ORONO, Maine — They have been a fixture at University of Maine athletic events for decades, sharing their energy and enthusiasm with the Black Bear fans.
They practice 12-14 hours per week, even though they receive no athletic scholarship money and only minimal program funding.
They are the UMaine cheerleading squad, young women who support UMaine athletics while participating in an extracurricular activity they love.
“I’ve been cheering since I was in the first grade,” said Samantha Hopkins of Lewiston, a senior on this fall’s 24-member team. “It’s been part of my life for a very long time, so I honestly can’t picture my life without it.”
That doesn’t mean UMaine cheerleaders are always wearing the big smiles that fans see during games.
It’s not a ‘sport’
Cheerleading is not recognized as an official, competitive sport either at UMaine or by the NCAA, the governing body for most of collegiate athletics. It is often referred to as a sport activity.
Despite pressure from the American Medical Association, which recently made a push that cheerleading should be considered a sport because of its injury risks, the NCAA does not sponsor competition.
The question has even been addressed in federal court, where in 2010, a judge ruled that colleges are not required to consider cheerleading a sport in terms of complying with the gender-equity requirements of Title IX, the groundbreaking federal law that mandates equal opportunities and funding for women at public institutions.
The decision was upheld two years ago in federal appeals court.
Even so, cheerleaders from UMaine and many other teams from across the country do compete.
Most UMaine team members are serious about the sport, having cheered since they were children. Their efforts, beginning with preseason practices in August, are geared toward participating in the the National Cheerleaders Association championships at Daytona Beach, Florida, in the spring.
For that event, the UMaine contingent must be proficient in numerous skills including jumps, tumbling, partner stunting, basket tosses, pyramids and dance.
“They love cheering for the university, they love supporting their teams, but they themselves feel like athletes, so they work toward going to nationals because they feel like it’s about them,” said Melinda Kenny, a former Black Bears cheerleader who has coached the squad for the last 12 years.
Showcasing their skills at nationals is the highlight of the year for the UMaine cheerleaders.
“It’s an incredible experience,” said Hopkins, who was a member of Lewiston High School’s 2011 Class A state championship team.
The more technical elements of UMaine’s cheerleading routines cannot be demonstrated at games because of National Cheerleaders Association rules and safety concerns. Thus, fans only see basic cheers, a few minor stunts and some tumbling.
“It’s something that they’re passionate about,” Kenny aid. “Sometimes, they feel like people don’t really know how much talent they have. Last year, they were seventh in the nationals.”
Fire up for fundraising
Because of the program’s status as a sports activity and overall budget constraints, UMaine has maintained a viable cheerleading program with limited funding.
UMaine’s 2014-15 fiscal year budget for cheerleading is $20,993. Most of that, $18,450, is accounted for in Kenny’s coaching salary ($12,178) and associated benefits.
“Like anything in our department, we try to make decisions about where we can allocate our funds, what we can support and what we can accomplish,” said Joe Roberts, UMaine’s associate athletic director for external operations, who oversees cheerleading.
“There’s only so many dollars, and you’ve got to make those tough choices where you’ve got to allocate funds,” he added.
Kenny said considerable money goes to a professional choreographer who develops the routine the UMaine squad will practice all year in preparation for the National Cheerleaders Association nationals.
That means the cheerleaders must cover most of their own expenses, including travel, lodging, meals and uniform components. Even with a grant from UMaine Student Government, which last year was $2,000, each member of the cheering team must raise $1,500 to compete at Daytona Beach.
Fundraising projects include summer cheering camps, the sale of sponsor T-shirts and a pass-the-megaphone day at the homecoming football game and a selected men’s ice hockey contest.
“They’re putting in I don’t know how many hours on fundraising,” said Kenny, who teaches seventh-grade math in Bangor.
“The biggest fundraiser is the sponsor T-shirt, but they also do yard sales, bottle drives, all the traditional fundraisers,” she added.
Unlike UMaine’s varsity teams, which receive uniforms, sneakers and warm-up attire, cheerleaders must purchase any needed items, including sneakers and warm-up attire. Their uniforms are four years old.
“We’re full-time college students just like the other sports teams, but we get nothing from the university,” said Hopkins, who explained it is a tough transition after a high school experience where cheering was well supported.
Roberts said the cheerleaders demonstrate their commitment through their willingness to overcome significant financial challenges.
“They’ve got to pay for their education, they’re not scholarship athletes,” he said.
He explained that their participation during UMaine holiday and semester breaks also is a sacrifice.
“There’s no funding for them to stay overnight anywhere, and if you’re dealing with a first-year student, they can’t sleep in the dorms,” Roberts said.
Great expectations
The cheerleaders are asked to be at UMaine’s home football and basketball games and usually attend a handful of other community events.
To help meet those demands during a basketball season that encompasses 29 games, Kenny assigns 12 squad members to each game, rotating their participation.
“There’s girls on our team that are nursing majors and engineering majors and that requires a lot of study time,” said Hopkins, a double major in elementary education and early childhood education who works 30 hours per week at a preschool.
“Plus going to school full time, you really get no sleep,” she said.
The cheerleaders also are limited as to when and where they are able to practice.
Since both Kenny and the squad members are in class until mid- or late-afternoon, they can only get together in the evening. That limits their ability to find a suitable practice location.
One recent night, the cheerleaders were in Memorial Gymnasium from 8 to 10 p.m. They have been limited to three practices per week since the multipurpose room they once used has been converted into a student-athlete academic center and offices.
“We have to fight for a place to practice, and then we have to practice super late at night,” Hopkins said.
Roberts said there is a high demand for UMaine’s New Balance Field House, Memorial Gym and the Mahaney Dome along with Lengyel Gym. Varsity teams and Army ROTC are given priority for use of those facilities.
He added that the cheerleaders’ limited availability and the need to move their protective floor mats make it harder to fit them in.
Eyes on the prize
Despite the challenges, UMaine cheerleaders will be at Black Bear games trying to energize the crowds.
Behind the scenes, they will continue practicing in preparation for the National Cheerleaders Association nationals.
This year, the UMaine team is composed solely of women. Kenny said it will enable the squad to execute at a high level in a different division.
“It’s not like there’s all these men knocking down the door to cheer in college,” Kenny said. “It’s a lot of work to get them to the caliber that they need to be at for our competition.”
Hopkins said she and her teammates feel that their efforts throughout the year and their proficiency as cheerleaders goes largely unappreciated by the university they serve.
“It stinks that we get so little respect from the university,” Hopkins said.
“As much as we get upset, we kind of brush it off at the same time because we love the sport, and we’re there because we love it.”