Starting off the 2009-2010 Season!

I can't believe the 2008-2009 season has already come to an end. We're going to miss our teams from last year (especially our seniors!) for so many reasons; our girls, of course, but also their dedication, personalities, and the fact that we share such a unique bond in bringing AU Spirit to the next level.

We can't dwell on the past though, and are very much excited for our future 2009-2010 season! Today, we held one of our tryout sessions for the cheer and dance teams. As is usual, we had a very small tryout for both teams - mostly returning members - but we were happy to see those familiar faces back and ready for a new year. At the end of the day, we welcomed one new member to the AU Dance Team - welcome, Beth! - and welcomed back a familiar cheerleader from two years ago, Devinne, as well as two new faces in Connor and Heather.

We would also like to send a huge congratulations to our newest team leadership! Kelsea is now the AU Cheerleading Captain, Jackie is our AUDT Captain, and Katie is the AUDT Co-Captain. They are all going to do an incredible job in leading these teams!

Our next step is to encourage new cheerleaders and dancers to audition for our teams in the fall (dates are still TBD) at the June and July New Student Orientation dates. We hope to welcome between five and seven dancers and between 10 and 12 cheerleaders. Any interested dancers or cheerleaders should contact spirit@american.edu with questions about fall tryouts.

Coming up in August, we'll be attending camp - Cheer will be going to NCA camp in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Dance will be going to UDA camp in Scranton, PA. Both teams are excited to start fresh, but in the meantime, we're going to enjoy the time off and chance to recouperate!

Thanks to everyone who stood behind us and believed in us ... we couldn't have done it without you. And especially, thank you, thank you, thank you to our teams for sticking with us, believing in us, and always impressing us. We love you!

Brett & Alex

Tryouts!

Tryouts for the 2009-2010 AU Spirit Program are taking place this weekend in Bender Arena! All interested applicants must contact spirit@american.edu for more information and to register for tryouts. We may not host a fall tryout, so all interested applicants are encouraged to tryout this weekend.

Video applications for cheerleaders and dancers not able to make the tryout date are also being accepted. Please email spirit@american.edu for more information.

Good-bye, Daytona ...

After a great trip, we're back home to D.C. and AU. This trip has meant so much to us all. It was an incredible culmination of all of our hard work and dedication over the years, a chance for us to relax and have fun together after the competitions were over, but most of all, it was a trip that bonded us more than anyone could imagine - together, we are the first group of AU Cheer & Dance to ever perform on the national stage. No one can take that away from us, and nothing could be more special.

At the end of the day, the AU Dance Team is now ranked 13th in the nation in Division I Dance, and the AU Cheerleading Team is ranked 11th in the nation in All-Girl Intermediate Division I Cheer! We are so proud of our accomplishments and can't wait to start the next season just to end it with a trip back to Daytona as a stronger and more experienced program.

Thank you to all of you who believed in us and supported us along the way. We couldn't have done it without you!

Next up for AU Spirit: TRYOUTS! Auditions for the 2009-2010 Cheer & Dance Teams will take place on April 25 and 26 in Bender Arena. Interested participants should contact spirit@american.edu for more information. Keep checking out this blog in the future for updates on everything including our new team members and what we're up to!

You Asked Us To Bring It ... We Did!

Wow ... what a day! We are so, so proud of the work our teams did today. Our goal for this trip was for both teams to do their best, and they certainly did. Special thanks to all of the families of our cheerleaders and dancers that came out to support them. Not only does it mean the world to your daughters, but we appreciate it so much too.

The day started bright and early for both teams. Cheer was dressed and ready to go by 7am to prepare for their 9am competition time, and dance was up and ready by 7:30am for a quick practice and then to make it over to watch cheer compete.

9:15 at the Ocean Center was AU Cheerleading's time to shine. They came out with energy

and strength, and finished with a bang. There to cheer them on were the AU Dance Team and the GW Cheerleading Team, our new "sister" team. It meant so much to have them there to cheer us on - thank you! Tomorrow, cheer will advance to finals with another bright and early start time of 8:30am. We wish them luck in their competition, and can't wait to see the outcome!

Dance competed in the semifinal round at 2:15pm, and did a great job. Although they were nervous, they performed strong and had great energy. They competed in the "Challenge Cup" round after their performance for a chance to advance to finals, which meant they had another performance today at 6:45pm. They were so tired from the long day, but actually performed better the second time around and improved their score! Although AUDT didn't make it to the final round, we could not be more proud with our sixth place finish in Challenge Cup and can't wait to come back next year stronger and more experienced.

To see clips from all of our performances today and tomorrow, visit http://www.varsity.com/ and type in "American University". Below are some more pictures for today, courtesy of Jay Cassi!

