ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - It's here! The big weekend that we have been working day in and day out to prepare for is finally here. It is time to compete at the UCA College Cheerleading National Championship. We take the floor inside the hp Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at 7 p.m. Saturday night for the semifinals. The finals are set for Sunday evening.
Thursday night, it all started to feel "real" when we traveled to Disney to practice at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and get the feeling of what it will be like this weekend. We had a very productive practice ranging from the way we stretched, warmed up and even a quick walk down the tunnel behind the iconic Disney castle backdrop.
After returning home from practice, we have another tradition where we had a team dinner. At this dinner, our entire team comes together to share pizza, laughs and desserts. Each year, the seniors stand up and speak about their time at UCF and what it has meant to them growing through the program. This was a very special moment for us, because our five seniors are such a close knit group.
On Friday, we had our annual UCF Invitational where we invited our friends from other schools to come practice with us on campus. The schools included LSU, Wallace State, Tennessee, Iowa Western and Grand Canyon. Teams have the opportunity to feel what its like performing in front of a crowd like this weekend. It's always great to get the opportunity to see and meet new friends from these programs and to be able to have teams come support you on Sunday night when competing in the Finals!
Following practice, we drove out to Disney to drop our bags off at our hotel and then went to watch the UCA Partner Stunt Championship. Our evening ended with a team meeting, then lights out!
Check out the hype video our videographer, Josh Gicker, made for the National Championships at the top of the page.
Follow the Knights on social media (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram) to stay updated with an inside look at our practices and performances are going. The crowd and its energy are an important factor and we would love to have you there!
Go Knights, Charge On
Jay Hollman