Vision of the MSU cheerleaders
The MSU cheerleaders have two visions that are fairly attainable in the near future. Becoming National Champions and acquiring more support and recognition from the University are the two most important goals that the cheerleaders would like to achieve.
What the MSU cheerleaders do
First and foremost, the cheerleaders are avid supporters of Midwestern State University. The cheerleaders attend all home sporting events for volleyball, soccer, basketball, and football. The cheerleaders also attend all away games for football and all playoff games. The cheerleaders are also recognized in the community and are always active in helping support Wichita Falls.
The MSU cheerleaders compete annually in the National Cheerleading Association competition held in Daytona Beach, Florida. Every April, hundreds of teams compete for their national title. MSU cheer competes in the small co-ed division II competition. Small co-ed division II usually consists of eight teams from across the country. Midwestern is the only team from Texas. In the previous year, Midwestern has placed 7th, 5th, 4th (twice), and 3rd. The cheerleaders are climbing their way to the top one year at a time!!
The competition requires intense practices throughout the spring semester, while the cheerleaders get a head start on their routine around November. The cheerleaders practice 4 times a week, cheer for basketball, participate in events around the community, attend study sessions, and have a strength and conditioning program. Nationals season is a very busy time for the cheerleaders, but so far it has paid off for them.
How to obtain the vision for the MSU cheerleaders
The MSU cheer program is working on recruiting highly skilled/trained cheerleaders to be a part of their program. As the coach, this is my job. We will be visiting surrounding schools in the Wichita Falls area as well as the metroplex and all over the state of Texas. In order to recruit highly trained professionals to be a part of the cheerleading program, the cheerleaders would like MSU to help contribute. The cheerleaders would like to receive more funds from the University in terms of scholarship costs, cheerleading facilities, and cheerleading apparel.
An MSU cheerleader, based on skill and GPA, receives a scholarship once a semester. This amount ranges from $200-$600 a semester and is received at the end of their current semester. In order to recruit cheerleaders with exceptional capabilities, the MSU cheerleaders feel that more money should be offered through scholarships. Full ride scholarships, housing scholarships, and tuition scholarships could all be feasible.
The MSU cheerleaders would like to be recognized on the same level as the athletes of the University. Athletes receive full use and first pick of facilities at the University. Therefore the cheerleaders do not have a set schedule for practice times causing them to practice late at night after all other sports have practiced. If the cheerleaders could share the facilities and have a time blocked out for them, this would help the problem. The cheerleaders would like to hold the same precedent as all of the other sports on campus. Since the cheerleaders provide support for every sport on campus, the cheerleaders feel that they too should receive the same respect and support.
Supporting the Cheerleaders
The cheerleaders attend every athletic event for the University. When you hear them cheering the Mustangs on, cheer with them. This helps show support of the MSU cheerleaders and calls for a job well done when they get the fans involved. The ultimate job of the Cheerleaders is to support their University.
The cheerleaders proudly represent MSU!
