Cheer team comes up big despite small budget

Southwestern College's most successful athletic team has quietly finished runner-up for the national championship. Too bad there was no one to cheer for the cheerleaders.

 
Nina Dutra, in her eighth year as cheer coach, led her Jaguars to a strong third place in the 2010 United Spirit Association (USA) Nationals in February. A month later, Dutra improved upon that with a second place finish in the Spirit Club International Inc. competition.

The results are particularly staggering considering the team returned only 11 of the 37 cheerleaders from the 2009 squad. Dutra said it was difficult with so many new faces, but was proud of the way her team performed.

"We had some ups and downs last year with so much turnover," she said. "We had great routines, and the girls performed really well, so we're excited about the opportunity to build upon those results next year."

Ashley Jasmund, in her second year cheering for SWC, agreed.

"Last year we had an awesome team," she said. "I'm hoping we fix some of the small mistakes we did make and improve even more this year."

Following tryouts, Dutra's squad has reloaded with new talent. She said that there is always an adjustment period right after tryouts. She calls it the "show-off month."

"For the first month or so, everyone is trying to show off and prove that they are the best," said Dutra. "We see that a lot, especially with the brand new cheerleaders. But once you weed through that, and they start getting to know each other, they realize, ‘Hey, it's not my teammates I am competing against, it is the other squads.'"

Lulu Kelsey said this year might be especially difficult with so few returnees.
"This year we only have seven or eight cheerleaders coming back," she said. "It's definitely going to be tough, but I see a lot of determination with the new cheerleaders."
Despite consistently exceptional results, including being crowned national champions by the USA in 2006, Dutra said she is worried that the cheer dynamic is changing.

Dutra said that cheerleading is no longer about just cheering for your school, it is all show. She said that many programs out there are now focusing solely on show with flashy performances, but are losing the aspect of cheering for their school.

Dutra's squad is not following the crowd.

"One of the things that I stay grounded with and refuse to change is that our top priority will continue to be the school," she said. "We are there to support our school in any aspect that they need us, and that always comes first."

The SWC cheer team focuses on setting a good example not just around campus, but in the community as well.

Two and a half years ago Dutra mandated the squad participate in three community events completely unrelated to SWC. Next year, she said her focus will be on reaching out even more in the community by tacking on two more mandatory events.

Dutra said it helps portray the school in a good light.

The cheer team's ability to reach out in the community, coupled with its consistent success, are not the only reasons for optimism. With the current state of the budget at SWC, the squad does not have to fret over the financial state. The team is not a part of the athletic department and is independently funded.

"If we were affected by the budget, I have a feeling cheer would be the first to go," said Dutra. "With all the changes in the budget over the past couple of years, I have no doubt that our squad would have been greatly affected. But because we're financially separate and we pay for everything on our own, it doesn't affect us at all. In a time like this, that truly helps us remain in good standing."

Dutra and her team said they are excited to begin preparing for next year. With strong leadership and good financial standing, the SWC cheer team will continue to fly high and land soft for years to come.