For Southern Nazarene University cheer, this season will be unlike anything the team has experienced before. With the roster nearly doubling in size and new teammates bringing different experiences to the mat, returning cheerleaders are learning what it takes to build a bigger team together.
Returning senior Jocelyn Whitney has watched this program grow throughout her time at SNU. She was first introduced to cheer at the age of 5. Whitney returned to school cheer in the eighth grade, and she has continued her cheerleading career throughout college.
She first joined after the former head coach reached out to her to be part of the SNU STUNT team. “It makes me really proud to see how much SNU cheer and STUNT has grown,” Whitney stated. “I never thought the team would be this big or be as successful as it has been.”
Whitney said she was shocked but excited about the possibilities when she heard the team was about to double. “I knew that having more people meant that we were going to have so much more talent and that was going to make us more competitive than previous years,” Whitney said.
Sophomore Avery Brookman, who has cheered for seven years, was recruited by SNU head coach Erin Johnson. She expected the program to grow because of Johnson’s recruiting, but was still surprised when the team actually doubled.
Ever since the first practice, the energy was noticeably different. “We were placed into stunt groups; everyone was so coachable and picking [things] up so fast,” Brookman said. “We really are starting where we left off last year, which is always the goal!”
For Johnson, the expansion and larger roster wasn’t just the main goal. After about 23 years of coaching, starting with gymnastics before moving on to cheer, she explained how she wants to give all types of athletes here at SNU the opportunity to grow.
“SNU is a special place,” Johnson expressed. “Expanding the program meant creating a place for a lot of different types of athletes to grow and feel successful.”
The advantage of having a larger team also brings a new dynamic to competition and practices. Whitney said, “Having more athletes allows the workload to be spread throughout the team.”
In previous years, multiple athletes often had to participate in every STUNT routine. Now, athletes can rotate and have more opportunities to rest during matches.
There are some challenges that come with having a larger team. “Practice space and travel plans have become some of the biggest obstacles,” Johnson explained.
Brookman described another obstacle: “I would say the biggest difficulty is getting all of us to be quiet at the same time.
Johnson has been aware of the need for more structure, but her style and view of coaching have not changed. “I just need a microphone so that everyone can hear me at practice now,” Johnson laughed.
The team is eager and looking forward to competition. Brookman and Whitney are both excited and looking ahead to NCA in Daytona, Florida; bigger stunts and pyramids while watching their teammates grow throughout the season.
“Seeing how much growth that occurs by the end of the year is inspiring,” Whitney commented.
Johnson’s vision for this team is to be eager to improve, continue to grow together, and serve others. As well as to develop a strong team culture alongside its competitive goals.
With the team growing at a fast pace, SNU cheer is heading toward a season filled with both challenges and opportunities. For Johnson, the growth is also a reminder that the team’s future may look different because it’s in God’s hands.
Her advice throughout the process comes from Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
For the athletes, the goal is not simply to become a bigger team, but to become a stronger one. Johnson is confident that the growth is only the beginning of what SNU cheer can become.
“Oh, we have big goals,” she exclaimed. “Just wait and see!”
Photos provided by: Erin Johnson