Vaught’s note: Andrea Allinder Kirkpatrick is a Kentucky native and former UK cheerleader now living in Florida who remains a die-hard Big Blue fan. Here are her thoughts on the Kentucky cheerleaders recently winning their 19th national championship.
By Andrea Allinder Kirkpatrick
19 … is not just a number to the University of Kentucky Cheerleaders. It is the unprecedented number of times the UK squad has won UCA’s National College Cheerleading Championship. In 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008,2009,2010, and now in 2012 the UK Cheerleaders have brought the trophy home to the University of Kentucky. Seems amazing on any note but to put it into perspective they have won 19 out of 28 UCA national championships.
The hard work and determination that goes into winning these national championships for UK cannot and should not go unnoticed. The commitment of training and conditioning that goes into winning is like no other. Oh to spend a week in the shoes of a UK cheerleader would make you quite exhausted!
First and foremost, these are individuals that are student athletes gaining a priceless education at UK. These athletes strive to receive and maintain scholarships, which are awarded to select squad members. The cheerleaders are responsible for not only being ambassadors for the university but also have numerous obligations they must uphold. Responsibilities include cheering all home football and basketball games, most away games, along with going to all tournament play. They also cheer volleyball games. Along with these obligations you have to incorporate going to class, studying, mandatory study hall, weight training three times a week, and practice. How do they ever find the time or the energy? Not to mention this is all done with impeccable focus, dedication, hard work, and a positive attitude.
High expectations, and a no fear attitude is instilled in the program by UK’s veteran coach of 10 years Jomo Thompson and the UK cheer advisor of 34 years TLynn Williamson as well. Jomo reiterated that as a coach it is his responsibility to instill more than winning championships in these athletes. It is also very important to him and the program to produce successful people. The University of Kentucky Cheerleading program helps these individuals become who they want to be outside of cheerleading.
If I learned anything from my short time cheering there I learned that if you want to be a part of something great you must make great sacrifice. Being the best you can be not only when you are in the spotlight but also when people aren’t looking. It was instilled that “practice†doesn’t make perfect, “perfect practice†makes perfect. A day-to-day philosophy that these athletes are expected to follow. “The best teams know they can get better, set the bar and out do themselves.†Jomo couldn’t have said it any better.
Recently a letter was sent to the UK Cheer Alumni as a thank-you for their support through the years. Jomo wrote with much pride in his squad, â€It is an honor to make you proud by winning championships, cheering on UK’s sports teams and most importantly, producing responsible, nice, and capable young adults.â€
He believes in maintaining the great legacy and tradition that is UK Cheerleading. “This tradition has been forged and created by all who have had the privilege to be a part of the program.†So you see tradition runs deep at the University of Kentucky in regards to being the best and winning championships. However, I am most proud of having been a part of something so wonderful others will never understand…The University of Kentucky as a learning institution and the tradition it represents.
When you go to a game and are a part of Rupp Arena’s exciting and always-legendary atmosphere you now know the UK Cheerleaders are working hard getting it to that level that separates Big Blue Nation’s crowd involvement from the rest. When you get that butterfly feeling in your stomach while you see them perform the Wildcat Pyramid at Rupp with the UK flag in the background, know the tradition of winning championships is in their blue blood as well.
As Jomo tweeted after the winning of the 19th championship: “Kentucky has climbed the mountain once again and we stand alone Championship number 19 is coming home.†Big Blue Nation’s old Kentucky home, my old Kentucky home far, far, away.
23 Responses to Guest post: Commitment to win cheerleading national title is like no other, appreciate the work it takes
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No UK cheerleading story would be truly complete without a mention of the Greenup County High School cheerleaders. That is where the great cheerleading tradition in the state began. In particular Candy Berry brought excellence to the sport and made it a real sport IMO. Before UK was winning championships GC had already won several. It was GC girls who went on to UK that spread the influence of Berry. They initiated the systems that made UK cheerleading so great.
I’ve known many of those GC cheerleaders including some from the very early teams. The dedication and hard work they exude is equal to any athlete in any sport. What they do is far from being easy. Bruises and sprains are a way of life for them and they keep right on ticking.
