For the first time, the Rocklin High School cheerleading squad puts a man in charge.

Rocklin varsity cheer has welcomed a new coach to the team, Coach Tony Oka. He has had an impressive cheerleading career, and cheer is more than lucky to have him coach them this year.

Coach Tony used to be a high school quarterback and wrestler, which earned him athletic scholarships that were unfortunately lost upon injury. With his other options closed, he got into cheerleading, starting at Sac State. He decided to give it a try and found a passion for it.

“The biggest obstacle I had to overcome [was] the unknown. I did not cheer in high school and [had] not heard of a male cheerleader at the time,” Oka explained.

After becoming cheer captain and then coach, Tony wanted to expand himself. For thirteen years, Tony had been a UCA instructor, as well as an instructor for USA cheer teaching camps all over the world.

Throughout his life, Tony has always been very successful in his cheer career. He became the Sac State head cheer coach, then moved on to working as a UCA coach for 14 years. He eventually became a teaching instructor in places all over the world, including China, Japan, Singapore, Russia and London.

He has helped a number of high school teams throughout both California and Georgia, continuing his journey to our very own Rocklin High School.

We appreciate that Coach Oka will be joining our Rocklin High School family, but having a male cheer coach is a new concept for Rocklin. So far, the cheer team is flourishing under Coach Oka’s wing, and is planning big things.

“Ultimately my goals would be to help the girls learn; learn how to become better cheerleaders, as well as making sure that the girls are doing the right things not only as a cheerleader but in school and at home,” Oka said.

Hopefully this coming cheer season will be a successful one, and Coach Oka will take the team to new heights.

“This year is a learning experience. I have decided to come in with an open mind and try to keep many of the teams’ and school’s traditions. As I have learned in my short time here, there [are] many of them,” he says.

This year will be one to remember as we welcome Tony Oka to our Rocklin Thunder Family.