We're Finally Here!

This will be a short post, as we're exhausted, but updates tomorrow will have plenty of pictures and details. We won't disappoint!

After all of our hard work and planning, we've finally made it to Daytona Beach! We can't explain how long this journey seems to have taken, but how quickly it's all going to come to an end. Although it's only been a couple of months of planning, it seems like a lifetime. From sending in our qualification videos in December, to routine choreography and coaching, to the endless hours of practice, it never seemed like our day to compete would finally arrive. Today itself though, seemed like an eternity of traveling, but the few hours that we have been here, have gone all too quickly. The moments we spent waiting in the airport couldn't pass quickly enough, while the moments spent here with what has become our family seem to be slipping faster and faster through our fingers.

We started our travels at 8:30am and finally arrived to our hotel at 5:00pm. After getting settled and a quick change, we headed to Rosselini's Italian Restaurant for a great team dinner, complete with our own menu! After dinner, coaches and athletes parted ways, with athletes heading back to the hotel for a restless night's sleep, and coaches off to a meeting about the days to come.

For the next few days, all we can hope for as coaches is that our teams perform well and that they are proud of what they've accomplished - we certainly are. We could not be more proud to present these teams for the first time at the NCA/NDA National Collegiate Championships. They are poised, prepared, and dedicated to setting the bar high for future athletes who will follow in their footsteps.

We love you, ladies. "Rip It" and "Do It" like we know you can.

Mom, Dad, and your big Bros :)

The Illusion of Effortlessness Requires a Great Effort Indeed - AUDT Senior, Melissa

Last night’s friends and family performance was really wonderful. Thank you to all of the parents, friends, and fans who came out to support the AU Spirit program in our pursuit for the national stage. We work super hard at practice to perform the routine the best we can, but there is nothing like an audience full of screaming fans to get the adrenaline flowing and really bring out the best in us.

We have worked incredibly hard and I am super stoked about our first trip to Nationals. Preparation will meet opportunity on Thursday afternoon in Daytona and all of the judges and fans will see us perform an awesome routine that we make look effortless. It is no secret that the illusion of effortlessness requires a great deal of effort, but only we know what that effort feels like. When we walk out onto the national’s stage, for the 2 minutes and 5 seconds we have the attention of the judges and the audience, only we will know how many push-ups, sprints, and toe touches with weights strapped to our ankles we have done. Only we will know how many weekends and spring break mornings we woke up at 6am to be at practice, or how many cookies and donuts we passed up. Only we will know how many times we heard the word “again” and how much strength it took to push through the pain of our bruised knees and sprained ankles and hurt toes and feet (and legs, and hips, and necks…). And when we kill it on the nationals stage only we will know what the satisfaction feels like to work so hard for something and have it all come together in the most perfect way.

I am so proud to say that I am part of a team with the most hardworking, dedicated, unwavering group of women I know. Those judges in Daytona better watch out because AUDT is bringing it.

As college comes to an end and I finish up my time at American University, I look forward to my future but know that I could have gone for another year or two on AUDT. No matter what I do in my life, whether it be working in the United States Senate (!), or living in a women’s commune in Venezuela, there will always be a special place in my heart for AUDT and the extraordinary women I danced with this year.

You all are the reason I get up in the morning. Thanks for rocking my world.

My First and Last :( Trip to Nationals 2009 - Christina, AUDT Captain

Firstly, I'd like to take a minute and thank everyone who came out last night for our Friends and Family event. We appreciate your support more than you'll ever know and it is so rewarding to see that none of you forgot our hard work. I know both AU teams, GW Cheer, and George loved the crowd. Special thanks especially to my mom, I love you!
Anyways, we leave for Daytona in about 36 hours and I cannot be more excited! Nervous too, but a very good nervous! This is my first and last nationals because I will be gradating in May. Being one of the first dancers to represent AU at NDA Nationals is an exciting thing and one that myself and only 12 other girls will ever be able to do. We are extremely lucky in that we share this common drive to perform only at our best and give 100%. I am so blessed to have these girls in my life and will never forget this year. However, unlike the other girls (minus Melissa, my fellow 2009er) I do not have another chance to accomplish even more next year or the year after that. It really is now or never and as much as that saddens me, I feel that gives me even more reason to try my hardest and to dance my strongest. I look forward to seeing the future AU Spirit program grow and develop but it is also a very unique feeling to know what it felt like to build the program.

