The Sports Information Department sat down and interviewed the Head Coach of the Royals cheerleading squad, Courtney Hall, of the upcoming cheer season. The Royals cheer squad attends all Home basketball games, although the squad may see action in competition this year.
SID: What is the most significant change from last year’s team to this year?
Ch: The team dynamic is completely different and is the most significant change from last year’s team to this year. The change comes from not only adding males to the team but also amount of all the new girls. There are only four returning cheerleaders from last years squad so this is a brand new squad and they are still learning to work with each other and getting to know everyone. This squad has more potential than any other squad I have seen at Warner.
SID: Being your second year as Head Coach, are you planning to take the squad in any new directions?
CH: My main goal of this year is to get this squad the recognition they deserve, whether it’s doing that with new and exciting stunts or volunteering in the community. I want this team to be challenged to be more than just a team but a group of people that genuinely cares about their surroundings and wants to be better than the norm. I want them to be known for more than just a group of people that stand around at a basketball game.
SID: What was the cheerleading squad like in the past compared with today? In addition, what does the future hold for Warner Cheerleading?
CH: The squad now has changed dramatically since the past. Five years ago the Warner Cheerleading squad only had eight girls. Since then the squad has added more and more girls each year but it never had very many guys. This will be the first year in six years that we have enough guys to do multiple co-ed stunts. I believe the future for Warner Cheerleading will included having two squads, one co-ed competition squad and one all girl squad for sports.
SID: Does the roster addition of more men allow for more versatility in routines, stunts, etc?
CH: The addition of guys this season definitely adds to the versatility of the squad. Males contribute to stunts more than anything in cheerleading and make a huge difference in the skill level we can perform. Co-ed stunting has evolved in the past few years and has become much more extreme.
SID: What is new, other than roster, with Warner Cheerleading?
CH: Not only is the roster much larger this year but these cheerleaders are overall one of the most talented squads this school has seen in years. I also believe the level of dedication is better than it has been in the past and will show when the team is in front of a crowd.
SID: What can fans expect from our squad during basketball games?
CH: This year fans can expect an over all phenomenal performance from the cheerleaders during basketball games. They will show off their new, complex stunting, creative dances and a huge amount of enthusiasm. This group of cheerleaders is exceptionally talented and they are ready to show Warner what they have.
SID: Will the squad be competing in any competitions this year?
CH: Hopefully! But competition takes a lot of commitment, and a lot of practice time which we don’t get many opportunities at this point. There’s also not an NAIA Cheerleading Competition, however, if the opportunity arises and we are ready, we’ll definitely be there!