BC Cheer Goes to Nationals
The Bluefield College cheer team traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, in January to compete in the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) National Championship — a first for Bluefield College and its cheerleading squad.
“I was very nervous and scared going to a big cheer competition like Nationals.” said sophomore Destinee Coleman. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. I felt that we were going in blind, even though Coach Sara (Goodson, head cheer coach) prepared us with our routine.”
They team flew from Charlotte to Orlando on January 16. Once they arrived, they took the Magical Express bus to Disney World where they checked into their hotel before an afternoon of practice at the ESPN Sports Complex.
“Once we went through the routine a couple times, we knew that we were going to be good, but one of the UCA instructors came over and told us that we were not allowed to throw a back-tuck basket with a girl as the back spot,” said one of the Ram cheerleaders. “This threw off everything and the stress level went up. We had to change the baskets and make sure they were perfect before the next morning when we competed.”
Back at the ESPN Sports Complex on competition day in front of thousands of spectators, the BC cheerleaders said they were prepared to give everything they had and to leave it all on the mat. And that, they did. The team placed 19th in the nation in the category for Open Coed Game Day. Their routine, they thought, “was perfect. The stunts hit and the dances. Everyone was clean,” they said.
“I’m still on a high,” Coach Goodson said. “I am so proud of my team. Competition cheerleading is a difficult sport because you have three minutes to hit a solid routine, and that determines your placement. I was confident in my team because we had a good morning practice and a great warm up prior to performing. I wasn’t nervous for them, but excited. I am thankful for this team and the opportunity to make history at Bluefield College. This is a great group, and I look forward to next competition season.”