WEBVTT - Differences between High School and Collegiate Cheerleading 0:00:04.978 --> 0:00:07.778 Beyond the Megaphone is a production of I Heart Radio 0:00:07.938 --> 0:00:16.978 and the College Athletes Network. Hey everybody, this is Cassidy 0:00:17.178 --> 0:00:20.498 and this is Nathan. You're listening to Beyond the Megaphone 0:00:20.578 --> 0:00:24.018 on the College Athletes Network. Please subscribe to the podcast 0:00:24.018 --> 0:00:26.298 so you never miss a new episode. This can easily 0:00:26.338 --> 0:00:29.178 be done via the I Heart Radio app. You can 0:00:29.218 --> 0:00:32.738 find me on Instagram at Cassidy with a double y Nie. 0:00:33.418 --> 0:00:35.498 You can find me on Instagram and Twitter at our 0:00:35.698 --> 0:00:44.258 Nathan Paris Cool. Bam, Hey, cass how are you? Um? Okay, 0:00:43.698 --> 0:00:47.738 all right, Yeah, you're gonna talk about some cheer always. 0:00:49.978 --> 0:00:54.738 I'm gonna do Spanglish from now on. Okay, So we're 0:00:54.778 --> 0:00:57.978 gonna talk about what I feel like a lot of 0:00:57.978 --> 0:01:01.378 people are coming to our podcast for a k a. 0:01:02.098 --> 0:01:05.498 The process of high school cheer to college cheer and 0:01:05.498 --> 0:01:08.898 what that all looks like the future cheerleaders of America. Yeah, 0:01:09.138 --> 0:01:16.498 America needs cheerleaders. So starting with senior year, uh, because 0:01:16.538 --> 0:01:18.698 I feel like that's when it really gets down to 0:01:18.898 --> 0:01:23.098 make or break it. Moment Um, I'll talk about my 0:01:23.178 --> 0:01:26.458 senior year, what that looked like a combination of the 0:01:26.538 --> 0:01:32.418 past in the present. Um, So I my senior year. 0:01:32.818 --> 0:01:36.898 Football season I senior year. I did competition cheer and 0:01:37.058 --> 0:01:40.658 I did school cheer. I cheered for football season, and 0:01:40.818 --> 0:01:43.258 that year actually was the year my high school team 0:01:43.258 --> 0:01:46.778 went to Nationals for the first time. So my winter 0:01:46.898 --> 0:01:52.338 season was pretty intense. UM. But football season, you know, 0:01:52.538 --> 0:01:54.658 it was okay. I was getting the flow of things. 0:01:54.738 --> 0:01:59.578 I only had UM all star competition three days a week, 0:01:59.578 --> 0:02:02.858 and then I had games on Fridays. Obviously, high school 0:02:03.298 --> 0:02:07.258 practices were here in there, but um, for the most part, 0:02:07.298 --> 0:02:10.778 I spent the beginning of the fall semester of my 0:02:10.818 --> 0:02:15.778 senior senior year looking for every clinic in their mother 0:02:15.938 --> 0:02:19.538 to go to. I was. I knew I wanted to 0:02:19.618 --> 0:02:22.418 fly because there's absolutely no way that I could base 0:02:22.498 --> 0:02:25.698 at the college level. UM, but I didn't have the 0:02:25.738 --> 0:02:29.418 experience that I felt like I needed to be able 0:02:29.458 --> 0:02:32.338 to be confident enough to try out as a college flyer. 0:02:33.418 --> 0:02:35.498 So I literally signed up for every single clinic I 0:02:35.538 --> 0:02:39.018 went to combines. I went to n A A school, like, 0:02:39.938 --> 0:02:45.778 what's the word, I'm looking for prospects an ai A clinics. Sorry, 0:02:45.818 --> 0:02:48.938 I forgot what clinics was for a second. Anyways, I 0:02:48.978 --> 0:02:53.938 went to any clinics. I went to um i U clinics. 0:02:53.978 --> 0:02:56.898 I went to produce clinics. I went to so many clinics, 0:02:57.498 --> 0:03:00.258 um so i's always spent a lot of that time doing. 0:03:00.298 --> 0:03:04.698 And then yes, this was in the fall. I went 0:03:04.698 --> 0:03:07.178 to a lot of fall clinics. I didn't I got 0:03:07.298 --> 0:03:11.298 to go to one spring clinic. But then COVID hit. Yeah, 0:03:11.418 --> 0:03:16.138 So my senior year I literally spent each sleep breathing. 