Trenton coach wins spot on Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading squad

Paul Franklin
NJ.com
July 01, 2012

TRENTON —Chastity Manning’s many skills are hard to trace.

Perhaps some of her athleticism comes from her biological mother, a softball player who died when she was in second grade. Perhaps her artistry comes from her biological father, whom she never has met.

Or maybe Manning, raised in Trenton and now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading squad, is simply a creation of her own, someone who first began to hum and twirl in a foster home, and later enrolled in dance classes where she would pirouette, tap and choreograph her way into a world of self-expression.

The 23-year-old never envisioned where that would take her, but at some point during the upcoming National Football League season, the country might catch a glimpse of her cheering for the Eagles, with whom she qualified earlier this year.

The graduate of Trenton Catholic Academy entered this year’s cheerleading competition on a bit of a whim. Now, however, she’s committed to her new role; and every Tuesday and Wednesday she heads to Philadelphia to practice for the upcoming season.

Workouts are balanced by coaching her own cheerleading team at TCA.
And then there’s her day job, where she works in communications at the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton.

Still out there, however, is the dream.

“My passion is in the performing arts,” she said recently, taking her lunch break at the Trenton Marriott. “My biggest goal is opening a performing arts school in Trenton. That’s something I missed out on growing up here. I would have loved attending a performing arts school.

“With my own school, I could work directly with kids and mentor them and build them into the artists they want to be — whether it’s acting, dancing or even cheerleading — and really help them. I feel there are so many talented kids here.”

She was one, raised on the love and support of her adoptive parents, Charles and Mildred Manning. Her discipline in dance came from Carolyn Watson-Johnson, her first dance teacher at the Watson-Johnson Dance Theatre in Ewing Township. There she took ballet, jazz and tap.

“I was hooked,” she said. “I practiced in the kitchen, all around the house. I guess ballet is my favorite because it’s very technical, and emotional, depending on how you portray it.”

Her talents and interests led her to cheerleading as a sophomore in high school. In college at Rider University, she joined the dance team, and while there as a student, she was hired by her alma mater TCA to be its cheerleading coach.

That was six years ago.

“I love my girls,” she said with a big smile. “They’re my babies.”

The Mannings had taken in Chastity when she was 4, but when foster care officials informed them she had to return to the hands of the state, they officially adopted her. That was when she was 10.

Chastity and her four birth siblings — she’s the oldest — were all adopted. “I was one of the lucky ones,” Chastity said. “A lot of kids jump from house to house. My mom was still around when I was in foster care, but she passed away when I was 7. I remember her. I remember what she looks like, how she sounded. I didn’t see her a lot but I have vivid memories of her.

“I never met my dad. He could be some random guy walking around town right now. I’ve been looking for him.”

She speaks highly of her adoptive family, and says they took the sting out of not having her natural parents around.

“They’re great people. I call them grandma and grandpa,” she said. “They were in their 50s then. I think my mom is 78, and my dad is 72. He still works part-time.

“My grandpa gave me a great example of how a man should be. He’s a provider. My grandmother is such a genuine person, so sweet. Anything I learned about being genuine and being selfless and humble was from her. She taught me the best life lessons I could ever imagine. And my parents are really centered in church, so we grew up in church. I feel they created such a great foundation.”

Watson-Johnson, who has known Chastity since age 9, agrees.

“Even though there was a lot of adversity, there was always love and support as well,” she said about Chastity’s upbringing. “She was always grounded. She was a wonderful dancer and a wonderful student and is now a wonderful young lady.

Chastity had an opportunity to try out for the Eagles’ cheerleading squad a year ago, but fear of failure got in the way. This year she promised herself to go for it. If nothing else she would have the experience and could tell her girls they, too, can aspire to similar goals.

“I never thought I would make it,” she said about being selected. “When I got the e-mail congratulating me I literally looked at it for about 15 minutes. I didn’t call anyone, I didn’t say anything.

She’s now aware of how great her potential could be. “Hopefully this will open up a lot of opportunities to do more for myself, so I can eventually do more for others.
In the meantime, though, getting out on the sports field and being a cheerleader is an adventure that’s just getting started.

“I’m not a flashy person,” she added, “but every girl enjoys getting dressed up and everything, and I get to do that through the Eagles. I can get all ‘glammed up’ for the games and appearances and that’s like my alter ego. It brings out the inside of me that I can’t show off in everyday life when I’m being a coach and being a role model.

“Plus I love football. It’s exciting.”