Make it Work--AU Cheer Junior (Co-Captain) Lauren

AU Cheer's Friends and Family Performance was the first moment where we felt and saw what our routine really looked like. It was all dressed up, new bows and all, with that hint of adrenaline pumping through us and it was really more than I expected it to be. The performance showed that no matter the amount of injuries, tears, screaming (not from Brett of course), and drama, we can pull it all together in front of a large crowd.

Sunday's performance was the beginning of the home stretch of our season and no matter how much our body's hate us, we are ready to work for the next 8 days up until that last second we are on that big blue mat in Daytona. Not only are we ready but we want it. We are at that point where determination and confidence are getting us through the long practices and minor injuries. Confidence is one thing that this years team has a lot of. We have faith in our routine and each other which has created a dynamic that has broug ht us far in the course of a year...from an intermediate division to division 1. AU Cheer always wants to do the more dangerous skill, the more difficult basket, and the cooler stunt and we often surprise ourselves with the result. Even with nationals so close we want to go for more (back tuck 2-2-1 pleaseeee).

Even though Friends and Family gave us the confidence boost that we needed, it still couldn't prepare us for the week ahead where we are forced to rework the routine, change our pyramids, change our stunts, and deal with missing an essential member of our team. Injuries happen though and if there's any team that can roll with the punches it's AU Cheer. Despite the frustration we know what we have to do and we will make it work and that is something that I am confident about. Lets get her done my little SB's!

Moving Forward, Looking Back - AUDT Senior (Captain) Jackie

Sorry to get sentimental on you but here it comes... :)

It seems like yesterday, I walked into Bender Arena for the first time, anxious about dance team tryouts and the experiences which lay ahead as a freshman beginning a new life away from the comforts of home. Little did I know that the girls who surrounded me would soon become my sisters, and the team, which I assumed would serve as a fun extra-curricular, would come to be a central part of my life. Looking back over the past three years is somewhat overwhelming. It has become impossible to imagine what my life here at AU would have been like if I did not join the dance team. I am sure there are experiences I have missed out on due to the rigorous practice schedule, fundraising, and games. However, the amount of effort required to be a part of the Spirit Program seems minute when compared to the rewards I have recieved in return and I would not change a thing.

I have made the best friends of my life, who I know will remain close to me even after our time here is complete. They continue to amaze me both as athletes, students, and individuals. I am so proud of each of you and cannot wait to see the amazing things you each do with your lives. I have had the honor of being part of a program of passionate and dedicated people, working to improve and move forward regardless of the obstacles and difficulties which inevitably arise. The progress which has been made over the past three years is truely remarkable, and it is this journey of which I am most proud. I feel blessed to say that I was a part of it. I have grown both as a person and as a dancer as a direct result of this team. The lessons which it has taught me will remain with me throughout my life. I thank everyone involved, especially Alex, for having faith in me and my abilities, and for providing me with the best college experience I could have possibly hoped for. The team this year has come so far and I am so proud of the progress we have made. I cannot wait to show everyone just what we are capable of next week in Daytona.

I can only hope that the girls who join this team in the future are lucky enough to walk away with the same tremendous memories and experiences that being a part of AU Spirit has given me. As I take the National's stage one last time, I know that the thoughts and emotions I experience will be a mix of sadness, pride, and excitement. Moving past this phase of my life is difficult, but I know that I will never really leave DT. The memories and friends will last forever, and AU Spirit's journey is only just beginning.

I love you all so much.
Nationals here we come.

For the Love of Dance -- AUDT Junior (Co-Captain) Katie

Today, after months and months of hard work, sweat, tears, and happiness, the AU Spirit Program was able to debut their nationals routines for a crowd of screaming fans. The amount of preparation that was put into today’s performance was by no means small, but our dedication paid off! We were ready, confident, and excited. With familiar faces filling the stands, each team took the court and performed incredibly well. Congratulations Cheer and Dance on an amazing performance, and thank you to all of our family and friends who came to support us today—we couldn’t do it without you!!

In less than two weeks, however, the real test arrives. Today’s performance was important to each of us, but our work has been culminating towards another goal—dancing our best on the nationals’ stage. Our goal is alive in our dreams, it is written on our coach’s face, and it is the reason we push ourselves harder than we ever thought possible. We want to step onto that stage in Daytona and show the judges what AUDT is made of and just how much we want this. And trust me, we want this! It may only be our second year competing nationally, but we have grown and improved so much this year. With the unwavering support of our coach Alex and the passion each of us holds, I know our performance in Daytona will showcase how far we’ve come. And I couldn’t be more proud.

But no matter what happens on that stage, our team is a team forever. I really think that is what makes us so special. AUDT is not simply made up of talented dancers who work towards a common goal. This team is a family. We are there for each other through thick and thin. We believe in one another and encourage each other’s dreams. Our love for dance brought us together. Our love for each other will keep us together. The bond we share is everlasting.