0:03:16.218 --> 0:03:19.898 Cheer school was a factor obviously in there, but like 0:03:20.098 --> 0:03:23.098 for the majority of it, I was this was my goal, 0:03:23.178 --> 0:03:25.378 this is what I wanted to do. I put every 0:03:25.778 --> 0:03:29.618 last dying breath I had into trying to be a 0:03:29.618 --> 0:03:34.618 college cheerleader. So we had so you had um college cheer, 0:03:34.698 --> 0:03:40.898 prep school cheer, and competitive chair all the same time. Okay, 0:03:40.898 --> 0:03:46.178 so how did that even happen? Um A lot of 0:03:46.938 --> 0:03:50.498 finding the time, Well, it wasn't. I wouldn't even say 0:03:50.498 --> 0:03:54.978 finding the time, just making the time for myself. The 0:03:55.018 --> 0:03:58.218 time was there. I just had to plan it out 0:03:58.258 --> 0:04:02.178 in a way where I wasn't so incredibly overwhelmed with everything. Sure, 0:04:02.218 --> 0:04:05.378 what were something like the tips and tricks of you know, 0:04:05.818 --> 0:04:08.938 making sure you know that okay for next two hours, 0:04:08.938 --> 0:04:11.738 it's going to be more school cheer and then later 0:04:11.738 --> 0:04:13.538 time I'm gonna be working on some competitive cheer, like 0:04:13.578 --> 0:04:16.618 how did you keep your mind about you? You know 0:04:16.658 --> 0:04:20.258 when going from thinking So I would have like school 0:04:20.298 --> 0:04:22.978 chure practices a lot of the times on days when 0:04:22.978 --> 0:04:24.898 I didn't have All Star cheer practices, which was to 0:04:25.018 --> 0:04:27.378 my luck, but also I did have days where I'd 0:04:27.378 --> 0:04:29.778 go from school cheer to All Start cheer. But on 0:04:29.818 --> 0:04:32.738 the days where I didn't, I would I wanted to 0:04:32.778 --> 0:04:34.298 be in the gym every day. That was something that 0:04:34.338 --> 0:04:37.698 I wanted to do. So I would after my All 0:04:37.698 --> 0:04:40.778 Start practice and my All Start my school cheer practice ended, 0:04:41.018 --> 0:04:43.258 I would go to my All Star gym and they 0:04:43.258 --> 0:04:45.578 would be practicing, and I would go there find a 0:04:45.578 --> 0:04:47.618 little corner work on the skills that I knew I 0:04:47.618 --> 0:04:50.578 needed for uh college cheer. I would work on my 0:04:50.578 --> 0:04:53.698 standing tumbling, my renting tumbling, even if I had the skills, 0:04:53.778 --> 0:04:57.098 just getting the reps in and making sure their picture 0:04:57.138 --> 0:05:00.538 perfect to a t I would spend you know, two 0:05:00.618 --> 0:05:04.018 hours there, come home. I would limit myself to leaving 0:05:04.338 --> 0:05:08.698 nine and then go home. Um. When it got to 0:05:08.898 --> 0:05:12.018 winter time though, that's when I started doing a lot 0:05:12.138 --> 0:05:15.338 of nationals prep for my high school and then you 0:05:15.338 --> 0:05:20.138 know that's the height of All Star competition time. Yeah, 0:05:20.218 --> 0:05:24.698 so I gave every last bit of energy at every 0:05:24.698 --> 0:05:27.018 single practice. I put in so much work. I would 0:05:27.098 --> 0:05:30.978 come in early, I'd stay late, UM, just so I 0:05:31.018 --> 0:05:33.618 could get the reps in the confidence I needed for 0:05:33.738 --> 0:05:37.138 that particular season, whether it was you know, school chair 0:05:37.178 --> 0:05:40.218 where all Star, UM, I don't a lot of the 0:05:40.258 --> 0:05:42.778 college prep kind of died down at that point because 0:05:42.778 --> 0:05:46.298 I was really focused on that. UM. But that's as 0:05:46.418 --> 0:05:49.538 their competitive season too, So yeah, it is competitive season. 