girls -- 70 of them to be exact -- for an hour's basketball practice. By 8:30, the girls are on the shuttle bus and headed back to class.
This is the fourth year Jayroe has had the seventh-grade girls' program. She began with 30 the first two years and watched that number grow to 60 the third year and finally to 70 this time around.
"They wanted me to build a basketball program for girls and that's what I'm trying to do."
And she's doing it virtually by herself.
"Right now, because it's just me, it's slow going with the girls," Jayroe said. "If we had another coach or two, we could make better progress, but for now we'll do the best we can do."
For many of the girls, being on the basketball floor is a first-time experience.
"Most of these girls have never even touched a basketball," Jayroe said. "Some attended the summer basketball camps here but we're basically starting from scratch. We start with the very basic fundamentals of the game and will go from there."
Jayroe will have the seventh-grade girls for the full school year.
As in past years, the girls will be divided into teams and will play an intramural schedule of games on Saturdays.
Jayroe is also hoping this year to schedule a few games with some other schools, something she hasn't attempted before.
"There's only so many hours in the day and for me there are no breaks," Jayroe, who also oversees a special education class as well as working with the junior high and senior high Lady Mustang basketball teams.
The 2002-03 Forrest City Junior High cheerleaders is gearing up for the football season despite the heat. This year, the squads have been split into the Blue Team and the White Team. Team members are: are Cierra Coleman, Risondra Deans, Chelsea Freeman, Bethany Hines, Marsha James, Randal Ross, Jasmine Spencer, Leigh Anna Taylor and Amber Williams who make up the Blue Team; and Nivla Hamilton, Kandace Ivory, Shacola Johnson, Chelsea Jones, Chasity Lowe, Robyn Parish, Katie Ramsey and Aviva Williams are the White Team. James, Taylor and Lowe were named All-Star Cheerleaders for this year.