By Sydni Whitfield, Staff Writer
In college, sports are a huge part of campus life. Sports bring school spirit to a campus in a way that nothing else can. School sports, however, would simply not be the same without the presence of cheerleaders.
On March 9, Tiger Cheer tryouts are taking place. Candidates will learn material before they arrive at tryouts on Saturday. They will perform a cheer, chant and dance in front of judges. Once they complete this, they will interview with the coaches. Judges are looking for clean motions and knowledge of the material along with high spirits.
Being a cheerleader means you not only bring spirit to the football and basketball games but also to community events like parades and Tiger Serve Day. Being on the cheer team doesn’t just mean attending games and cheering the school on. Cheerleaders are given an environment where they have the opportunity to create lasting relationships with their teammates.
Cheer coach Kristi Seals notes that her favorite part about her position is the unique bond she also gets to build with this group of girls. “I am able to be the support away from home for many of these girls,” Seals said.
Senior cheer captain Kennedy Johnson believes that cheerleading is unique in its ability to help foster lasting friendships. “It is different from a social club because it isn’t a huge time commitment, and you only have practice two times a week,” Johnson said.
Johnson has many memories on the cheer team. A few weeks ago the team had the opportunity to stay the night at Park Hill Church.
“We had time to slow down and just talk all night rather than for just a few moments during a two minute water break that we usually have,” Johnson said. “It was fun to see everyone let loose in a different environment.”
Johnson is saying goodbye to cheerleading after being a part of the team throughout all her college years.
“I am going to miss it so much. I have never been in the stands before, so I know it is going to be weird going to games and not getting to cheer,” Johnson explained. “But, I know that with this door closing, another one will open.”
This weekend, the coaches are looking to fill six positions on the cheer team. The new cheerleaders will be posted on the Ouachita cheerleading Instagram page after this weekend. You can stay up to date by following @obutigercheer on Instagram.
