The University of Wollongong’s Cheer and Dance Club (UOWCAD) has competed in their first Australian All-Star Cheerleading competition of 2024 over the past weekend.
The event, hosted by the Australian All-Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF), was the first competition of four that the cheerleaders and dancers of UOW will be competing in this year.
Cheerleading Coach Bek Zamroz said that competition day can be very overwhelming for coaches and athletes.
“Comp day is very, very loud,” Ms Zamroz said.
“The last thing I want to do is let my athletes feed off my own energy.
“Even though I get very, very anxious as a coach on comp day because I only want the best for my athletes, I have to completely mask that so that they only see the good side of me and feed off that.”
The majority of the teams competing in the AASCF competition have been training since January, in comparison to UOWCAD teams, who didn’t begin their official training and routines until April.
UOWCAD members are typically limited to one training session per week, with their competitors often offered double this training time. This left the Ducks feeling unprepared, but the athletes worked hard to attend the event smiling and ready to compete.
UOW cheerleader and dancer Lola Mitchell said that she had tried to mentally and physically prepare herself by practising at home, but still expressed how nervous she was.
“I’m very scared for this competition,” Miss Mitchell said.
“Very, very scared.”
Coach Zamroz stated that she already has a list of changes that need to be made to their routine before their next competition. Although the changes will be minor, she said they will positively impact the scorecards.
“It will hopefully have a massive impact on the athletes’ confidence as well because ultimately this is a mental sport,” Ms Zamroz said.
“As physical as it is, cheerleading, is an incredibly mental sport, so it’s all about the confidence and feeling proud of your routine.”
Despite the Diamond Ducks placing 7th, Ms Zamroz and Miss Mitchell did not let it bring them down.
“I don’t believe in mourning loss, I think that it’s an opportunity to improve,” Ms Zamroz said
The Cheerleading teams have their next competition in four weeks.
