The Team

I thought I would tell you guys a little bit about the team here at Thompson Rivers University. There has been many obstacles for us and to see how far we have come is huge.

This cheerleading squad has come so far in the past five years. The team was almost shut down due to the unsafeness in the techniques of the stunts. Today the team has passed that and we have gotten the proper skills and techniques to keep the squad going. Coaches from other teams have taken a notice in us and are proud of our team because we are the only level four team that is apart of a university and does volunteer work through the year on top of cheer.

This year we have had to climb over a couple of obstacles. The first challenge we faced was a guy on our team had to leave the team due to health reasons. Losing a guy on your team is a major obstacle because they bring so much strength to the team and can make a dramatic of a difference in lets say baskets.

Our second challenge has been a few girls quit. This is hard to overcome because once you have your routine in place those girls are set to there spot. If one person leaves a stunt group the stunts will not work. We have had to seek out there people to try and fill the spots. We eventually did fill the spots but during the time that we had holes in the routine (girls missing) it was very stressful for that stunt group who lost the person and for the team.

The third biggest obstacle our team has faced is cattiness. Yes, we are a team of twenty-one girls and two boys, and yes that many girls makes for a good combination of fighting. Dumb fights happen about  things like “I’m the best” or “wow she sucks”. I hate that this a part of being on a team with so many girls but we get over it eventually. The coaches most defiantly help keep the team on track and keep us focused to stop the girls from bickering.

Lastly, the next hardest part about being on a co-ed team is when relationships happen between the teammates. This causes so much irritation and drama for a team. It bound to happen, I mean you spend everyday with that guy or girl you are crushing on. We practice together three times a week and have other events going on.  Sometimes you will see the team five times a week. It is hard to be professional when your crushing all over a guy or girl. This is not always the best for a team.

All in all I would say we have accomplished many of our obstacles and have gotten this team to grow in a positive direction. With the improvement in coaching and the dedicated athletes that keep joining the team, this squad has the potential to go far.