Indiana University football season has been underway for weeks now, and you know what that means… Hoosiers are spending more time in the tailgate fields than in the stadium. Just kidding. But what would a football game be without its main attraction? IU cheerleaders interact with the crowd to get them excited about the game. Their upbeat spirits help keep the crowd entertained no matter what’s going on on the field. Kelli Rogers is senior captain of the cheerleading squad this year. She shares personal experiences and memories with us during her HCIU interview!
Her Campus IU: Tell us a little bit about IU’s Cheerleading Squads.
Kelli Rogers: We have two squads, the cream squad which is the coed squad and the crimson which is the all-girl squad! We practice three times a week which includes, stunting, tumbling, and pyramids. We condition before every practice by doing things such as running and standing tumbling. For games, both squads cheer home football and basketball games. In addition, Crimson cheers woman’s home games and everyone will cheer about two volleyball games each. I really like that we are able to support numerous IU athletic teams!
HCIU: Why did you decide to cheer?
KR: It was a really fun way for me to stay active and meet new people. I’ve really enjoyed it! College cheerleading is so different from high school in that we are more of a family and we work towards a common goal. Also it was a way for me to get involved in the community. I was able to go to a Super Bowl event in February, where I was able to meet Garth Brooks and NFL football players! It has given me the opportunity to travel to different states too. I cheered the Penn State football game at the Redskin Stadium my sophomore year and we travel every year to Disney World to compete at nationals (Crimson won the all-girl National Championship this past January!).
HCIU: Talk a little bit about game day.
KR: We have to have our hair curled and a shade of red lipstick on! We have to get to games three hours early since we have to do so much. Within those three hours we warm-up, set-up signs and flags, do the walk, and go through tailgate and spirit to get people pumped for the game! Going through the family tailgates and having little kids wanting our autographs is humbling. They get so excited for something that seems so normal to us. Then after that we have time for a cheerleading family tailgate, which is always fun to get some moral support from our families before our games. Then from there we do “pregame” which is running the band on, school song, national anthem, and alma mater. Finally, we run the team on and then the game starts!
HCIU: Describe briefly how it feels to perform.
KR: To sum it up, it’s extremely exciting and gratifying. We are meant to get the crowd involved and it feels so good to have that positive energy flowing through the stadium. It is very overwhelming! It makes me realize that there is something bigger than myself out there.
HCIU: How does it feel to know this is your last year cheering as an Indiana University cheerleader?
KR: It’s very bittersweet. Looking back at everything we’ve done as a team in the past three years, it’s hard to imagine that it’s all going to end. I’ll always have the memories and friendships, but not constantly being around everyone will be hard. However, I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world!