0:05:51.658 --> 0:05:54.138 And even at high school clinics, a lot of the 0:05:54.178 --> 0:05:59.778 college recruits go to high school competitions. So I've been 0:05:59.938 --> 0:06:03.138 recruited out of competition before for high school because you know, 0:06:03.138 --> 0:06:07.538 they're looking for college athletes to um, they'll go to 0:06:07.578 --> 0:06:09.738 the competition. So, I mean, it's just a matter of 0:06:09.938 --> 0:06:12.978 being on your game day or your A game. Every 0:06:12.978 --> 0:06:15.218 time you go, being on your game day, you know, 0:06:15.298 --> 0:06:19.978 your game day, Ye're a version of being on your 0:06:19.978 --> 0:06:23.458 A game. So basically what we're hearing is you wanted 0:06:23.498 --> 0:06:28.418 this from the moment you know you got into senior year. Yes, yeah, 0:06:28.698 --> 0:06:30.778 this was It was not never a question on whether 0:06:30.858 --> 0:06:33.738 you were going to cheer in college or not. This 0:06:33.778 --> 0:06:35.458 was something that you were just like, this is my thing, 0:06:35.498 --> 0:06:38.218 I'm gonna do it. I knew, no matter where I was, 0:06:38.618 --> 0:06:41.738 no matter how small how big the school was, I 0:06:41.778 --> 0:06:44.218 was going to cheer there and I would make that 0:06:44.298 --> 0:06:49.098 my goal until it happened. Um So a lot I 0:06:49.138 --> 0:06:51.538 knew going from clinics in the past that you know, 0:06:51.578 --> 0:06:54.058 once you're a senior, that's when they coaches really pay 0:06:54.098 --> 0:06:57.738 attention to you, and obviously like are looking for like 0:06:58.218 --> 0:07:00.938 more attention towards you because you're a senior. UM So 0:07:00.978 --> 0:07:04.538 my junior year in below clinics, I cared about them. 0:07:04.538 --> 0:07:06.698 I did try at them, but also I knew when 0:07:06.698 --> 0:07:09.058 I got to my senior year, like those clinics meant 0:07:09.298 --> 0:07:12.578 the most and I made the most impact on them 0:07:12.658 --> 0:07:15.818 because I was a senior UM So every clinic I 0:07:15.818 --> 0:07:17.498 went to, I just really wanted to be prepared for 0:07:18.338 --> 0:07:21.818 uh no matter what the school was, I was on 0:07:22.258 --> 0:07:26.818 my A game. What's really cool about coming into cheer 0:07:26.978 --> 0:07:30.418 in college is like I never had to experience all 0:07:30.458 --> 0:07:35.058 these crazy commitment um levels in high school, at least 0:07:35.058 --> 0:07:37.138 in cheer obviously because I wasn't in cheer later and 0:07:37.178 --> 0:07:41.058 so what I find and from your stories is you 0:07:41.138 --> 0:07:43.778 gotta want it, you know, and this is not something 0:07:43.778 --> 0:07:47.298 that you know you can kind of do haphazardly and 0:07:47.298 --> 0:07:49.338 then just kind of hope it works out. You're either 0:07:49.378 --> 0:07:51.178 all in or you're all out. And I think that's 0:07:51.178 --> 0:07:55.538 great because it it kind of makes everyone who is 0:07:55.538 --> 0:07:58.738 a part of the program obsessed with your right, Like 0:07:58.778 --> 0:08:03.178 the everyone's commitment level is on tent the entire time. Um. 0:08:03.258 --> 0:08:05.858 So like what I would say, and this is this 0:08:05.898 --> 0:08:09.138 is with any sport in high school, right, Um. Growing 0:08:09.178 --> 0:08:12.018 up in high school, I was planning on playing college ball. Uh, 0:08:12.098 --> 0:08:15.338 college baseball. So like you said, it's year round. It's 0:08:15.378 --> 0:08:17.898 not just your school season. You have travel ball, you 0:08:17.938 --> 0:08:21.578 have lessons, you have private instruction. You know, you buy 0:08:21.618 --> 0:08:25.258 into this completely, um, because it'll be worth it on 0:08:25.298 --> 0:08:28.818 the other side. Right, So, you know, the best advice 0:08:28.818 --> 0:08:32.858 that I could give, um, two people looking for college 0:08:32.938 --> 0:08:36.378 here is buy in completely. Buy in. UM. If you 0:08:36.418 --> 0:08:38.178 know that there's a specific school that you want to 0:08:38.178 --> 0:08:40.418 go to, buy into not only that school, but buy 0:08:40.458 --> 0:08:43.618 into the culture of their program. You know, um, because 0:08:43.618 --> 0:08:45.738 it's a big deal and it's fun and it's so 0:08:45.858 --> 0:08:49.418 great to fully invest yourself into something and then see 0:08:49.498 --> 0:08:51.818 that come to fruition on the other end, right, you know, 0:08:51.898 --> 0:08:54.978 that's what makes it all worth it. Um. So you know, 0:08:55.378 --> 0:08:57.338 don't be afraid to be obsessed with this one thing. 