Wingate, N.C.----Hello! I’m Beverly Burnette (Miss B to most people), the cheerleading coach at Wingate University. It is hard for me to believe I will be coaching my 10th Bulldog team this year. We have come a long way in those 10 years; cheerleading in general has come a very long way.

Cheerleading is no longer short skirts, big pom pons and “bootie shaking.” To many, it is considered a sport; others still see it as an activity. At Wingate University, the cheerleaders are considered part of the athletic department. We have scholarship monies, we have an athletic budget, we have gym times and we have hard workouts. The Bulldog cheerleaders are expected to adhere to the rules and the expectations for all Wingate student-athletes.

In my 30+ years of coaching cheerleaders, I’ve been very fortunate to observe the transformation of the sport. The addition of males to cheerleading, the emphasis on more athletic skills (i.e., tumbling) and the vast television coverage have been huge contributors to the recognition of cheerleading.

Competitive cheerleading has had tremendous influence in the perception of cheer as a sport. There is a winner and (national) rankings, etc., as one sees in other sports. Cheerleading is a sport that supports other sport teams. Competition is the thing that cheerleaders do for themselves…representing their schools in a competitive setting. There are cheerleading skills, such as tosses, three-high stunts, pyramids and tumbling tricks that can’t be performed in a “game” setting. Competition is the place where teams can showcase their elite talents.

I’m a firm believer cheerleading at Wingate is first and foremost…all about the Bulldogs, but I’m excited about our first competitive team and season in 2009-10. The South Atlantic Conference cheerleading coaches are planning the inaugural SAC cheerleading competition. Bulldog fans can rest assured the Wingate cheerleaders will be ready to compete.

We had a great, competitive try-out for the 2009-10 Wingate University cheerleading team. They will be our first competition team for the Bulldogs. We have the collegiate “look,” the skills to be competitive and the heart of champions! Good luck, Bulldogs!

Cheers,

B