The University of Mississippi Athletics
COACH BLOG: Hoppert On The Latest Spirit Squad News
5/1/2009 | Athletics
Ole Miss Coordinator of Spirit Groups Amanda Hoppert blogs on the latest happenings with her squads, which recently completed tryouts for the 2009-10 season.
May 1, 2009
This is the spirit squads' off time of year (if there is one). In March, we finished up basketball season with trips to Little Rock, Ark., for the SEC Women's Tournament and to Tampa, Fla., for the Men's Tournament. Besides the one home game for the Women's NIT, we did not have much of a postseason for basketball. Thus began all of the athletes working overtime to prepare for the tryouts in April. Everyone has to tryout again for their spot on the team, as no spot is guaranteed. Intra-squad competition begins as everyone wants to make sure they have their best skills ready for tryouts.
Rebelette Tryouts were April 3-4 and we had the biggest and most competitive tryout since I have been here at Ole Miss. Dance coach Carley Russell and I were very excited, along with the judges, to have a lot of talented girls to choose from. We picked 20 girls plus two alternates. Half of the team is made up of freshmen, but they have great dance technique and will make great additions. The senior members have already met and have begun choreographing and making changes to their traditional dances. These routines are put on a DVD and sent out to all the other members so the routines are learned by the time the team meets up in July. The Rebelettes will be attending summer camp with many other dance teams from across the Southeast at the University of Alabama July 24-26. They also have begun planning for their Second Annual Rebelette Dance Camp for girls fifth grade and up July 17-18. Click here for a registration form (PDF).
Cheerleading Tryouts were April 17-18. We had a lot of returning men and women, plus a great number of newcomers, competing for 18 female spots and 18 male spots. The 36 athletes that made the team in April will be split into two groups in July just before our training camp. We have a Blue and a Red team plus two alternate couples. The Blue team is the more advanced team and gets to travel for football. Since tryouts, optional practices have begun and people are continuing to push each other and learn new skills. The cheerleader's first official practice will be the weekend of May 15. They will meet once a month until school begins in August. They will also be preparing for their Third Annual Kids Cheerleading Camp July 27-30. Click here for a registration form (PDF).