I am honored to be a part of this team and this experience. Thank you all for making my life happier and fuller. Hold our memories close to your heart and know that no matter what happens, we will always have each other and we will always have this team.

Get it DT! It’s our time! I love you all!

Take Over the Dance Floor - AUDT Sophomore, Kelsey P.

I can't believe that it has been a whole year since I wrote on this blog about the unique, talented, and driven women and men that are the AU Spirit Program. I am proud to report that since my last post, before our first trip to NDA/NCA Nationals, AU Spirit has improved immeasurably, and we are more driven, and more talented than ever before. Our fouettes are cleaner, our toe touches higher, our stunts are hitting, and we have pushed ourselves farther than we have ever gone before.


The past couple weeks have been full of practices, early mornings, conditioning, injuries, some blood, a lot of sweat, and even some tears. Since spring break we have averaged about seven , long practices each week to make our routines perfect for our Friends and Family performance that is happening in Bender Arena this Sunday, March 28th, at 3pm.

The Friends and Family performance is one that is very important to us. While we are so excited to go down to Daytona and show the cheer and dance worlds how hard we've worked and how talented we are, there is something special about performing for the people you love. We are all looking forward to showing our routines to our families, our friends, and the AU community. This is our one chance to show off what we do after basketball season. It will mean so much to all of us to have all of our loved ones in Bender Arena and perform for our fans!

Last year, I described the amazing camaraderie between the cheer and dance teams. This year, we have continued to grow together, sweat together, fundraise together, support each other. The bond between the cheer and dance teams this year has become closer and closer. There are no other people in the world I would choose to have on my team. I am proud to call the members of both AU Dance and AU Cheer my teammates. We are each others biggest cheerleaders :)

We have worked so hard on our nationals routines and I know that we are going to kill it on Sunday. Put it on your calender and plan to be there- Bender Arena 3pm on Sunday.

Get ready to be impressed and see us take over the dance (and cheer!) floor!

Daytona Here We Come! - AU Dance Team Freshman, Kelsey Y. :)

"To dance is to be out of yourself.

Larger, more beautiful, more powerful."~Agnes DeMille

I remember sitting in the cafeteria the day before tryouts. I was so scared of the type of girls I would be meeting the next day. Would they be rude? Would they laugh at me? What would they be like? Then, all of the sudden Dance Team walked by me in their black, zip-up jackets with the AU Eagle and Dance Team rhinestoned on the back. Every one around me turned heads as these confident, young women were walking into the room at the same time, laughing, sharing stories, and finding a place to sit. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be one of those girls. I wanted to share my love of dance with them.

Little would I know that 7 months later I would be on Dance Team preparing to dance on the stage at nationals in Daytona, Florida. I also did not realize that 7 months later I would have made friendships that I already know will last a lifetime. We have made strong bonds, close relationships, and created memories that we can look back on. It's important that we love and care for each other both on and off the court.

At our last basketball game we had a couple of audience members walk in and tell us that we were a stronger team than last year, and I know that we will continue to grow stronger as the years progress. We have fun with dance but at the same time we are a team who is serious about accomplishing a goal to make our performance the best it can possibly be.

Fighting through this difficult, rigorous season after completing an entire basketball season, I'm not going to lie, is tough and takes a lot of work. But the most important thing I have learned from dancing with a family who loves to dance and works just as hard beside me, is that we can get through anything together. We are never alone in this fight.

Nationals season is definitely the most difficult because we push ourselves farther than we have ever gone before. I never knew I could push myself and be such a stronger dancer, this goes for the rest of the team as well. I'm so proud to have Alex as a coach because she knows your limit, she is there to help us every step of the way and to make us better. Our captains Jac and Katie are so positive through every thing They read us one inspirational quote before every practice which helps us realize what we want most, to kick butt at nationals.

I love my team, I work hard with my team, I practice with my team, I learn with my team, and I dance with my team. There is nothing better than that.

Destination: Nationals - AU Cheer Junior, Clay aka Panda

"The Big Kahuna." "The Grandest Stage of Them All." "The Big Dance." "The Game." "The End-All Be-All." Each sport has a different name for their final destination. Ours is simply "Nationals." To each of us, it may mean something different - memories, injuries, pressure, love, hate, friends, beaches, pools, stress, bus trips, but there are a few of us who have only heard the stories of what lies in Daytona, FL. One thing remains consistent throughout the team: the path to Nationals.

I have been a part of big competitions before: Wrestling Finals, Football Championships, Baseball Championship games, intramural volleyball finals, softball finals. But never before have I been a part of such a highly team-oriented organization. Sure, football and baseball and the like have teamwork - but there is always backup. Cheerleading, as I have found out, is the pinnacle of teamwork. If one person goofs on a pyramid (those cool flashy things we do on the court that consist of human on top of other humans), the whole thing can come crashing down. There isn't someone who can switch spots quickly to save it from falling. Boom. The pyramid is done and the entire team is made to look foolish and inept.