There was a book out a few years back about GCHS cheerleading but it was less flattering than it should have been. There’s always someone ready to make a career by tearing other people down. I won’t mention the book because I don’t want to increase their sales. Just let it be said that it was a nationally known book and it covers the history of the sport from it’s roots in Greenup Co.. Too bad they had to belittle the sport and the athletes. Someone should do it right someday but I guess you don’t sell as many books if you don’t create scandals (where none exist). Larry of course is the proof that you can succeed without taking the low road.
Candy Berry married my high school classmate, Mark Berry. Candy was one year behind me at Russell High. In addition to her work with the Greenup County cheerleaders, Candy also had some role, and the details escape me after all these years, with the UK cheerleading squad in the late 1970s to early 1980s timeframe, and was involved when the UK cheerleaders first began winning national championships.
Oh what nice memories, thanks King for triggering some for me today
Thanks for a little insight into what it takes to be a UK cheerleader, Andrea. I eagerly searched the internet this past weekend for results from Nationals, and found footage on Varsity.com of the Kentucky squad’s semi-final performance. I watched their performance with awe. Some of the moves that they do defy the laws of physics. And I know from personal experience at a charity auction (they cheered me into buying an item!) what fantastic ambassadors these men and women are for the University.
Several years ago, before the Craft Center was built, one of the basketball players was talking about sharing Memorial Coliseum with various groups. One of those was the UK cheerleaders. When the reporter asked in amazement why the UK basketball team had to share the floor with the cheerleaders, the basketball player just said with a smile “They win national championships.”
As the Chuck Hayes promo said years ago, “all they do is win”. Congratulations on yet another record-breaking championship, Cheer Cats!
During my freshman year at UK I used the Seaton Center frequently and always saw the cheerleading squad practicing. And by always, I mean… Every. Single. Time. It was uncanny. I can’t imagine how much time and effort they must have put in.
I’m always amazed by our program, they are impressive!! Now I have a ?? for the author of the estimated 247 leagues in cheerleading, is UCA recognized as the top, or most competitive across the board?
Oops! I’ll get the html links right yet!
Andrea will have information for you on UCA as well as the injured cheerleader this weekend. She is simply the best
No you won’t King! LOL That’s ok, it’s a guy thing!
OK, great info. I thank you.
congrats to a great group of athletes. These young people but in more hours then you can imagine and their job is not easy. They actually take their lives into their own hands every day, it is one of the most dangerous sports on campus. However, these young people know what they are doing and every precaution is taken for their safety.
The young man who was injured last year when he went through a window while teaching, has anyone heard anything about him? Was he able to rejoin the squad?
I will see if Andrea can get us an update on the injured cheerleader. Her contacts are top notch.
Appreciate Andrea going to the trouble to get us video, picture and story. Cheerleaders will perform their routine during halftime tomorrow. Gary hopes to put video up during second half of game
Dear LindaS,
My name is Dylan Smith and I’m a sophomore on the UK Cheerleading Team. I am the boy who had this accident this summer where I fell four stories from our gym back home. Yes I am doing better, not perfect.. but good enough to have been cleared to stunt, do pyramids, throw baskets, just no tumbling. And actually I was on mat for UCA Nationals and competed last weekend when we won, so it couldnt have played out any better. Who would have known, just 6 months about i couldnt walk and today I’m a national champion! Thank you and everyone else for the concern, thoughts, and prayers. GO BIG BLUE!!!
She was offered the job or running the UK cheerleading squad Prof. but she turned it down because she wanted to stay put. She was very loyal to the program that gave her a free hand to do things in a brand new way. But she certainly suggested people who could do the job for UK and wow did they ever do just that.
