Welcome and Overview

Cheerleading at the University of Richmond is a non-scholarship athletic activity. However, we do recognize cheerleaders as student-athletes, who are awarded benefits such as professional training, free tutors, varsity letter awards, use of the athletic weight room, and access to an outstanding sports medicine staff.

The athletic department has as its top priority our cheerleader's academic well-being and safety. Our coaches are safety certified, and while many college squads practice as many as five and six days per week, we prefer to recognize the importance of other aspects of personal development associated with the college experience and limit our practice sessions to three days per week. Our practices not only include stunting and cheer drills, but also conditioning, gymnastics and dance.

Proof of our strong tradition in cheerleading includes a 1997 U.C.A. National Collegiate Championship (small co-ed division) and NCA National Collegiate finalist. In 2002 and 2003 we traveled to New Jersey for the COA Open Competition, where we placed 1st and 2nd in the Collegiate All-girl Stunt Group Division and the Collegiate Partner Stunt Division. At the 2004 CanAm Regional Competition, we earned 1st place for the Collegiate All-girl Stunt Group, and we also earned a bid for CanAm Nationals.

Former University of Richmond cheerleaders have continued their love for cheering by coaching at the college, high school and all-star level, becoming UCA/NCA staff members, and cheering for professional football teams.

We select student-athletes to represent the University as cheerleaders and to fill a very important role in the overall picture of the athletic department. As cheerleaders, you will be called upon to serve as athletes, entertainers, and public relations representatives for the University in arenas all over the country. Our goal is to promote Spider Spirit while representing the University in a fun and positive manner.

We are looking for dynamic, upbeat people to not only exhibit their learned and developed cheerleader skills, but also individuals to project a clean-cut college image and positive attitude. Cheerleaders will create and maintain crowd involvement at athletic events and other campus and community events. As a cheerleader, you will be extremely visible and looked up to in a leadership role among the Spider fans and youth in the community.

Tryouts are held in the fall in order to give incoming freshmen the opportunity to make the team. You will be judged on all cheerleading skills including cheer and chant execution, stunting ability, personality projection, gymnastic and athletic skills such as tumbling, jumps, kicks, etc. and past performance for returning cheerleaders.

Cheering at Richmond includes attending the University ranked as the number one small liberal arts university in the south, and living on the most beautiful campus, according to the Princeton Review. Combine that with Division I athletics in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and it's easy to see that this is an exciting place to be. But don't just take our word for it. Please visit our beautiful campus and attend a football or basketball game to see our cheerleaders in action.