About the University of Maryland Cheerleading Programs
General Information about the Spirit Squad Program
The main focus of the University of Maryland Spirit Squad is to support the University of Maryland and its athletic programs to include cheering for the football team at both home and away events and bowl games, as well as the men’s and women’s basketball teams at home games and post season ACC and NCAA tournaments. In addition, selected members of the Spirit Squad compete once a year at the NCA Collegiate National Championship. The Spirit Squad consists of both co-ed and all-girl team members.
The R
ed Team typically consists of 2-3 all-girl stunt groups and 3-4 co-ed partners that are returning Spirit Squad team members (members that have
cheered at least one year with the program).
The Red Team is selected based on numerous qualifications to include:
overall cheer”LEADING” ability, gymnastics skills, stunting position, stunting skills, physical fitness, confidence and speaking ability. The Red Team is responsible for cheering at
all home football games and home men's basketball games. In addition, selected Red Team members will
be chosen to travel to the away football games, any post season bowl games, as
well as any pre-season and post-season basketball events such as the ACC, NCAA
and NIT tournaments.
The White Team consist of 3-4 all-girl stunt groups and 3-4 co-ed partners that are responsible for cheering at all home football games and all home women's basketball games. Selected members of the White Team may have an opportunity to travel with the women's basketball team to the ACC tournament and other post season events such as the NCAA tournament.
20 members of the Spirit
Squad (16 females and 4 males) will be chosen to be members of the “Nationals
Team” that will compete in April at the NCA Collegiate National Cheerleading
Championship in Daytona Beach,
FL in the Division I Small Co-ed
Division. The team will consist of
various members from the Co-ed, White and Red Team. Participants will be selected based on skill
level and stunt position (position on Co-ed, White or Red Team is irrelevant to
the selection process for the nationals team).
The athletic department provides 20 full book scholarships to the Spirit Squad for the fall semesters. The selection process is based on several factors including: the number of years on the squad, need, talent and attitude. Unfortunately, the Spirit Squad does NOT offer tuition scholarships.