0:08:57.578 --> 0:08:59.138 If it's your thing, go for it. That's what I 0:08:59.138 --> 0:09:03.938 would say. Um. You know, these recruiting processes are not easy. 0:09:04.018 --> 0:09:05.858 They're not supposed to be easy. If it was easy, ever, 0:09:05.938 --> 0:09:08.458 I would do it. But that's what makes the other 0:09:08.498 --> 0:09:12.858 side that much sweeter. Yes, um Uh. The one thing 0:09:12.898 --> 0:09:15.498 I will add on to that is I think I 0:09:15.538 --> 0:09:18.538 was like on one even more just because I went 0:09:18.658 --> 0:09:20.698 to a D two gym my senior year. I was 0:09:20.698 --> 0:09:22.658 on a level three team, and I'm going to these 0:09:22.658 --> 0:09:24.538 clinics where there's a whole bunch of girls who you 0:09:24.578 --> 0:09:26.658 know are level six team has been a world, has 0:09:26.698 --> 0:09:29.098 done this and done that. I think my one piece 0:09:29.098 --> 0:09:32.698 of advice is to not get comfortable with where you are. 0:09:32.898 --> 0:09:36.018 You know, you can always be doing something to you know, 0:09:36.538 --> 0:09:40.978 make it even better. Um and have like having fun 0:09:41.058 --> 0:09:44.178 with that about you know, working hard and doing what 0:09:44.258 --> 0:09:47.938 you love. You should never be at a point in 0:09:47.978 --> 0:09:52.218 your senior year of like the whole recruitment process going 0:09:52.218 --> 0:09:56.138 to these college clinics where you feel comfortable. I think 0:09:56.138 --> 0:09:58.658 that's the one thing that's so great about college cheer. 0:09:58.778 --> 0:10:01.578 You're always getting out of your comfort zone, and college 0:10:01.578 --> 0:10:04.538 in general, UM, it's always taking out of your comfort zone. 0:10:04.538 --> 0:10:06.978 And there it's never a point even in the past 0:10:07.018 --> 0:10:10.298 practices that we've had for co ed, I mean, like 0:10:10.898 --> 0:10:13.578 those skills that we do, like it's intense and it's 0:10:13.578 --> 0:10:17.258 a lot, and you're gonna be uncomfortable, but it's a 0:10:17.378 --> 0:10:20.018 way for you to learn how you deal with that 0:10:20.138 --> 0:10:24.778 change and with that growth yourself. It's all about finding 0:10:24.778 --> 0:10:27.938 the pressure and just leaning into that pressure. Thanks selling, 0:10:28.098 --> 0:10:30.298 you know UM. So when we come back, we'll talk 0:10:30.298 --> 0:10:32.378 a little bit about that pressure and in the form 0:10:32.378 --> 0:10:35.378 of clinics, it's the one thing that UM coaches seem 0:10:35.458 --> 0:10:38.658 to do the most in college chair It's the best 0:10:38.658 --> 0:10:40.298 way to get everybody in one room and find a 0:10:40.338 --> 0:10:42.778 talent um. So when we come back, we'll talk about 0:10:42.938 --> 0:10:45.978 what recruiting looked like for us, what clinics looked like 0:10:46.058 --> 0:10:48.218 for us, and then we've got some more things to 0:10:48.258 --> 0:10:51.538 share with you, guys you're listening to beyond the megaphone. 0:10:51.738 --> 0:11:00.338 I'm Nathan and and this is the college Athletes Network. 0:11:01.458 --> 0:11:04.738 Welcome back to Beyond the Megaphone on the College Athletes Network. 0:11:05.018 --> 0:11:08.178 I'm Nathan and I'm Cassidy. Subscribe to our podcast so 0:11:08.258 --> 0:11:13.018 you never miss another episode. Okay, so clinics, let's talk 0:11:13.058 --> 0:11:16.738 about it. Clinics and recruiting. Um, Cassy, why don't you 0:11:17.138 --> 0:11:20.898 take them through what recruiting looked like pre COVID and 0:11:20.938 --> 0:11:23.458 basically what has you know, what it looked like then, 0:11:23.498 --> 0:11:25.578 and then you can talk about kind of what's changed, 0:11:25.658 --> 0:11:27.498 what was happening during COVID, and what's kind of gone 0:11:27.498 --> 0:11:29.618 back to normal and what's kind of stayed from then. 0:11:29.778 --> 0:11:33.258 It's funny that recruiting is the word now because like 0:11:33.338 --> 0:11:38.258 my senior year, I was packing a list of tryout dates. Like, 0:11:38.498 --> 0:11:43.898 recruiting was very, very low when I was a senior. 