The Lee University cheerleaders have taken the role of spirit igniters to a whole new level. If you haven’t been around Lee for more than three years, then you are probably unaware of the increasing improvements they have made. The squad has gone from a small group of eight girls to an army of shouting, men and women, whose sheer athleticism alone has made cheerleading at Lee a respectable sport.

Three years ago when coaches Bill and Brittany Reid took over the squad, they inherited only one or two returning cheerleaders. They held tryouts for all interested students across the campus and selected twenty-seven men and women to take on the task of transforming the hodgepodge group into a respected squad.

Immediately the squad began rigorous practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The coaches began a program that started at the basics. The team perfected their toe-touches, extensions and dance routines in preparation for the upcoming basketball season. It was clear to everyone on campus that a transformation had been made.

The following year, the squad felt that they were ready to compete at the collegiate level and proved so by taking home second place. At the time, the cheerleaders were not only cheering at basketball games, but also throwing in their extra practices
for the competition.

Currently the team has finished the current season and is planning ahead for the next. This summer, the squad will be attending a week-long cheerleading camp to brush up on the newest moves and perfect the ones they already
have. There will be a guy’s basketball cheerleading/competition team and a girl’s basketball squad this fall.

“After three years this will be my final season cheerleading with the Flames, and I am excited to see everything the future holds for these cheerleaders. Maybe we can even throw in a National Championship,” said Aidra Ruckman, a junior member of the squad.

These guys and girls have all worked very hard to build a foundation for seasons to come and to gain back a good reputation on campus. Needless to say, for the Flames cheerleading squad, the best is yet to come.