Kayla Wood

Shiyo Nigada! 

My name is Kayla Wood, and I am excited to be the Assistant Athletic Director at Cherokee Central Schools, where I look after our Junior Varsity and Middle School sports programs.

I reside in the Tsigwohi (Birdtown) Community with my husband, Langston, and our three kids, Tyrus, Haize, and Rome. As a Cherokee High School graduate and an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, getting to serve in the school system that raised me means the world to me. Stepping into this role with Cherokee Athletics gives me a chance to support our youth and give back to Braves athletics.

After graduating from CHS in 2011, I went to UNC Chapel Hill, where I got my degree in Sports Administration and American Indian Studies in 2015. Later, I earned a Master of Legal Studies from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019. Most recently, I worked right here at Cherokee High School as the Administrative Specialist, handling daily office work, budgets, and school operations.

I also know what it is like on the sidelines. I spent time as the CHS varsity cheer head coach and as an assistant JV basketball coach. Those hands-on coaching years helped me understand what our coaches and student-athletes actually need day in and day out. Sports teach us so much more than how to win games; they teach our kids discipline, teamwork, and character. With our JV and middle school teams, my goal is to give our young athletes a solid routine, strong support, and the encouragement they need to step up to high school sports with confidence.

We are truly a sports family through and through. My husband, Langston, coaches football and track, so between coaching duties, practices, school events, and Braves games, our family spends most of our time at the fields or in the gym. Raising my children in the same community where I grew up, while cheering on our local student-athletes every day, is really a dream come true for me.

I am fully committed to building strong JV and middle school programs that focus on teamwork, personal growth, and respect for our Cherokee culture and traditions.

Thank you for trusting us with your kids. I cannot wait to work with our coaches, support our players, and team up with our families as we keep building a great sports program for Cherokee Central Schools!