Underdog Stories: 3 Cheer Teams that Shocked the World7 min to read

Cheer-Team-Underdog-Stories

By Steve Pawlyk

Published November 9, 2023

These are the tales of the Ithaca College club team’s tenacious rise, Team Australia’s historic win at the ICU World Championships, and Bangkok University’s groundbreaking gold at a prestigious international competition. Each narrative unfolds a saga of resilience, creativity, and unwavering determination, painting a vivid picture of cheerleading’s underdog champions. Join us as we recount the journeys of those who have danced in the face of adversity and emerged victorious on cheerleading’s grandest stages

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Ithaca College

The story of the Ithaca College cheerleading team embodies the true essence of an underdog’s journey in the competitive cheerleading arena. With no coach just before the preseason and limited resources as a club sports team, they faced an uphill battle. The cheerleaders had to rely on their determination and creativity to raise the $35,000 needed just to attend the National Cheerleaders Association collegiate cheer championship in Daytona.

Their coach, Alicia Trahan, was new to both Ithaca and the cheerleading scene at the college level. With her background in cheer from Baylor University, where she was a cheerleader on a varsity team, Alicia had to adapt quickly to the club sport environment where everything from practice clothes to competition fees required self-funding.

Despite these challenges, the team’s perseverance and unity were evident. They spent months perfecting their routine, with athletes like Rochelle MacNeil transitioning from base to flyer, facing and overcoming the daunting fear of flying. Emma Schaefer, another flyer, had to conquer her nerves to execute flawless flips during their routine. These personal battles were a microcosm of the team’s larger struggle, emblematic of the underdog spirit that drove them forward.

As the team prepared for their performance in Albany, they encountered further setbacks with injuries and last-minute lineup changes. Alicia’s decision to rest an injured cheerleader in anticipation of the main event in Daytona and to bring in a former team member, Alex Sprague, to fill in showed the agility and leadership necessary to navigate the tumultuous waters of competitive cheerleading. The adaptability and quick learning of athletes like Alex, who seamlessly integrated back into the team, underscored the resilience and resourcefulness characteristic of underdog teams.

In Albany, the Ithaca College cheerleading team’s performance, against all odds, was their best yet, culminating in a first-place victory that left the team in disbelief. Their win was a testament to their hard work, a well-deserved reward for their dedication and spirit. The team’s joyous celebration upon receiving the black banner reading “First Place” was a poignant moment, highlighting not only their triumph over adversity but also the unity and strength that had developed among them.

It’s not just about the stunts and the competitions; it’s about the journey, the struggles, and the collective heart of a team that refuses to give up, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The Ithaca College cheerleading team’s story is a powerful narrative of resilience and determination that serves as inspiration for any team facing long odds.

Team Australia

Team Australia’s cheerleading squads, comprised of the nation’s finest cheerleaders, made a historic mark at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida. The All Girl team from Australia was crowned WORLD CHAMPIONS, marking the first year Australia has ever won the ICU World Cheerleading Championship title. Their victory is a significant achievement, demonstrating Australia’s rise as a competitive force in a sport long dominated by the United States. The coed team also won a silver medal, further solidifying Australia’s status as global contenders.

What makes their victory even more remarkable is the preparation that went into it. The teams had only three training camp weekends in Australia and just three practice sessions the week before the competition in the USA. To not only put together a routine of such high caliber but also to execute it to a level worthy of top spots at Worlds is an extraordinary feat. Derrick Turner, the head coach of Team Australia – All Girl, expressed immense pride in achieving the goal of being crowned world champions. Eddie Davey, the head coach of Team Australia – Coed Elite, commended the athletes and coaches for reaching a level of excellence previously unseen in their country.

This story is a testament to the underdog spirit, showcasing that with hard work, unity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, even teams from smaller cheerleading communities can ascend to the top of the world stage. Team Australia’s victory will undoubtedly inspire cheerleaders around the globe and serve as a powerful example of what can be accomplished when teams dare to dream big and work tirelessly to turn those dreams into reality.

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Bangkok University

The Bangkok University cheerleading team, an underdog group from Thailand, carved out their place in cheerleading history with a story that reads like a script from a feel-good sports movie. Their journey, encapsulated in the documentary film “The Cheer Ambassadors,” is a testament to the spirit and determination of a team that wasn’t expected to rise to the top.

In 2011, the team achieved what many thought was impossible for a squad from a country where Western-style cheerleading was introduced in only 1995; they shared the gold medal with the US team at the Cheerleading Worlds, a feat that would put them on the world cheerleading map. This achievement followed their previous success at the 2009 ICU World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, where they earned a silver medal, an accolade they repeated two years later.

Luke Cassady-Dorion, the director of the documentary and an American living in Thailand, was inspired to tell their story after learning of their hardships and triumphs. The Thai team started from scratch, their practice fueled by watching ESPN and YouTube clips, rehearsing from 6 pm to 6 am to adapt to the US timezone. The team’s creativity and ‘sanook’ (fun) approach to cheerleading were their strongest suits, compensating for their physical disadvantages compared to American athletes. Instead of relying on brute strength, the Thai team focused on building intricate pyramids that required immense teamwork.

The underdog story of the Bangkok University cheerleading team is not just a sports narrative but also a cultural one. They disproved the notion that Thais could not excel as a team and brought a unique Thai spirit to the global stage. Their story is one of unity, creativity, and relentless pursuit of excellence against all odds.

This extraordinary journey from underdogs to world champions is a powerful reminder that passion, teamwork, and innovation can defy expectations, inspiring cheerleading squads everywhere to reach for greatness, no matter their beginnings.

The chronicles of Ithaca College, Team Australia, and Bangkok University’s cheerleading teams embody the quintessential underdog story. Each team’s path to success — whether at national competitions, the ICU World Championships, or other international contests — showcases the incredible feats that can be achieved through perseverance and team spirit.

Their stories remind us that in the competitive world of cheer, the heart and hustle often shine brighter than trophies and titles. As these teams have proven, with the right blend of dedication, teamwork, and innovation, even the most unheralded squads can ascend to the pinnacle of cheer excellence, inspiring athletes and audiences alike with their remarkable journeys from the sidelines to the center stage of victory.

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