I know a few of the other girls have blogged about how close both teams are but I wanted to take a second and mention my best friends. Kels, Kimmy, Jaqq, Lauren (Tara, Ber, and Hopie too!) are all cheerleaders who have been an integral part of making the AU Cheer team what it is today. They are my best friends, roommates (past, almost present and hopefully future), and above all some of my favorite people around. The spirit program and my experience at AU would probably have been veryyyyy different and much less enjoyable without them around. I know I probably don't say it enough... I love you all and I could not ask for better friends and cheerleaders!

As a senior, I'm nervous to graduate and find a job (in case you live under a rock, stay there -- there aren't any jobs!) I'm optimistic though that my education from AU and my opportunities I have had while studying here will open many doors and keep me in DC atleast for awhile.

Closing thoughts....

The time I've spent devoting to dance, fundraising, games, and EVERY other aspect of AU Spirit has been more than worth it. I will always remember this amazing, wild, roller-coaster ride with nothing but smiles and happiness. I'm so lucky to have been here for it :-)

Good luck to GW Cheer and George at NCA. And to my entire AU Spirit Program... RIP IT, BRING IT, BE THE BEST! I love you all!!!!

It's all been worth it - AU Cheer Junior, Jacquelynn

After three years on the AU Cheerleading team I feel like I have been through enough to be able to come flat out and say – the road to NCA Nationals has not been easy. Dedicating 5 days a week (3 days of practice & 2 days of games) during my junior year of college has not been a simple task by any means. On top of my rigorous practice schedule I also take a full load of classes, intern at a web marketing agency, and work another part-time job at AU’s law school…yeah, I’m not sure what I was thinking taking on all of that either =]

But the reason why we all dedicate, plan, and sometimes stress about our packed calendars is for the overall satisfaction that cheerleading gives us. My cheer coach, Brett, always loves to repeat a story about his cheerleading career (yes, he’s only 30 and he’s already unaware of his repetitiveness = P ). He says that his best friends till today were those made on his college cheerleading teams—and I couldn’t agree more.

The time my team and I spend together are filled with countless memories. From cheering at the big bball games, to eventful car washes, to road trips to Infinity gym, and to rolling around in hysterics after a practice-uniform-wardrobe-malfunction, we have had a blast the last two semesters together. And although we have had our ups and downs, there is no denying the friendships we have made.

Cheerleading brings you together. We tumble together, jump together, dance, stunt, sweat (well, me mostly..), laugh, fall…and even though Jimmy Dugan says “There’s no crying in ‘cheerleading’”…we definitely have cried together haha! Because Cheerleading is the only sport where trust in each other is not an added bonus; it is a necessity. The trust we have in each other has kept us united as a team even when times are tough. And it is this trust in each other that will keep us working together until we step off that competition mat in Daytona.

All athletes love the rush of competition; it’s why we do what we do. The moment you to step out to perform your routine, the hours upon hours of physical pain and emotional weariness, dissipate from your mind and it’s all worth it…

Now that our moment in the lights is finally upon us I want to say it definitely has been worth it =] I can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow at our Friends & Family Event! It’s time to cheer on the cheerleaders and dancers!

AU Dance Team Sophomore = ), Francesca

Well, it's official: AU Cheer and Dance showcase their Nationals routines TOMORROW! There has been so much work leading up to this point in time, and we hope that the effort, the energy, the sweat, the sore muscles, the achy joints, the tears, the bruises, and the enormous amount of time spent will make us as individuals ,and as Alex's team, happy with the finish.

I know that there are many others on my team who have a lot on their plate like I do--and I need to let them know that they are incredible for maintaining high GPAs in the face of five to six academic courses pit against Dance Team commitments, not to mention jobs and internships. I'm actually double-majoring in literature and history, and at particular points in the year, the work load really gets really immense, frustrating, and seemingly unmanageable. This fall, as the workload was increasing simultanesouly with the basketball season, we actually had a couple of stress-reduction circles--not their official name or anything, but that's what we achieved = ) Dance team would sit in a circle together before practice, and go around to each individual member and let that person vent--about money, boys, parents, teachers, homework, work, family, or dance team; about anything that was making them upset. Having your friends there to listen to you really helps your trouble to ease, and lightens your heart before practice. Someone from DT is always there to go to the library with if you need some motivation to study, which can be a problem for normal students, but is even more so when you've just finished a 3-hour long practice at 10pm and have already expended mental energy remembering what arms you cleaned, remembering to pull up your passe in your turns, remembering to hit front in plie in fouettes, and all that jazz ; )