Now, cheerleading was one of the last things I expected to do in college - having looked at a number colleges to play football for or be an athletic trainer. But I saw an opportunity to keep in shape, make some friends, and be a member of a team after a lifetime of being active in sports. I thought it to be sort of a joke: "Hey, I'll throw some girls around and kill some spare time." I come to find out that in preparation for Nationals, we work just as hard physically, mentally, and emotionally as any other team out there.

We are not rewarded by the school we represent like the official sports. We don't get free jerseys or shorts or cool backpacks. We do what we do for a number of reasons: a challenge, a passion, a group to belong to, boredom. From 9 - 15 hours a week we are in Bender Arena practicing our tumbling (those cool flips and stuff), stunts, baskets, etc. Many of us can be found in Jacobs Fitness Center improving our strength and cardio many hours a week. Many of us can also be found at Infinity, a gym in Virginia were we can improve our tumbling skills. I even took advantage of Winter Break and a local gym and coach (PrimeTime Tumbling) where I learned to do a back handspring. Yes people, a 250lb man can do those cool flips too - just call me Panda (like Po from Kung-Fu Panda). And we pay out of pocket and fund raising for our supplies and for Nationals.

Sure, I'm a newcomer. But I never settle for less. With hard work and determination one can achieve anything they want. Fractured and severely sprained ankles, black eyes, football injuries re-agitated by holding girls up, strained wrists don't interfere. We all hurt, but we all show up to practice and give it our all. We want to win. We want to be the best we can be.

Now I don't expect to go into Nationals and come out with the Championship, but I do expect to force their eyes open (and something Bronze or Silver would be awesome). Our pain, blood, suffering, sweat, deprived social lives, and empty pockets will pay off.

American Who? American U.

Nationals 2010 - AU Dance Sophomore, Hannah

Well, we’ve officially reached March. Having come back from a pretty stressful fundraiser and a semi relaxing spring break, the dance and cheer teams are in full practice mode. Why? Because nationals is less than a month away. We’ve done a lot to get to this point; we’ve danced our way through dozens of basketball games and now have made it to the grueling national’s practices. And while I can barely make it up a flight of stairs right now, I know that all the pain and exhaustion will be more than worth it this year when we hit our ending pose up on the national’s stage.

Last year was AU Dance and Cheer’s first trip down to Nationals, and I cannot wait to go down again and show Daytona what AU Spirit is made of: energy building diets, two-a-day practices, sore quads and hamstrings, and lots of dedication. While we tried our hardest in 2009, it was our first national’s season. We had no idea what to expect or how difficult it was going to be, but we made it through and held our head high.

Now with a year under our belt we are ready for Daytona. We’ve already started working on improving our stamina and have begun our two-a-days with a new energy. Most importantly, however, we are looking forward to the moment that we walk on to that stage, face those judges, and show them our perfected routine. Because this time, more than ever, more than last year, we will be confident that we will be the best we possibly can be.

As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” And how right he was! After having already competed in NDA Nationals in 2009, we will be returning to Daytona this year with the experience and confidence needed to wow the judges. There will be no fear of the unknown, no aspect of the competition that we are unsure of. And hopefully, the only fear that we have will be the fear that drives us to perform the best that we can.

Nationals 2010 - AU Cheer Junior, Chenise

The AU Spirit Program will be competing in the NCA/NDA Championship this year for the second time. On top of being full time students and performing at men’s and women’s basketball games, we practice three days a week to perfect our Nationals routine. We work hard and work out even harder. In order to prepare for nationals, we condition throughout the year and stretch our muscles before and after practice. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into this routine. We work hard to make sure all teammates are in sync.

The AU Spirit Program has come a long way since last year. The AU Cheer squad went from competing in the All-Girl Intermediate Level to Division 1 Co-Ed. We began our season at the beginning of August and continued to strengthen our skills throughout the year. Last year, we started off struggling with extensions and libs. Now, our routine consists of back tuck basket tosses, rewinds, 360s, & two and a half high pyramids. Our squad went from having about 6 strong tumblers to more than half the squad pulling back handsprings. Cheerleading is a team sport. We can’t do the routine full out if one person is injured or sick. We need each other, which made our team grow into a big family. We help each other out, inside and outside of practice. It is this support that will allow us to thrive at Nationals.

Both teams have developed more technique and skill to create a more advanced routine. Now that we know what to expect at Nationals, we have higher expectations for ourselves. We are prepared to show the judges how we have grown as a program and how we are only getting stronger as a team. When we compete in Daytona next month, we are going to give it our all.