Crimson and Gold Connection; Spirit Squad

Welcome to Crimson & Gold Connection, keeping you connected to the people and current events at Pittsburgh State University. This is Trent Johnson, welcome to Crimson & Gold Connection. Today our guests are members of the 2014-2015 Pittsburgh State University Spirit Squad, Claire Petrucci and Joe Stamina Diego. Thanks to each of you for taking time out of your schedule to join us today, for starters where did each of you get your interest into cheer and yell leading? Mine started about 12 years ago and I started cheering in a recreational program and then from there I just started cheering for middle school, high school, all-star and that led me to the collegial level. I actually didn't plan on cheering until I came to Pitt State and met Claire and she's the one that got me into the room and sparked my interest. Joe you just answered my next question in your previous answer so for Claire was this

something that you wanted to do coming out of high school and if so why did you choose to attend Pittsburgh State University? I did choose to attend Pittsburgh State because of the cheerleading program. I had multiple track scholarships that I could have taken but instead I had a really big passion for cheerleading. When I came down to Pitt State and I came into open gyms I just felt that connection that I needed to be here. What is the preparation like weekend and week out? For nationals we practice every day, multiple times a day, all winter break and about a month or two leading up to that so we don't really get much off time and during regular season we practice about four times a week. What is it like for each of you balancing the school, social and athletic aspect? Practice is fun so being on the team is kind of taking care of the social part itself so it's really just balancing cheer and school. For each of you what is your favorite part about being on the spirit squad?

The people that you meet our team is like a family and we're all pretty cool people. The best part about the cheer program is that I get to hang out with my best friends every day. We are a family and that's exactly how I want to spend my time doing what I love with who I love. Another question specifically for Claire, what extra responsibilities come with being the captain of the squad? I do have to do a lot of community events, more I'm reaching out and recruiting type things but I have to do a lot of preparation so coming up with the nationals routine and setting up practices and everything like that, it's a lot of behind the scenes work and I put in a lot of hours even if it's just picking what uniform we're going to wear for a game it takes a lot of time and a lot of practice and preparation. The Pittsburgh State University spirit squad plays third at the UCA College cheerleading and dance team national championships last month in Orlando, Florida.

That was the highest finish since 2006. Because through that experience and what it means to both of you personally to have such a successful finish. It felt real great. Whenever we came off the mat and went out for awards and found out that we beat Northwest that was the first thing that we were proud of and then once we found out that we placed top three we were really excited and it was a pretty young explainable. Finishing top three is such a rewarding feeling and knowing that all of the hard work and hours of dedication that we've put in finally paid off and just being there with with each other and knowing what we've all been through and accomplishing a goal was a great feeling. And being able to get Pittsburgh's stay back in top three was nice. How much preparation you kind of went into it earlier that you said you practiced every day for the national? Kind of take us through that preparation, how long were the practices and what kind of went into those? It's pretty intensive. It's not an easy practice, it's a two and a half minute routine and we repeat every part until it's as perfect as we can get it.

So whether things are going bad that day or not that reflects how long it's going to be. Yeah, we put in multiple hours every day for a routine that is only two and a half minutes and you only get one time to perform it so you have to make sure you're getting the most out of your practice even though we're doing it over and over again it can always get better. What is the team atmosphere like within the cheer squad? Pretty positive, we're all happy-go-lucky people, practice gets fun but we got to stay on task of course, so. It is nice working with cheerleaders because we all are really happy people and very positive so it doesn't get too stressful. I mean if anything we always bring each other up and support each other as much as we can because everything we do is very difficult but it's great doing it with a group of people that really want to work hard together. Why is it important to have a spirit squad on campus? I think it's important to have a spirit squad because no matter what we're always very positive and we want the best outcome and when we're cheering for a game the team won't

perform their best unless they have support from their fans and their friends and I think that we're very good at engaging in the crowd and creating that atmosphere and to never give up and to keep pushing, keep working and keep trying and so I think it is important for us to be at the games and to be on campus and really spread Pittsburgh State, spread the spirit. Joe you mentioned earlier that it wasn't really in your plans to cheer once you got to Pittsburgh State University and Claire kind of influenced you in that so talking in a general sense what has been the most rewarding thing for you making that decision to cheer at Pittsburgh State University? Like I mentioned before a lot of people on the team are some of my best friends so just being on the team has allowed me to make some meaningful relationships. When you look back five or ten years down the road what's one thing that you're going to take from your experience of being able to represent not just yourself but your university and your school through the spirit squad?

The friends that we make being on the team it's a really close program we have alumni come back all the time and I know people that cheered on the squad 10, 15, 20 years ago and they all stay connected to the program it's a lifelong group of friends. I think I'm going to take that when I graduate. I'm graduating but I'm never going to leave the program. It's always going to be a part of it. It is a family. Your coach Linda Graham wasn't able to join us today. What would you say about her and what does she mean to you in the Pittsburgh State spirit squad? Linda Graham is like my second mother. She is always there to support us and she's always going above and beyond for the program for the university just for everything. I don't know where we would be without that woman and I love her so much. Yeah she's got to be a pit states number one fan. I don't think anybody else puts more time into pit state into the spirit program and we definitely appreciate it. Again, our guests today were Pittsburgh State University cheerleaders, Captain Claire

Patrucci and Joe Saminiego. The Pittsburgh State University spirit squad is coming off their best finish since 2006 at the UCA College cheerleading and dance team national championships last month in Orlando, Florida, where they finish third. For KRPS and Crimson and Gold Connection, this is Trent Johnson. And as for Crimson and Gold Connection, Wednesdays at 8.50 and Fridays at 350.