“Go E U!” shouted 40 pink- shirted girls at the men’s basketball game against Neumann College, January 29.
Spectators may have wondered about the abundance of youngsters grouped together in the stands until half-time, when the cheerleading squad brought the girls out to hype up the crowd with a cheer and a dance.
This performance was part of the cheerleading program’s Kids’ Day. The event began at 11 a.m. with a clinic led by the cheerleaders, where the participants worked through the afternoon on chants, cheers, jumps, and a dance, perfecting their half-time show.
Although some of the girls came to the clinic with previous cheerleading and/or gymnastics experience, others were completely new to the sport. Their performance, however, was received by an enthusiastic crowd.
The Kids’ Day cheerleading community clinic was an outreach to share the team and coaches’ gifts and talents with Eastern’s neighboring community. Part of the event was to raise awareness of the university’s desire to include the neighboring community in its events.
Part of coach Nadelhoffer’s philosophy for the cheerleading program is her “desire to develop my athletes into strong Christian women that exhibit a personal relationship with Christ and a dedication to becoming like the woman of noble character that is depicted in Proverbs 31.”
As ambassadors of Christ, the team wanted the participants to benefit both physically and spiritually in their knowledge of cheerleading skills and the love that Christ has for each of them.
First-year Kristen Bulgrien and senior floor captain Jen Booz also gave their testimonies throughout the day.
While continuously “loving on” the little girls, the cheerleaders also wanted to make it clear that one can be a cheerleader and also be a Christian, living a life dedicated to Christ.
As the highlight of the year, the cheerleaders greatly look forward to hosting another Kids’ Day in the future.