The Joliet Junior College Cheer team is set to compete at the NCA Collegiate Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 8-11. JJC will be one of about 480 college cheer and dance teams from across various divisions.
The team practices three times a week for two hours, focusing on jumps, tumbling, stunts and hitting full-out routines.
For sophomore Jahnece Hawthorne, this season is a mix of emotions. In her final year on the team, she describes the experience as “wildly bittersweet.” Her motivation does not stem from just herself but from those around her.
“My biggest motivation is the girls (her team) they keep me motivated on my worst days, my coaches keep me motivated, me getting rejected from my dream cheer team keeps me motivated, because I want to prove to them and myself that I am great at what I do,” Hawthrone said.
When Hawthorne was asked her biggest challenge this season, she said, “Communication and my stunts… I try to stay strong and keep that strong mentality for my tea, because I want too… I want to stay strong for them.”
Still, she puts emphasis on both the joy and intensity of being a cheerleader.
“I love how comedic my team is we get stuff done but while also having fun… Cheer is meant to be fun,” she said.
Freshman Katie Arnold entered the season with little experience in cheerleading, making her journey be full of growth.
“I started this year with almost no knowledge and no skill in cheer or on the mat,” Arnold said. “This team has shown me that anything is possible and has taught me what cheer is and the love for the sport.”
For Arnold her self-doubt has been one of her biggest struggles of this season.
“I have gotten in my head a lot as an athlete who has put in less work before this season than my team… Overcoming this challenge has been difficult but my team is always uplifting no matter what,” Arnold said.
Many teammates have spoken on the fact that being part of the cheer team brought them a sense of belonging, growth and closeness.
“Cheerleading means so much to me, it’s more than a sport, it’s a second family that has taught me confidence, self-expression and the importance of teamwork,” freshman Kamia Lilly said. “Practice has become a place where I can truly be myself without judgement and escape from everything going on outside
Freshman Morgan Robinson expressed similar thoughts.
“Cheer is somewhere I can go where my problems get left at the door and I am with my second family which I think is such a truly beautiful thing,” Robinson said.
Hawthorne has relished her time on the team and the memorable moments.
“One moment that stood out is when we had a Saturday practice and the team started to divide,” Hawthorne said. “Our head space just wasn’t there. Coach stopped practice and we had a team talk and everyone got everything off their chest about how they felt. It was a lot and everyone was vulnerable and it was amazing because we don’t know much about each other but after that day, we became so much closer, and I thank my coach for that because we don’t spend time with each other. After that practice we went to Subway and talked and showed videos of who we really are outside of practice.”
Head Coach Tiffany Scholle has seen that bond develop throughout a challenging season. She had to rebuild the program with a new roster of 12 cheerleaders after the past team either graduated or transferred schools, all while also recovering from a hip reconstructive surgery she had in September. Despite the challenges, Scholle is enjoying the practices.
“(I enjoy) our positive circle at the end of each practice as it really puts everything into perspective hearing each individual thought,” Scholle said.