It is a very dangerous sport Linda just as you said. Many schools won’t even let their cheerleaders “build” which is to say they can’t form those high formations where young girls are falling 20 feet counting on someone to catch them so they don’t land on concrete. They have had many major injuries in that sport. I think that’s what really made people take notice that they weren’t your grandpa’s cheerleaders but were real athletes instead. Truth be told your grandpa’s cheerleaders did gymnastics a lot more than cheerleaders in the 60′s and 70′s when almost none took place. My daughter was a cheerleader for a school that didn’t allow building but there was still plenty of gymnastics most of which was tumbling. My daughter was pretty good at that but she would have been too tall for Candy’s teams. She was a real stickler for everything including height limits. Another unsung hero in all of this would be Tammy Jo Worthington Edge who was a fantastic majorette in high school and went on to found a gymnastics school in Greenup. Tammy is still the best majorette I’ve ever seen including those on the college level. She was unconscious at it. It was inhuman and almost supernatural really.
Candy had a twin sister, Sandy, and she also married a high school classmate, and for college roommate, Lynn Rice.
Thanks King for the details on Candy’s role with UK. My mind is getting less and less able to store all those details after these years.
You know what Prof.? What I’ve posted here is just what I’ve heard. I haven’t seen an official report of it so maybe some parts aren’t exactly as I remember them either.
It would have been highly suspicious for the rumor mill to be so far wrong that Berry didn’t receive the offer to take over the UK program but anything’s possible I guess. If it didn’t happen everyone in 3 states (around my area) would be shocked to hear it because I do know I heard that story repeatedly and my wife had at least 2 cousins on the squads back in those days. It would be shocking to me to find out it wasn’t true but it just hit me that I’m basing what I’ve said on the rumor mill. It’s a pretty strong rumor though. I’m not backing off of what I’ve said. I’m just saying that I didn’t have first hand knowledge of this stuff. You and I both know that Berry was the first great cheerleading coach in Kentucky. I know she had strong connections to UK’s program too. I am 99% on her turning down the job at UK but maybe the rumors weren’t exactly right. I’d really like to know for sure. I think it might have been in that book. My wife has a copy. I’ll try to track it down.
King, Candy’s husband, Mark Berry and I have not stayed in touch over the years, but Sandy’s husband, Lynn Rice, and I were college roommates, and have stayed in touch to some extent, and I am certain that he told me in the 1980s that Candy worked with the UK cheerleaders when they were about to break out on the national scene with championships. I just don’t remember all the details of her involvement.
Most of the cheerleaders have had gymnastics training, a lot start out as gymnastics. My daughter was a very, very good gymnast but declined to be in cheer leading. She didn’t have that giggle, giggle, shish, boom bah personality. She was recruited from middle school thru college. If she had stayed in gymnastics she would have had a scholarship. When she was 15 she decided she wanted a life and gave it up. 7 days a week in the summer. 5 nights and Saturdays during school unless there was a meet.
I really admire these young people, folks just have no clue how much of an athlete they are now a days.
You got that right Linda. It’s a requirement for the cheerleaders at GC that they have several years of gymnastics at Tammy Jo’s. TJ is another one with a list of accomplishments a mile long. Her modern dance teams win all kinds of national events too plus the gymnastics stuff that comes out of her place. I know they work hard there. My daughter spent many years there herself. They’re tough too. My daughter dislocated a finger and they popped it back in place and she went right on with practice. I know that’s sort of old hat for football players and basketball players but it wasn’t for girls in any sport for many years. They didn’t even have a girl’s basketball team at either of my high schools and volleyball and soccer were still pipe dreams. Things have changed a lot. Now the girls get to learn how to deal with pain too.
Great job on the article Andrea. I got exhausted just reading what it takes for these girls to strive for the excellence they have achieved. Congrats UK cheerleaders.
Congratulations to UK cheerleaders for their 19th National Championship! To Dylan Smith, the “young man who fell out the window while teaching”. you continue to be an inspiration to many – just as you were in high school when you brought co-ed cheerleading to your school. Amazing -how hard you worked to get back to UK Cheerleading after your injury- again… An inspiration!
Maryann, thanks for those insights on Dylan
Excellent article Andrea! Cheerleading has evolved into both a technical sport, requiring strength and precision, and a creative masterpiece over the years. Thanks for pointing out the hard work that goes into being a member of this squad which never fails to awe the fans! Congrats to the student athletes who have consistently set the standard in this sport. Go CATS!!!!