0:11:44.258 --> 0:11:46.858 They were definitely colleges who were recruiting because they were 0:11:46.898 --> 0:11:50.218 smaller UM and wanted to offer you know, athletes a 0:11:50.258 --> 0:11:52.738 spot right there and then so they could get them 0:11:52.778 --> 0:11:55.218 to come to their school. But for a lot of 0:11:55.258 --> 0:11:59.298 like bigger programs, it was not recruiting. It was you know, 0:11:59.498 --> 0:12:02.498 oh well we noticed it tryouts or at clinics, but 0:12:02.578 --> 0:12:07.058 you know, you should try out, not nothing more than that. UM. So, 0:12:07.258 --> 0:12:12.018 I went to a college combine my senior year and 0:12:12.138 --> 0:12:15.458 that one was a full recruiting process, like that was 0:12:15.738 --> 0:12:19.298 strictly recruiting, no like tryouts or anything like that. It 0:12:19.338 --> 0:12:22.298 was in Ohio and it was through USA Cheer. They 0:12:22.338 --> 0:12:26.818 will host clinics or like cheer combines throughout you know, 0:12:26.858 --> 0:12:30.858 the Midwest region and everywhere else. But it's just basically 0:12:30.898 --> 0:12:32.818 like a whole bunch of schools there. So they were 0:12:32.938 --> 0:12:39.858 stunt schools, cheer schools obviously um an outgrown tumbling and uh, 0:12:39.898 --> 0:12:41.818 you know, there were smaller schools and then there was 0:12:41.858 --> 0:12:45.978 some big ten schools, and there was some just random 0:12:46.018 --> 0:12:48.138 schools that I had never even heard of that you know, 0:12:48.138 --> 0:12:52.178 we're looking to build their program more. Um and I 0:12:52.218 --> 0:12:54.538 actually really enjoyed how it was ran it. You know, 0:12:54.618 --> 0:12:57.458 you come in, you get a number, and you get 0:12:57.498 --> 0:13:01.818 to show your tumbling, your jumps, your stunts, and you 0:13:01.858 --> 0:13:03.938 get a stunt with all these different schools. And then 0:13:03.978 --> 0:13:05.778 as you're stunting with these schools, because that's the last 0:13:05.778 --> 0:13:07.818 thing you do, all these schools will come around, you know, 0:13:07.858 --> 0:13:10.058 pull you aside and be like, hey, we're really interested 0:13:10.058 --> 0:13:11.578 in you, and like here's a little bit more about 0:13:11.578 --> 0:13:14.698 my program and stuff like this. Um So, I liked 0:13:14.778 --> 0:13:17.538 how those are run. That's more of like the recruitment 0:13:17.738 --> 0:13:20.898 type deal. Um But then I also have been to 0:13:21.018 --> 0:13:24.058 schools where it's a tryout process. So for example, I you, 0:13:24.658 --> 0:13:29.098 we have done tryouts for majority of our time. I 0:13:29.098 --> 0:13:31.818 don't think we've ever been at a point where we've recruited. 0:13:31.818 --> 0:13:34.978 But obviously times are changing, so it could change this year. 0:13:35.018 --> 0:13:39.298 I don't know. Um. But so for like I, you 0:13:39.298 --> 0:13:42.058 you came in, you put your name on a tag, 0:13:42.098 --> 0:13:44.658 and you know, you get to stunt, you get to tumble, 0:13:45.098 --> 0:13:48.098 and then that's pretty much it. There's no like pulling 0:13:48.138 --> 0:13:50.738 aside of anyone and being like we're really interested in you, 0:13:51.378 --> 0:13:55.978 um or there's no like we have a spot for 0:13:55.978 --> 0:13:59.378 you for next season type of thing. It's very one 0:13:59.458 --> 0:14:03.538 for all whoever you know comes in on the day 0:14:03.578 --> 0:14:05.618 of tryouts. That's the that's what it is, you know, 0:14:05.698 --> 0:14:07.538 try I think those type of clinics are a good 0:14:07.538 --> 0:14:09.498 way to make an impact on you know, yourself and 0:14:09.698 --> 0:14:13.658 your presentation to the coaches and stuff. Um So, by 0:14:13.658 --> 0:14:15.778 all means, go to those if you're the school you're 0:14:15.778 --> 0:14:20.338 interested in. Is