The lights shine on Quigley stadium, and just before the whistle blows, one voice rises above the crowd, not from a coach or a fan, but from a cheer captain. This powerful moment may seem small, but the heart and determination behind that leader’s voice carries their team beyond the view of the sidelines.
Being a captain is about more than just cheering loud and smiling big; it comes with obligations and responsibilities. From showing up early to practices to staying late, captains are expected to lead by example and serve as role models for the rest of the team.
Co-captain sophomore Jillian Phillips worked towards this goal throughout her first year on the team. Her determination and passion shone through, and she was selected as a co-captain that spring.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting it, but I was definitely happy to get the position,” Phillips said.
During the selection process in March, cheer coaches come together to evaluate the cheerleaders and plan for the future leaders of the team. Alongside two upperclassmen captains, four underclassmen were selected as co-captains. Being chosen is the ultimate testament to their work ethic.
“When our coaches select our captains they look at your work and your progress from the previous year and things like behavior and grades,” Philips said. “Somebody who gets along with others, who’s able to lead yet still be kind, who’s able to pick up quickly, and who’s real spirited.”
One senior captain, Autumn Booth, made the cheer squad last year. She improved her skills over her first year of cheer and displayed her dedication to the team.
“You have to have good communication skills because a lot of people can take things the wrong way, depending on your tone. Having those leader attributes will have them looking at you,” Booth said.
The captains meet with each other before practices to prepare the cheer choreography and discuss teaching methods. It is the responsibility of the captains to learn the choreography from the coaches and perfectly communicate it to the team. At any given time, a captain has five routines going through their head leading up to a game.
“We have to learn all of the cheers we’re going to teach before we teach them, and make sure we’re all on the same page,” Phillips said.
Rather than the coaches carrying full responsibility of the team, the captains take charge in leading practice.
“We go out one by one and teach a cheer. We go over it multiple times so everybody’s able to grasp it,” Booth said.
While being a captain can be stressful, it is constantly fulfilling.
“I enjoy calling the cheers because it’s like your own spotlight. So you get to have your voice alone, then everybody else follows,” Booth said.
Providing a role model and leader, being chosen for a captain position is a meticulous task the coaches undertake.
“I feel like it’s such a wonderful experience to be even chosen for such a title because there’s a lot of people you have to consider,” Booth said.
Kate Poppe Knox, a sophomore on the team, has noticed how much the leaders on the team care about what they do.
“They’ll help people, like the freshmen, if they’re struggling,” Knox said. “There’s always one captain, like Autumn who goes up to some people and is like, ‘hey, you’re doing this wrong, but you can fix it,’ and it helps them.”
With sports seasons beginning and events to look forward to, the cheer captains have a full and exciting year ahead of them.
“I’m looking forward to home games, basketball season, and I’m looking forward to continuing to help my team. Go Tigers!” said Phillips.