Dance team is indefinitely a positive part of life for us all. As Taryn has told me before, being on Dance Team helps you to get your priorities in order. You know you have an assignment due, but you HAVE to know WHEN EXACTLY you're going to do it, because practices, games, fundraisers, and charity events are ongoing. You don't go out on Friday nights and get blasted like everyone else; you need to stay in, take care of your body, do your homework, maybe watch a movie to relax, and then get sleep for the game or the practice the next morning. Starting in March, our weekends actually became harder than our week days with Saturday and Sunday practices, and two-a-days stuck in there! Truly though, that's when we began enjoying each other's company even more: picking out netflix to watch before bed, going to wholefoods to get healthy snacks to munch together while watching "Sex and the City" DVDs, planning to stay in together and help each other get through the mounds of homework always present on the back-burner, and all that fun stuff = )

In Dance Team, I find my best friends: the ones who understand that my ankle is aching, my back is twitching, my thigh is bruised, I'm still hungry, and I have to get up at 6am for morning practice. They're going through it too, and Nationals has only brought us closer--you could say we're family. The funny thing is that when Nationals is over, and we do get to go out again, I know it's going to be with Dance Team, and I know exactly what we're going to want to get all dressed up to go do: we're going to get excited, dolled-up, and go to a club to do what we do best, and that is of course dance together for one more night, makinnn THAA DANCE FLOOR SILLLY <3>

One Week! - Cheerleading Junior, Kim

It's hard to believe we are only one week away from getting on a plane and flying down to Florida for competition! We're used to working so hard that it's tough to imagine the day is coming when we perform our routines and see how much our work has paid off. I think next week will definitely surprise us when we realize it's time to go. Luckily we're working now so that we will be ready for it!

We had a long practice last night. This is the time when we need to be perfect! We are finally hitting all of our stunts and tumbling passes and now comes the task of cleaning everything up. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes to point toes, transition cleanly, and most importantly SMILE! Our team knows how hard it is to perform our routine, but it's our job to make the audience and judges think it's easy.

Of course, that is much easier said than done - when someone falls or misses a count in practice it's hard to not show the disappointment or pain on your face. At this point everyone is getting nervous, so the best thing to do is keep drilling our routine over and over again in practice. I know that one week from today those nerves are going to be even worse, but if we are confident that we know the routine and can hit it then we'll be able to translate all of our nervous energy into positive energy and excitment!

Six More Practices, Three Performances! - Dance Team Junior, Kristen

Well, there is one week left until we leave for Nationals. I’m not sure how we’ll feel then, but just thinking about it makes me completely scared and yet totally confident all at the same time. The team is just as nervous as I am, but we’re all so excited. Last week dance team talked about our placement in the lineup at the competition- we’re going 10th out of 18 teams. We feel like we have a great spot- we get to watch cheer in the morning and we’re right in the middle of the competition. We’re ready to show the judges that we have been waiting for them and that we were well worth the wait!

Everyone on this team has worked so hard to get to this point. This is where the 7 am practices will pay off, where dancing six hours a day through countless injuries, frustrations, and set-backs will only make us stronger, where everything that we’ve hoped for and worked towards is culminating. This close, it’s easy to see why we aren’t allowed to eat that donut (which I still want), why we go to the gym at ridiculous hours (even when it was closed), and why we spend Friday and Saturday nights in bed at 10 pm (when our friends and roommates don’t really understand).

I’m pretty sure the next week will go by very quickly. We all have a full course-load, part-time jobs, and lives that have to essentially be put on hold when we leave next week. I know I personally have one week to make up coursework for 18 credits worth of classes, re-schedule 5 students that I tutor twice a week, write substitute lesson plans at my part-time job, and of course practice, practice, practice! Everyone on the team has a similar story to this and I’m sure the next week will fly by because of it. We’re more than ready to get there- it will be a relief at this point to be able to focus 150% of our energy 24 hours a day on dancing this one routine, perfectly, one time. At this point, the competition is first and foremost on everyone’s mind.

Trust me, we’re pretty consumed by dance right now. Walking up the hill to school from my apartment I listen to our Nationals music, during breathing exercises in accounting I run the routine through my head, every chance I get in the gym I make sure that toe touch is just right or that arm placement is perfect. Before I go to bed at night I visualize myself and my team doing the routine, perfectly, flawlessly, one time. I find myself talking about little else in class, at work, and with my friends. This is how we’ve all been thinking; proving that we’re nervous but more than ready.

It’s been a little frustrating lately because everyone has their own injuries that we’ve been working against. We’ve had to put a lot more work into our bodies and make them do a lot more than they want to! I have a partially torn ligament in my right knee, and many of the other girls have chronic hip and knee problems that they are working with. The best thing we can remember is not to get frustrated or upset with each other, or ourselves, and to remember that we are a team through and through. How we react to our injuries or frustrations impacts everyone, and team morale is SO important to us. We’re working hard and we all know we can do it!

NDA Watch Out- American University Spirit is Coming!!