All About That Base: Hofstra’s Danielle Gresalfi

I have learned that bases are the foundation for the team; the people that everyone looks to for trust and for skills to be technically executed.

My name is Danielle Gresalfi, and I am a fifth-year member on the Hofstra University cheerleading team. Throughout my years cheering, I have tried different stunting positions but have found a love for main basing. I came from a competitive high school team where I main-based elite stunts and learned how important it is to give a stable platform for top girls to stand on. Through my years cheering I have learned that bases are the foundation for the team; the people that everyone looks to for trust and for skills to be technically executed.

Watch Danielle and the rest of Hofstra cheerleading team compete LIVE for another national championship title at the 2017 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading & Dance Team National Championship on January 14-15!

When I first joined the Hofstra cheer team, I understood stunting but was not technically perfect with my skills. My first year I learned a lot of new college-level skills, but I fell short of competing. I then joined UCA staff and gained a lot of knowledge from fellow staffers on how to be versatile and adjust to different top girls. Through practice I was able to learn how to shrug my shoulders to keep perfect lines in stunts and other techniques to hit specific skills.

The next year I cheered I was considered one of the most elite bases on my team. Being on a team with guys was part of my motivation to try harder stunts. I was always looking to learn coed skills and wanted to be “better than the boys.” That year, although I was new, I always made sure to put in extra reps in order to be perfect. Unfortunately, we fell short of winning that year, but that motivated me to perfect my skills to make the next year the best of my life!

In 2015, all of my hard work paid off, and my dreams came true! We brought home the gold in both the Small Coed Division 1 and All Girl Partner Stunt divisions! Winning two national titles was only the beginning of my journey. Later that year, I earned a spot on the USA All Girl National Team and earned another gold medal!

I may have gained a lot of knowledge and experience over the last few years, but I still use every practice as an opportunity to learn and make more improvements. Last year I faced a major injury that prevented me from competing. Now that I have recovered, I am going into the 2017 championship relying on my technique, quality repetitions, and confidence to hit my stunts. I want my teammates to experience the proud feeling that you get after you hit an amazing routine. This would be a great way to end my college cheerleading career.

Get HYPED for 2017 UCA & UDA College Nationals!

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