Athletes Alexis Williams and Alexandra Harrell are state finalists in the National American Miss pageant circuit.
For many people, few things are more nerve-racking than performing in front of a crowd.
Some people take public speaking classes to fight the problem. Others may avoid these scenarios at all costs. But few methods are more effective than playing sports.
Two Plant City teens, state finalists in a national pageant competition, can vouch for that.
Athletes Alexis Williams and Alexandra Harrell have just over a month to prepare for the upcoming National American Miss Florida Pageant, to be held Sunday, July 10, and Monday, July 11, in Orlando.
Although both are basketball players, in terms of pageant experience, they couldn’t be more different. Williams, 17, is a newcomer to the pageant scene, while Harrell, 13, has several years of experience. But competing for their schools’ sports teams has given both the confidence they’ll need for the biggest stage they’ve competed on thus far.
ROOKIE
By the sound of it, nobody in Williams’s family — not even herself — saw a pageant in her future.
The Plant City High junior decided to give it a try this year, upon receiving a letter in the mail encouraging girls to get involved. The nature of this pageant was what caught her attention.
“They said, basically, it wasn’t a beauty contest — it was more real,” Williams says. “Like, real world. It got my attention because it’s not so much about what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside: confidence.”
Three years of playing basketball for the Lady Raiders have done wonders for Williams’s confidence. She initially joined the team with no basketball experience, hoping to get better and emulate her older sister. She got more out of it than she expected.
“In the beginning, I was like, ‘Oh, I can’t play, I’m just this little girl,’” Williams says. “But throughout, I had a really good coach for two of those years, and he really helped boost my confidence. I feel like I skyrocketed. I grew as a person, playing basketball.”
After performing well in the initial interview and photo shoot, Williams was selected to advance to the next level of American Miss competition. After a series of progressively deeper interviews, Williams was eventually named a state finalist, setting her up to compete in her first-ever pageant.
“I’m very nervous, but I feel like my confidence is at a good level,” she says. “What they’re looking for, I think I’ve got it. I feel like I have a really good chance against all of the other girls that are competing.”
VETERAN
Harrell, on the other hand, dove into the pageant scene as soon as she could.
The Marshall Middle eighth-grader began in the Little Miss Plant City pageant five years ago and got hooked.
“I didn’t place, but it taught me a lot,” Harrell says. “It taught me about responsibility and everything.”
She’s competed in six pageants thus far, from Little Miss Plant City to Junior Royalty and, most recently, American Miss. Harrell says her favorite thing about the pageant scene is meeting new people and making friends.
Harrell’s extracurricular involvement has certainly helped her confidence, being a member of FFA and her church’s youth group. She says playing volleyball and basketball for the school was also a huge help.
“In 2013, at the national pageant, we had to dance in front of people,” Harrell says. “I’m not a big dancer, in front of people, so (sports) really helped me.”
Competing on the state level of the American Miss circuit was the biggest stage Harrell had ever been on.
She is looking forward to the competition, hoping to be more composed and to “try harder.”
“I hope I’m just what the judges are looking for,” Harrell says.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
