Pressure is a privilege: Lipscomb Cheer places third at UCA Nationals

Cheerleaders are used to supporting others. They stand on the sidelines of every game, encouraging the basketball teams and energizing the crowd. 

But at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) College Nationals this month, the Lipscomb cheer team took center stage. They competed against top cheer teams in the country, and placed third in their division – a major accomplishment.

Last year was the first time in school history that Lipscomb competed at UCA Nationals. Whitney Cadavid, Lipscomb’s director of cheer, was proud of how much the team grew after their first competition.

“Last year was our breakthrough year. Our routine last year was amazing, and the team hit zero, which is a big accomplishment, but we had some things we had to work on to be a big dog in the race. So we came back swinging this year,” said Cadavid.

The cheer team trained for months to perform on the national stage. After last year’s competition, they started practicing their stunts at a special gym. They even sacrificed some of their Christmas break: the entire team came back a week early to work out and stunt together.

“It was a tough week for sure … but it’s really fun when you have something to fight for yourself. As cheerleaders, our entire role is service and support. It’s who we are. But competition is our game. We get to go out, and people cheer for us,” said Cadavid.

Julia Wilson, a sophomore flyer, acknowledged that performing at such a high level is stressful. She compared it to basketball: imagine if the basketball team practiced their free throws every single day for two hours, and then, after six months, they had only one chance to shoot one free throw.

“That’s kind of how it feels, so there’s a lot of pressure,” said Wilson.

But Wilson said that her team has learned to control their nerves. “Our team took the perspective that pressure is a privilege. We channel our excitement rather than our nerves, because our excitement comes from the same part of our brains as our nerves do.” 

Wilson said that competing in Orlando brought the team closer than ever before.

“We had all these inside jokes, and we were dancing on the bus after we placed. Everyone was so happy and joyful, and I know that joy is only from the Lord,” said Wilson. “Our coach is so evident about putting the Lord first, and everyone on the team is putting the Lord first. And when we do that, we all just feel like we won, because we gave it our all.”

Cadavid said that she was proud of her team for keeping Jesus at the center of everything. 

“The reason this team wanted to compete was that they wanted the opportunity to have a stage to glorify Jesus on the mat,” she said. “Right after we competed, when all eyes were on us, we could say, ‘Jesus is king. He’s sovereign. He’s on the throne.” 

The team is still celebrating, but they are already thinking about next year’s competition. “Now that we’ve placed, finals is the standard now. The bar is set. So it’s nerve-wracking, but it’s also exciting,” said Wilson. “I feel like next year is going to be more intense, but in a good way.” 

In the meantime, the team will keep their skills sharp and school spirit high during the Lipscomb basketball season. Fans can cheer them on during Lipscomb basketball games. 

Feature image courtesy of Lipscomb University Cheer.