VA R S I T Y S P I R I T
Go. Fight. Win.
Lauren Memphis POM Squad Written by Preston McClellan
Age: 20 Hometown: Wartburg, TN How long have you been dancing? I started studio dancing when I was three. But, my high school didn’t have an actual dance team, so I did cheerleading instead through middle and high school. I also did a lot of competitive dancing outside of school, so I decided to try out for the POM squad here at Memphis. How did you get into dancing and cheering? All the older girls, when they were junior and seniors in high school would try out for a collegiate dance team. We had always watched Memphis on television and thought the team was so good at the UDA Nationals and knew that I wanted to try out. I ended up getting an academic scholarship to Memphis and tried out for the dance team once I got here. After that, everything just kind of fell into place. Have you ever worked with Varsity? I’m a staff member with the Universal Dance Association (UDA), which is an extension of Varsity. Varsity is a big brand, and it has several different associations including the National Cheerleading Association (NCA), University Cheerleading Association (UCA) and others. I’ve been doing staff work for UDA by working as an instructor as dance camps in the summer. I’ve been working with UDA since I graduated from high school. How many hours per week to you put into dance? It’s a big commitment. We practice from 1:15-4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays,
I used to say I wanted to be a Rockette, but I’m way too short for that (laughs). It would be really cool to be able to dance professionally in Los Angeles or New York in a big market. I’ve always had big dreams and big hopes.
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and Fridays and 10-2 on Sundays. That doesn’t include actually dancing at sports events like the football games, so it ends up being at least 20 hours a week. Is cheerleading a sport? Absolutely. Obviously, we don’t compete in sporting events like other athletes and we do cheer on the sidelines for other sports. However, just the number of hours and amount of preparation we put in makes it a sport. We prepare for our big national competition, which is in Orlando, Fla., which we won last year. What does it feel like to be a national champion? It feels great. I knew Memphis had won nationals in the past and had watched them growing up, but I never really pictured myself actually winning a national championship. It’s truly a great feeling. I don’t want to lose this year either, so we have to make sure we keep the bar set high. What’s the biggest difference between high school and college dancing? I guess it would just be who’s watching you. Yes, in high school, you’re at the games cheering on your teams. But, in college, you’re really into all the games. We are with athletics sometimes, so there are just so many people watching you. It’s a very different audience. We’re asked to do a lot of appearances and charity events, so there’s a lot more work outside of cheering at games in college. Do you plan on continuing with cheering and dancing after college? Well, I’ve de nitely thought about it, maybe with the NBA or NFL. I used to say I wanted to be a Rockette, but I’m way too short for that (laughs). It would be really cool to be able to dance professionally in Los Angeles or New York in a big market. I’ve always had big dreams and big hopes.