a strict tryout program. But I think 0:14:20.418 --> 0:14:23.418 the recruitment process, like going to clinics who do recruit 0:14:23.498 --> 0:14:27.498 are one very good for like your confidence and to 0:14:27.818 --> 0:14:30.018 just good to see how they work and see how 0:14:30.098 --> 0:14:33.458 you work in that type of environment. That's true. And 0:14:33.498 --> 0:14:37.498 then you know, along comes COVID flips everything on stead right, Yes, um, 0:14:37.818 --> 0:14:40.658 so recruiting kind of was that a standstill for a 0:14:40.738 --> 0:14:44.018 year or so? Um only very you know, select few 0:14:44.538 --> 0:14:47.458 teams were able to continue recruiting if they already had 0:14:47.538 --> 0:14:51.498 previous um connection to athletes, you know. But other than that, 0:14:51.538 --> 0:14:54.898 it really wasn't widespread. It really wasn't like a full 0:14:55.178 --> 0:14:59.618 nationwide activity. It was really just for those select teams, um, 0:14:59.658 --> 0:15:03.778 you know. And so what came along was video tryouts, 0:15:04.098 --> 0:15:06.898 you know. So and now you have an electronic portfolio 0:15:07.378 --> 0:15:10.298 of your of your talent, right, you have old videos, 0:15:10.338 --> 0:15:13.538 you have new videos, um, you know, and you put 0:15:13.538 --> 0:15:17.418 all this together in this online format and now you 0:15:17.418 --> 0:15:20.138 have this piece of footage, piece of media that you 0:15:20.138 --> 0:15:22.938 can send to every team you want. You know, it's 0:15:22.978 --> 0:15:25.498 on the web. Anybody who wants to know about you 0:15:25.578 --> 0:15:27.778 or wants to know about this athlete, it's now on 0:15:27.818 --> 0:15:31.218 the web. So that's kind of opened up a lot 0:15:31.258 --> 0:15:35.498 of opportunity for some some athletes who might have been 0:15:35.538 --> 0:15:39.258 on a smaller program, or maybe not as a successful program, um, 0:15:39.298 --> 0:15:41.618 maybe a smaller gym if they don't here at school. 0:15:41.658 --> 0:15:43.978 You know, there's a whole lot of different opportunities now. 0:15:44.338 --> 0:15:48.658 So what we have found is utilize those resources. Utilize 0:15:48.778 --> 0:15:53.698 social media, utilize YouTube. You know, there's plenty of places 0:15:53.738 --> 0:15:55.898 to put your talent out there so that people know 0:15:56.378 --> 0:15:59.298 what you are and and so you know, going off 0:15:59.338 --> 0:16:02.858 of that into that's how it looked for COVID. For males, 0:16:03.138 --> 0:16:06.138 it's a lot of hands off. You know, there's not 0:16:06.218 --> 0:16:10.298 really a place where high school males will go to 0:16:10.418 --> 0:16:13.258 get widespread recruitment, right unless, like we said, and those 0:16:13.298 --> 0:16:16.098 select teams. Um, obviously you go to those combines will 0:16:16.098 --> 0:16:19.498 get attention. But for all those guys who join in college, 0:16:20.178 --> 0:16:22.658 you come to cheer in all different ways. You know, 0:16:22.738 --> 0:16:25.418 we have on our team right now, we have a 0:16:25.458 --> 0:16:27.738 couple of guys who used to tutor some cheerleaders and 0:16:27.778 --> 0:16:30.138 that's how they found it. Me I was in the band. 0:16:30.218 --> 0:16:33.098 I used to just watch the cheer team as we 0:16:33.098 --> 0:16:37.378 were performed with them. You know, um, you transferring and 0:16:37.818 --> 0:16:40.098 you're related to a cheerleader and they say, hey, just 0:16:40.178 --> 0:16:43.338 come and give it a shot, right, um, you know, 0:16:43.418 --> 0:16:45.698 and then you bring in more people the next year 0:16:45.698 --> 0:16:48.458 because you're friends with other guys. So all this to say, 0:16:48.458 --> 0:16:53.498 it's a really random UM thing, which is male recruiting. 