"You told us to bring it...well here it is!" - AU Cheer Sophomore, Lauren

When talking to girls interested in trying out it's hard to describe in words what AU Spirit is and what it is we do. There are no words actually. Going to nationals in Daytona is a step that seemed almost impossible last year and it is still hard to understand how we made it here…but we’re here with only 11 days until we are centered on that big blue mat, patiently waiting with hearts racing for our music to start and the magic to happen.

Being a sophomore, I have been part of the squad for not even two years, yet I have seen this cheerleading team grow and come together in ways I never expected. Despite the high number of team members who decided not to return to the squad this year, we worked it out. We had a very shaky start to the season at cheer camp in August, and I’m not going to lie, I was frustrated and not confident when thinking ahead to competition in April. My view quickly changed when I saw that members of the team, new and old were ready to step up and throw the skills, hit the stunts, and do the extra things that needed to be done to make nationals a reality. There were more practices, more difficult skills, and more of a focus on tumbling to get us to where we are today, which is physically exhausted from all the extra work but ready to show Daytona and the AU community what we got.

One of the biggest changes that I have seen from last year to this year was the switch from a co-ed to an all-girl squad, which I feel has made the most difference in our ability to compete at nationals. It’s hard to find multiple guys who know what cheerleading is, let alone be willing to give it a try without feeling like less of a man (even though holding a girl above your head with one arm, I would say, is pretty manly). With that said the AU spirit program did the right thing by becoming an all-girl team, creating a dynamic that is much improved from last year.

Looking ahead to next year, which is hard to do since nationals is really the only thing on all of our minds, I think we will be able to build our program even further. Nationals is only the start of what we are capable of doing and I’m excited to be sticking around for another two years to find out where AU Spirit is headed.