Below the bright stadium lights, on the fringe of the action, a squad of student-athletes leads the chorus of thousands of people as they cheer on the Texas Longhorns to victory. Those students are known as the Texas Spirit Squad and include Texas Cheer, Pom and Mascot.
Whether Texas is leading, trailing or just on the cusp of breaking a tie, Texas Spirit Squad members are on the sidelines of Texas athletic events to wholeheartedly support the team, represent the University and be an emblem of the Longhorn spirit. The mascot, Hook ’Em, which is brought to life by students, is a beloved campus symbol for those who attend, those who have graduated and those who dream of wearing burnt orange.
But off the field and court, the student-athletes who proudly wear The University of Texas at Austin Spirit Squad uniforms are also talented students balancing rigorous academic responsibilities with intense early morning practice schedules and outside lives. In recognition of their hard work, one UT alumna has generously spearheaded a campaign to create The Fringe, providing new study, practice and conference spaces for the squads located in Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium.
Sport Management alumnus Andy Pendleton, associate head coach of Texas Cheer, Pom and Mascot, says this is a well-deserved space for these students who are giving their all every day.
“One of the reasons I really enjoy coaching is that we have such high caliber student-athletes,” Pendleton said. “It is very hard to get into UT Austin, and to be on our team you have to get into the University first. Having been a member of this team as a student, I have a foundation to know the challenges they experience.”
Pendleton said that the most enjoyable part of his job is watching students grow as people throughout their four years on the team, from freshmen with potential to a captain as a senior, and witnessing their professional advancement. He said it is notable how they carry themselves each year with more confidence as leaders.
“This group of seniors has been special because they came in the first year post-COVID-19, and at the time we started slow, relearning skills we hadn’t been able to practice during the pandemic,” Pendleton said. “Watching our team grow in skills, leadership and confidence over four years has been amazing.”
Learning to Lead On and Off the Field
Senior exercise science student Asia Kayanan, a fourth-year member of the Texas Pom squad, grew up doing ballet and tap followed by competitive dance and eventually trained at a performing arts high school with the hope of dancing on the sidelines of collegiate athletics someday.
“Being on the squad has impacted me in more ways than I could have imagined, the biggest being leadership,” Kayanan said. “I never viewed myself as being a leader or considered what leadership would look like for me, but the coaches and my team have really pushed me.”
Kayanan said her goal was always to become a Longhorn, following in her mom’s footsteps and living in the city where her parents met where she often traveled as a child to attend football games.
“We own our chaps with such pride because we put ourselves out there and we follow in the footsteps of the people who wore these uniforms before us, not only living up to their standard but keeping it in your own way,” she said. “It is such a surreal feeling being out there on the field and the court.”
Kayanan said she chose to study exercise science as a way of combining her passion for health from growing up in a family of healthcare professionals and her love for dance. Upon graduating, she hopes to audition for professional dance teams as well as earn her master’s degree.
“One of the biggest lessons being on this team has taught me is to put myself out there,” Kayanan said. “A lot of people see cheerleaders on game days with a bright smile but it takes a lot to perform in front of such a big crowd and challenge yourself to balance a rigorous schedule on top of our academics.”
She said though every day has its challenges and each week brings a new, tight schedule, she wakes up every day excited to go to practice and be a part of the team. The best part, she said, is the connections they make with teammates who serve as role models, support systems and friends who go through the process with them.
“We are committing a lot of our time, but because we are working hard toward something that we love to do, it is always a good time no matter what we are doing,” Kayanan said. “It is important to have peers who will push you to be better, and there are so many people on the team with different career paths alongside our passion for cheer and dance.”
Fulfilling a Dream
Applied movement science sophomore Sophie Bishop said she tried out for the team during her senior year of high school because she always dreamed of dancing in college. She said the team has impacted her in countless ways, including introducing her to her best friends and people she looks up to who have taught her to be a dedicated and hardworking student.
“Going into college as a freshman can be scary, but being on this team gave me a backbone and a second family, and a group of older girls to look up to,” Bishop said. “It has taught me to be a part of something bigger than myself because when we are in our chaps, we represent UT and not just ourselves.”
She said her favorite memory was cheering at the storied Texas vs. OU football game in her hometown of Dallas and having her family there for support.
“Being on this team has given me valuable opportunities l would never have imagined, like cheering at the games,” Bishop said. “Experiencing your first game at DKR is just amazing, especially when a little girl comes up to you in a little cheer outfit and asks to take a photo with you and that photo makes her day.”
Bishop said she always knew she wanted to be an applied movement science major because she would like to become a physical therapist someday after being inspired by her own physical therapist with whom she interned this summer.
“When you are dancing so many hours, it is very demanding on your body and even if you don’t have an injury sometimes you just need a reset,” Bishop said. “My physical therapist was known for specializing in dancers and always helped me feel my best.”
Despite the rigorous schedule of early morning practices during the week, games at night and on weekends, and appearances sprinkled in between, she said she loves doing it and looks forward every night to waking up and doing it all over again. Her main strategy to stay on top of everything is scheduling, planning ahead and using the days during which she does not have pom-related events to prepare for the week ahead.
As a team, she said they also cheer one another on as they work together to balance their student-athlete lives while being ambassadors for the Longhorns and local community.
“I have grown so much from my freshman year to where I am now, and the dream I once had to be on the field has pushed me to be where I am today,” Bishop said.
