COVINGTON, Ga. — No matter what game fans attend this basketball season, they are sure to have quite the experience. Part of that experience is the local cheerleading squads tasked with keeping fans and the atmosphere of the game in their home team’s favor.
The same goes for the Alcovy Tigers’ cheer squad, too. But coach Kymberli Durden recognized that the Tigers accomplished this goal with a flare of their own.
“We have five coaches on staff and, between us, we have 97 years of cheerleading experience,” Durden said. “Since we vary in age, we have the benefit of experiencing the art of cheer through several generations. That allows us to marry our styles and create a unique swagger that is all our own.
“We have fused the traditional cheer styles, with the stomp n’ shake style made popular by HBCU’s.”
Alcovy cheer squad’s name is HEAT, because “it’s known to light any place they perform on fire.” And a lot of preparation goes into bringing the heat to the basketball environment.
For the Tigers, they’ve been practicing since they held their tryouts in March. Unlike other squads, Alcovy’s cheer squad is year round and services all athletic events.
According to Durden, each cheerleader takes the process seriously.
“Cheerleading is a very physical, and time-consuming sport,” Durden said. “It requires a lot of practice to perfect the skills and synchronize as a squad. We start with the fundamentals and then build from there.”
Not only have the Tigers built off the fundamentals of cheering, but they also have seen a growth spurt in recent years.
Just a few years ago, Alcovy had only 15-20 cheerleaders across its varsity and junior varsity teams. This season, 62 members (32 varsity and 28 JV) make up the team. On top of that, those 62 cheerleaders were selected from 120 students who tried out.
Durden credited social media as the fuel behind the group’s growth.
“We are blessed to have a great following on Tic Tok and other social media platforms,” Durden said. “It’s been a lot of fun reviving a program to its former glory and adding a new swag to it as well.”
While the Tigers focus on the fundamentals, first, they also follow a few of their own rules.
For instance, the team doesn’t repeat any of their cheers during games and they have a custom cheer that is tailored to their group.
Durden believes her cheer squad’s impact on Alcovy’s basketball environment is “major” and she’s proud of what her team has developed into today.
However, she hopes her cheerleaders don’t overlook the most important thing being a part of a cheer squad can bring them.
“Students can learn sisterhood, work-ethic, perseverance and dedication,” Durden said. “At the end of the day it’s the fun of belonging to an elite group of athletes and performing to the best of your abilities.”
