ANSONIA — Ansonia honored longtime cheerleading adviser Ericka Kramer before Friday night’s home football game against Preble Shawnee at Eugene Hoening Field.
The tribute included a moment of silence and a memorial seat bearing a plaque in honor of the beloved coach, who died April 10 at age 50.
Kramer devoted years to Ansonia Schools and its cheerleading program. Beyond preparing cheerleaders for games and competitions, she encouraged and inspired the young women she coached.
Alexis Wardrip said the tribute brought many emotions for those who knew and worked with Kramer.
“Ericka meant a lot to this cheer program and to the girls,” Wardrip said. “A lot of the girls had been cheering with her for three or four years — their whole high school cheerleading careers — and this isn’t the way it was supposed to be.”
Wardrip said the cheerleaders have relied upon one another as they cope with Kramer’s death and move forward without their longtime coach.
“Together as a team, I think the girls have done a very good job navigating through it,” Wardrip said. “They’ve really come together as a team and are leaning on each other. That’s how we’re going to get through this year.”
Kramer was remembered for putting her heart and soul into the program and ensuring her cheerleaders were prepared for whatever challenges came their way.
“She put her heart and soul into this cheer program and into making sure the girls were ready for everything that came their way,” Wardrip said.
For Wardrip, the loss was also deeply personal. Kramer was her great-aunt.
“It was a privilege just to know her,” Wardrip said. “If you knew Ericka, it was a privilege. It was an even bigger privilege to watch her coach for as many years as she did.”
Wardrip said Kramer’s dedication established an example she hopes to follow.
“Watching her dedication to this program and watching her give her heart and soul to it is something I hope I can give even a fraction of,” Wardrip said.
Kramer was known for her kindness, generosity and willingness to put others before herself. Those qualities were evident throughout her years with Ansonia’s cheerleaders, many of whom spent most or all of their high school careers under her guidance.
Although Kramer was absent from the sideline Friday night, the moment of silence and memorial seat ensured her presence and influence were still felt throughout the stadium.
Her plaque will serve as a lasting reminder of a coach who gave so much of herself to Ansonia’s cheerleaders and left an enduring mark on the program and community.
