ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - With the UCA College Cheerleading National Championship just a week away and classes starting back up today, it is sure to be a busy week for the UCF Cheerleading team. All the squad's hard work comes down to their performance on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Road to Nationals: Jan. 6 | Jan. 11
Although, it's really easy for us to start thinking ahead and letting our excitement overwhelm us, it is important that we stay attentive in the classroom first. Our program truly prides itself on defining what a 'student-athlete' is in a positive manner and understanding that our education comes first. Being an athlete at UCF is a privilege.
For the past couple of days, our schedule has been filled strategically with practices and performances that prepared us for what this weekend will feel like. For example, we've moved a few of our practices from the morning to evening because the semifinals and finals are set to be perform in the evening. We also simulate our warm-ups as if we are getting ready to compete at the National Championships. Thus, we can become accustomed to the pace of competition day.
The members of the team are a very talented group of athletes, who realize that the team's focus needs be on being at our best this weekend. The biggest and most important achievement for our program each year is to get a HIT (routine with no major errors) and represent the letters - UCF - on our chest the best we can.
Our head coach Linda Gooch, always reminds us to keep our emotions in check by stating, "You want to stay even-keeled. You can't let the highs be too high or the lows be too low."
We also know that we must treat every remaining practice as if we are competing for that National Championship. We have been fortunate enough to be able to perform at men's and women's basketball games and look forward to performing at halftime of the women's game on Wednesday. We were also thankful to be able to perform this past weekend at Hagerty High School for several hundred local high school cheerleaders. It provided the team another opportunity to throw our routine in front of a knowledgeable crowd of talented and well-respected high school cheer programs.
We are looking forward to seeing a number of UCF Cheerleading alumni at practices this week to lend their support and words of wisdom.
The UCF Cheerleading team wants all Knights fans to continue following our 'Road to Nationals'. Follow the Knights on social media (Twitter - Facebook - Instagram) to stay updated as we provide an inside look at how our practices and performances are going. Our fans are also encouraged to come out and support us on Sunday as we compete for the UCA National Championship at 6 p.m. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The crowd and its energy are an important factor and we would love to have you there.
Go Knights, Charge On!
Jay Hollman
- 2015-16 UCF Cheerleader