Cheering for Nontraditional Sports

At UCA camp, we are taught to uphold the role of a cheerleader. The phrase “to support the school’s athletic program and community” may be ingrained into the minds of cheerleaders everywhere. This is especially important when it comes to cheering for nontraditional sports. An athletic program is composed of all sports, which may include volleyball, wrestling, soccer, hockey, and more. All of which are deserving of support and energy from their school’s cheerleaders.

Nick Gravina, a Rutgers University Wrestling standout, expresses his gratitude and says, “It’s so nice to be recognized by our fans and peers for all of our hard work and dedication to the sport. The fact that the cheer team takes the time out of their busy schedules to be at our matches to support us means more than they will ever know.”
Positive influences create positive results. As a cheerleader, positivity flows through cheers, dances, routines, signs other crowd engaging tactics. Every sport deserves to have the opportunity to allow the energy from a cheer squad to be a part of their game experience. It is a conscious effort from fans, players, and cheerleaders to create an energetic environment in order to produce positive results of a game.

“Just having cheerleaders at a game can change the whole atmosphere, and it can bring about more adrenaline for the players by getting the crowd involved and hype. For instance, volleyball players have explained how the cheerleaders helped drive their spirits up and play with more excitement,” said Rutgers All-Girl Cheerleader Dayna Macrina.
It’s an adjustment to get into the flow of cheering for sports other than football or basketball. Cheerleaders should rework routines and cater their skills towards the specific event. Attend these games before you perform to learn how the game goes and to scope out where your team can position themselves in the arena to have the most impact! Not only can it be a great learning experience, but it can also be fun to get creative with your material.

“Cheerleading for nontraditional sports has allowed me to make new friends that I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to meet otherwise,” said Current Rutgers Spirit Program member Sarah MacDonald, “and it also adds to my school experience because it has made my school feel closer and more unified.”
There are so many positives when cheerleaders are granted the opportunity to create the same atmosphere that they would for a football or basketball game in a more intimate setting of a nontraditional sport. It’s one more avenue the spirit program can use to unite the community.

Written by: @UCA_Cami – follow me on Instagram and Twitter!