Raising the Spirit: UTTC Thunderbird Cheerleaders kick off their season with new uniforms, dances

New uniforms and growing roster signal bright future for second-year squad

With new uniforms and fresh routines, the United Tribes Technical College Thunderbird Cheerleaders are doing more than just pumping up the crowd — they’re building a legacy at a school where competitive cheerleading didn’t exist two years ago.

“At first I get really nervous,” said Jada Kuntz, a junior in the elementary education program. “But once we start, it is more like muscle memory.”

Twice a week the cheer team meets at the Health and Wellness Center on campus. Throughout practice, the team strategically plans out their next routine, but also have fun and laugh together.

“They’re college girls –– they want to be sassy,” said Thunderbird Cheer Coach Kat Kelley. “So, our cheers are a little bit more dancey. We’re also trying to hype up the team and get the crowd involved too so that they can bring more energy.”

College students asked Kelley, a kindergarten teacher at Theodore Jamerson Elementary School on the UTTC campus, to coach the cheer team due to her background as a gymnastics coach and former cheerleader.

The idea for a cheer team began when a few students expressed interest by writing “cheer team” in a suggestion box at the college. “I’ve always been in cheer, dance and gymnastics,” Kuntz said. “I really wanted to see more from our school and I thought cheer would be a really good way to get involved with our biggest sport at tribes, which is basketball. So I was like, ‘Let’s do cheer!’”

Dominique Miner, a pre-engineering student and second-year cheerleader with the UTTC Thunderbirds, is excited about her first game of the season. A member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Dominique didn’t have the chance to join a cheer team while attending Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Schools in South Dakota, though she was always interested in the sport. When the opportunity arose, she eagerly became one of the first cheerleaders on the team.

“For me personally, it’s just a sense of community,” Miner said. “Outside of cheerleading, I’m always doing homework or work-study. This is really the only form of socialization that I have and I’m doing my best to prioritize it.”

Coach Kelley recognizes the need for the group. “I think a lot of people might agree that cheering is just a fun way to express yourself, but also be able to bring people together in wanting to be a cheerleader for your team,” she said.

For a while, Kelley and Kuntz said some people doubted the cheer team would succeed due to a lack of interest and long-term sustainability. However, the girls were determined to prove they could make it work.

“There was a lot of pushback from clubs and our sports department, but there’s pushback with anything new,” Kuntz recalled. “I’m just super thankful for the guidance of our coach and the resilience of our girls that year to be able to continue it.”

They started with eight girls on the cheer team during their inaugural year. “We only cheered the second half of the basketball season because we didn’t really get started until November,” Kelley recalled. “We didn’t even have uniforms because we had to fundraise everything. Uniforms, pom-poms and shoes are expensive.”

The coach personally funded the pom-poms. This year, the team raised money through donations from local businesses and anonymous donors. They also hosted cheer camps at local elementary schools, teaching students basic routines and performing at UTTC homecoming games. The team could purchase uniforms for the season with the funds they collected. “This year we have real uniforms, so we’ll look like real cheerleaders,” Kelley said.

The cheer team has six members — four returning and two recruits who joined in October. Kelley said the team will hold tryouts again next semester.

Abrielle Weasel, a business administration student, joined the cheer team for the first time this year. While the Standing Rock citizen was nervous about trying out for the team last month, she said she has been having a good experience and having a lot of fun with the girls.

“I almost didn’t come because I was like, ooh, I’m a little scared,” she said. “But I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed it so far.”

While the team is active for the season, it is not officially recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). According to the NCAA, a Division II sport is an intermediate-level competition for teams with 125 athletes or fewer.

“We just need to show more consistency and that we do have people involved who are consistent through the years,” Kelley said. “We will be a team that’s going to stick around.”

Attendees can look forward to a lot of activities this season. During one of the games between Nov. 15-17, the team will be holding a blanket raffle. The raffle will feature a variety of blanket designs, including a star quilt, which symbolizes honor and generosity.

The team will also host two cheer camps this year: one in early December, during the first semester, and another in March, near the end of the basketball season.

Kelley encourages the community to come out and support the cheer team. She assures attendees they can expect an exciting time at the upcoming homecoming games. “We do like to bring the fun and hopefully they can come and cheer along with us,” she said.

Dateline:

BISMARCK, N.D.