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