Cheerleaders more than just pom-poms
By: Korin Vallejo
Issue date: 11/21/07 Section: Campus Life
- Page 1 of 1
Often overlooked and unacknowledged, the California State University, Stanislaus Cheer and Stunt team puts in a dedicated effort every year to excel at their sport and to better itself as a CSU Stanislaus team.
The team is 13 members strong and is led by co-captains Mallory Peebles, a junior and third-year member of the team, and Amanda Nogues, a sophomore and second-year team member.
Captains are selected at the end of every academic year, members are self-nominated and then the team takes a vote. Current captains help select next year's leaders but are also allowed to hold their position the following year as well. There is no set maximum number of team captains allowed to the team but the team strives for a maximum of four.
The team has no coach, only an adviser, Milton Richards, who is also the director of athletics. Peebles said the team has "had a coach in the past, but since we are considered a club and not part of athletics, we only get some funding to help with uniforms."
Aside from this funding, the team is self-supported for all its other necessities. Each member pays for her own uniform, as well as any other items the team may purchase including pompoms, ribbons and occasional team T-shirt.
Even though they are not part of the athletics department, the team does still participate in its fundraisers.
"We worked the entire crab feed and every year the golf tournament and any other athletic fundraising event," Nogues said. "This is also our first year on the Warrior Web Site."
When asking students their opinions of the CSU Stanislaus Cheer and Stunt team, responses such as "We have cheerleaders?" and "Cheerleading is not a sport" became very common.
"Everyone on the team has had numerous years of cheerleading experience and are use to comments like that," Peebles said.
The team's nine-month-long season includes cheering at as many home games for as many sports as possible. Their practices include running, cardio and other exercises to keep up their endurance to be able to cheer for two games back-to-back, or about four hours.
Although the team consists of mostly female team member, there is a male Cheer and Stunt team member.
"If a guy is willing to put himself out there go for it, any guy can do it, it's just not very common," J.B. Higuera, a sophomore and second-year team member, said.
The captains agree the cheerleading in the past has been known as a "fluff-foo" activity, yet today, they consider their sport to be "very athletic."
"We want to be more known, some people on campus don't even know about us," Higuera said. A main team goal is expansions and more acknowledgment by the entire CSU Stanislaus campus.
"We also want to keep improving, in the past the team hasn't had a very reputable name, but we have improved a lot," Peebles said.
The team is 13 members strong and is led by co-captains Mallory Peebles, a junior and third-year member of the team, and Amanda Nogues, a sophomore and second-year team member.
Captains are selected at the end of every academic year, members are self-nominated and then the team takes a vote. Current captains help select next year's leaders but are also allowed to hold their position the following year as well. There is no set maximum number of team captains allowed to the team but the team strives for a maximum of four.
The team has no coach, only an adviser, Milton Richards, who is also the director of athletics. Peebles said the team has "had a coach in the past, but since we are considered a club and not part of athletics, we only get some funding to help with uniforms."
Aside from this funding, the team is self-supported for all its other necessities. Each member pays for her own uniform, as well as any other items the team may purchase including pompoms, ribbons and occasional team T-shirt.
Even though they are not part of the athletics department, the team does still participate in its fundraisers.
"We worked the entire crab feed and every year the golf tournament and any other athletic fundraising event," Nogues said. "This is also our first year on the Warrior Web Site."
When asking students their opinions of the CSU Stanislaus Cheer and Stunt team, responses such as "We have cheerleaders?" and "Cheerleading is not a sport" became very common.
"Everyone on the team has had numerous years of cheerleading experience and are use to comments like that," Peebles said.
The team's nine-month-long season includes cheering at as many home games for as many sports as possible. Their practices include running, cardio and other exercises to keep up their endurance to be able to cheer for two games back-to-back, or about four hours.
Although the team consists of mostly female team member, there is a male Cheer and Stunt team member.
"If a guy is willing to put himself out there go for it, any guy can do it, it's just not very common," J.B. Higuera, a sophomore and second-year team member, said.
The captains agree the cheerleading in the past has been known as a "fluff-foo" activity, yet today, they consider their sport to be "very athletic."
"We want to be more known, some people on campus don't even know about us," Higuera said. A main team goal is expansions and more acknowledgment by the entire CSU Stanislaus campus.
"We also want to keep improving, in the past the team hasn't had a very reputable name, but we have improved a lot," Peebles said.
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