0:16:54.018 --> 0:16:57.898 But the biggest thing is having a confidence that you've 0:16:57.938 --> 0:17:00.738 done the work, you've done the practice. I think that's 0:17:00.778 --> 0:17:04.018 what people will see more so than you have the 0:17:04.058 --> 0:17:07.018 most skills the room, right, Like if you have a 0:17:07.578 --> 0:17:10.978 presence when you perform, when you have UM, when you 0:17:11.058 --> 0:17:13.898 let cheer, be an extension of your personality. That's what 0:17:14.898 --> 0:17:19.098 UM programs are looking for, you know. So for for 0:17:19.218 --> 0:17:24.578 males it's it's it's a lot different for for females UM, 0:17:24.658 --> 0:17:28.138 but it's the principles the same. You want to find 0:17:28.698 --> 0:17:30.858 that personality that you can have and be comfortable with 0:17:30.938 --> 0:17:36.178 while you cheer. Okay, story time, right, why don't you 0:17:36.218 --> 0:17:40.218 tell them about your craziest, funniest not so funny? Is 0:17:40.498 --> 0:17:46.938 the worst best clinic experience? What do you got? Um? 0:17:47.018 --> 0:17:50.858 Oh boy? Okay, So clinics have always been super intimidating. 0:17:51.738 --> 0:17:55.338 Just as a girl, you know you're it's it's scary. 0:17:55.378 --> 0:17:58.938 There's girls literally fighting to the nail for you know, 0:17:59.098 --> 0:18:02.338 a spot in this program or just to be seen 0:18:02.378 --> 0:18:06.858 by the coaches and stuff, get some recognition. There's your year, um, 0:18:06.938 --> 0:18:10.178 and a lot of the times you're like, you go 0:18:10.298 --> 0:18:12.418 by yourself. I went to all my clinics by myself, 0:18:13.178 --> 0:18:15.938 and it was I saw a couple of girls, you know, 0:18:16.058 --> 0:18:18.618 together who probably came from the same gym, or like 0:18:18.698 --> 0:18:20.738 I'd see other girls who came by themselves. You know, 0:18:20.738 --> 0:18:22.658 you had people coming from I went to a clinic 0:18:22.738 --> 0:18:26.898 where was from Texas. She came to Indiana for a clinic. Like, 0:18:27.458 --> 0:18:29.978 there's just a wide variety of people who are coming 0:18:30.058 --> 0:18:34.018 for a spot and there it's intimidating. It's so so intimidating. 0:18:34.298 --> 0:18:36.378 So I remember the first clinic I went to my 0:18:36.618 --> 0:18:45.178 senior year, which was a rival school, Purdue Country. This 0:18:45.258 --> 0:18:47.418 is in West Lafayette. Oh, this is going to be 0:18:47.458 --> 0:18:52.378 so good, and um, I walked in. I had no 0:18:52.498 --> 0:18:55.098 interest in going to Purdue. I will say that flat out. 0:18:55.178 --> 0:18:57.538 I have been an eye you girl from the start. 0:18:57.618 --> 0:18:59.698 My coach cheer to eye you, and her husband cheer 0:18:59.698 --> 0:19:03.698 to eye you. So I was going to eye you. Okay, 0:19:03.858 --> 0:19:06.698 I went to Purdue of the experience that I needed 0:19:06.698 --> 0:19:11.458 experience at you know, different programs, stunting whatever. So I 0:19:11.498 --> 0:19:13.858 did both clinics. They had a CODE clinic and then 0:19:13.898 --> 0:19:17.498 they had a separate all girl clinic, and code clinic 0:19:17.578 --> 0:19:20.538 was fine. I did my skills, killed my tumbling whatever. 0:19:21.258 --> 0:19:25.058 Stunting you know, did fine. I had a decent experience 0:19:25.098 --> 0:19:27.978 with coded stunting, and it was less intimidating for me 0:19:28.018 --> 0:19:29.938 for some reason. I don't know. I think because the 0:19:30.138 --> 0:19:33.458 all girls stunting when did you start cod stunting my 0:19:33.538 --> 0:19:37.098 first year of chier eighth grade? Really Okay, well, that's awesome. 0:19:37.618 --> 0:19:40.178 So I had I was comfortable with all that they 0:19:40.178 --> 0:19:43.778 were just doing, you know, qps, libs, stretches, all that stuff. 