Name: Molly MacLean
Year: Freshman
Major: Sociology with a psychology minor
Hometown: North Andover, Massachusetts
What is something that you’re passionate about?
Cheerleading.
What is your history with cheering?
I was in the booster club from 3rd to 8th grade. I was a captain in 8th grade and then I moved up to the high school and I tried out for the team with a brand new coach from my town. The cheering team used to be super good and then it was dead for 5 years, they didn’t win anything, so we got a brand new coach when I was a freshman and she transformed the team.
Freshman year we were first place champions in our league competition. My sophomore year we moved up a league which was really tough and competetive and we worked really hard at it and we were league champions again. We made it to regionals and then junior year we won first in the league and went to regionals.
Senior year I was captain and we won every single invitational and the league championship, we also made it to regional champions and got to go to states for the first year and could have gone to nationals but the school wouldn’t pay.
April of senior year I got in contact with the coach at the College of Charleston and tried out when I came down for accepted students weekend. I tried out alone in front of the whole team and made it.
What is your position?
I am a flyer, so I do stunts.
How is college cheering different than high school?
High school cheering we were super competitive and well respected at my school and here it is more about school spirit and about being crowd pleasers than competing for our own benefit. It’s still a great experience but it’s just a lot different.
What is it like being a college athlete?
It’s very rewarding to be an athlete and to feel like you’re apart of something. You have a connection with other people on a higher level than just picking the same college to go to.
Is it hard to balance school work with practice?
Yes. Having morning workouts that are so early and late night practices, it makes you stressed more with how quickly you have to get your work done and it makes it hard to have a social life. On the weekends you’re so tired that you just want to sleep.
What is something that you want to accomplish here in the next 4 years?
I want to not have as many wants, I want to be content.
All photos courtesy of Molly Maclean.