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About the Spirit Squad (Co-ed & All-girl)
The
University of Maryland game cheerleaders are commonly referred to by the
University as the “Spirit Squad” in order to distinguish the difference between
the cheerleaders that focus on supporting intercollegiate athletics, and the
University's “Competitive Cheer” team.
Selected members of the Spirit Squad do compete at the NCA Collegiate National
Championship, however, the main focus of the Spirit Squad is to support the University of Maryland and its athletic programs.
The 2007-2008 University of
Maryland Spirit Squad program will be comprised of three teams (the “Red Team”,
“Gold Team” and the “White Team”) consisting of both all-girl and co-ed team
members that work together cohesively.
There is no status difference between all-girl and co-ed team
members. The only difference between the
members is that the “all-girl” members partner stunt with female bases and
female flyers, and the “co-ed” members partner stunt with male bases and female
flyers.
White Team
The White Team is responsible for cheering at all home football games and all home
women's basketball games. Selected
members of the White Team will travel with the women's basketball team to the
ACC tournament and other post season events such as the NCAA tournament. The entire White Team will travel to the NCA
Collegiate National Cheerleading Championship in the spring, and selected White
Team members may be chosen to compete on the Spirit Squad “Nationals Team.”
Gold Team **NEW** THIS
YEAR!
TheGold Team is responsible for cheering at all home football games and selected
home women's basketball games and selected men’s basketball games. Selected Gold Team members may be chosen to
attend away football games if there is a position available. Selected members of the Gold Team members will
travel the women's or men’s basketball team to the ACC tournament and other
post season events such as the NCAA tournament.
The entire Gold Team will travel to the NCA Collegiate National
Cheerleading Championship in the spring, and selected White Team members will
be chosen to compete on the Spirit Squad “Nationals Team.”
Red Team
The
Red Team consists of selected returning Spirit Squad members (members that have
cheered at least one year with the program).
The Red Team is selected based on numerous qualifications to include:
overall cheerleading ability, gymnastics skills, stunting position, stunting
skill and physical fitness. 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 game, and
any pre-season and post-season basketball events such as the ACC, NCAA, and NIT
tournaments. The entire Red Team will
travel to the NCA Collegiate National Cheerleading Championship in the spring,
and selected Red Team members will be chosen to compete on the Spirit Squad
“Nationals Team.”
Spirit Squad Nationals Team
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 both the White and Red
teams. Participants will be selected
based on talent and stunt position. The
entire Spirit Squad program will travel to the National Championship, however
only the top 20 skilled participants will actually compete.
Benefits of the Spirit Squad
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"THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS”... THE SPIRIT SQUAD CHEERLEADERS
HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CHEERING IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF FANS FOR MARYLAND’S NATIONALLY RANKED SPORTS TEAMS AND THEY HAVE
OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AT THE NCA COLLEGIATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN DAYTONA BEACH, FL!
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OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO THE ACC TOURNAMENTS, NCAA
TOURNAMENTS, AND BOWL GAMES LOCATED IN PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO INCLUDE: CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK, NEW MEXICO, FLORIDA, HAWAII... AND MORE!
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BOOK SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED BASED ON PERFORMANCE, SENIORITY,
ATTITUDE AND TALENT.
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POSITIONS OPEN FOR MALES, FEMALE FLYERS, FEMALE BASES AND
TUMBLERS!
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ACCESS TO ACADEMIC SUPPORT.
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ACCESS TO VARSITY ATHLETICS TRAINING FACILITIES, AND
WORKOUTS DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR MALE AND FEMALE CHEERLEADERS.
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YEAR-END BANQUET WITH AWARDS.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO APPEAR ON LOCAL AND NATIONAL TELEVISION.
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SPECIAL CHEERLEADING FEATURES ON TELEVISION RADIO AND IN
PRINT.
Spirit Squad Scholarhips
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. The Spirit Squad does not
offer tuition scholarships.
Competitive Cheer (All-girl Only)
The University of Maryland Competitive Cheerleading team is considered by the University as an official varsity sport. Unlike traditional college cheerleading
programs (spirit programs), the competitive cheer team does not cheer games;
their primary purpose is to compete. The
competitive cheer team consists of all female members that are selected through
an extensive recruitment process that begins with a video tape and application
submission. The Competitive team
officially begins their season in September, and ends with their final
competition at the NCA Collegiate National Championship in Daytona Beach, FL.
Benefits of the Competitive Cheer Team
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Maryland is the first University in the nation to recognize competitive cheer as an
official varsity sport.
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Full and partial scholarships available!
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This team only does
competitive routines, no sideline/traditional cheerleading.
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Pre-registration and
priority housing.
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10 competitions during the season to include NCA College
National Championship.
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Various half-time and pre-game performances for Nationally
ranked sports teams.
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Access to Academic
Support - tutorial services.
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Team strength trainer who provides proper workouts designed
especially for cheerleaders.
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Opportunities to appear on national and local television.
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Special cheerleading features on television, radio, and in
print.
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