0:19:43.938 --> 0:19:46.778 I was fine with that. All girls stunting I have 0:19:46.898 --> 0:19:52.298 not been confident in ever. Yeah, it's it's just a 0:19:52.378 --> 0:19:55.618 whole new realm of stunting. Um. So I was really 0:19:55.658 --> 0:19:59.898 nervous for that all girl clinic and I get to 0:20:00.378 --> 0:20:03.578 it's time for the all girl clinic and I'm stretching, 0:20:03.618 --> 0:20:05.458 you know, don't I don't have to tell again because 0:20:05.458 --> 0:20:07.578 I did the code part. So I just got stunned 0:20:07.618 --> 0:20:09.738 the whole time, which I thought would be fun in 0:20:09.778 --> 0:20:14.218 the long run, UM, but actually it was not. It 0:20:14.298 --> 0:20:17.818 was terrifying. It was the like scariest clinic I've ever 0:20:17.898 --> 0:20:23.298 been to, just because the dynamic of that program was 0:20:23.338 --> 0:20:25.498 a lot different than like other programs I've been to. 0:20:26.098 --> 0:20:30.218 UM it at that clinic at that time, it was 0:20:30.498 --> 0:20:35.978 very much filled with worlds athletes and a lot of 0:20:36.018 --> 0:20:37.698 talk about when I was on this team and I 0:20:37.778 --> 0:20:40.138 cheered here and I won this title and I did 0:20:40.138 --> 0:20:45.138 this contest, yes basically, and I literally went to a 0:20:45.218 --> 0:20:48.938 D two gym. I had just finished the season cheering 0:20:49.058 --> 0:20:52.698 Level two and went to the D two summit as 0:20:52.738 --> 0:20:55.858 a base, not even as a flyer. So I was 0:20:56.018 --> 0:20:59.018 I felt so much imposter syndrome. I felt so out 0:20:59.018 --> 0:21:05.298 of place. My confidence was down here. I was like terrify. 0:21:05.418 --> 0:21:07.218 After that, I was like, I'm never going to a college. 0:21:07.498 --> 0:21:09.378 I'm never going to make a college cheer team ever, 0:21:09.498 --> 0:21:11.338 Like all these girls are so much better than me, 0:21:11.378 --> 0:21:13.698 and they've done so much more cheer related and it 0:21:13.818 --> 0:21:17.098 was just, oh my gosh, she was so scary. But 0:21:17.658 --> 0:21:20.458 I did. After I went to that one, I went 0:21:20.538 --> 0:21:23.738 to the Ohio one and my confidence just went straight 0:21:23.738 --> 0:21:27.138 back up. So I mean nothing against the program. That's 0:21:27.218 --> 0:21:29.578 just like the environment that it was at the time 0:21:29.578 --> 0:21:32.578 with those class of incoming seniors. That was just how 0:21:32.618 --> 0:21:35.378 it was. And my mom was at that clinic and 0:21:35.498 --> 0:21:38.498 she sat in between these two parents who went to 0:21:38.858 --> 0:21:42.098 an all star gym here in Indy that competes at Worlds, 0:21:42.138 --> 0:21:44.738 and the whole time they were just chatting back and 0:21:44.778 --> 0:21:46.858 forth about, you know, when they went to Worlds and 0:21:46.898 --> 0:21:49.258 when they went to this competition and when they went 0:21:49.338 --> 0:21:51.778 to this and how their kids are on this team now. 0:21:52.218 --> 0:21:55.258 And like, my mom isn't very involved in my cheer life. 0:21:55.258 --> 0:21:59.658 I've like, I like making my own compositions by myself. 0:21:59.698 --> 0:22:01.658 I don't like having my mom, you know, like have 0:22:01.818 --> 0:22:04.818 to be my voice for me and cheer. I think 0:22:04.898 --> 0:22:10.058 proving myself should be enough. But some true moms can 0:22:10.058 --> 0:22:12.218 be a lot. But that's not what we're talking about today. 0:22:12.258 --> 0:22:14.938 But my mom was just so out of place too. 0:22:15.258 --> 0:22:17.378 I just like it was just a lot. It was 0:22:18.538 --> 0:22:20.778 an insane clinic. Well, and either of us would be 0:22:20.818 --> 0:22:23.458 the first one to say Perdue is an incredible program. 0:22:24.138 --> 0:22:29.538 We know many people from Perdue who are just yes, um, 0:22:29.578 --> 0:22:32.218 So it's really just depends on really the luck of 0:22:32.258 --> 0:22:35.258 the clinic. Yes, it definitely does because I've I'll say 0:22:35.298 --> 0:22:37.298 it first, I've been to some i U clinics where 0:22:37.298 --> 0:22:38.858 I was like, I'm never going to be a part 0:22:38.858 --> 0:22:42.498 of this program. I'm terrified. Like it's it's just I 0:22:42.498 --> 0:22:45.218 think it's just the realm of clinics as a senior 0:22:45.818 --> 0:22:48.738 in high school looking at a program that you're really 0:22:48.738 --> 0:22:52.218