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New all-women cheer squad, Kaboom! tryouts

In what has been claimed as a school lacking in spirit, Bradley is searching for students to rise above and bring spirit to the Hilltop.

The athletic department approved a women’s cheerleading squad and will host its tryouts and Kaboom! tryouts April 25 through April 27, with a free open gym April 24 for students to work on stunting skills prior to tryouts.

Bradley Cheer and Mascots Coach Ryan Hinnen said they are looking for the same qualities within students for both the mascot and cheer team.

“We are looking for hardworking students with a ton of BU pride that are interested in being something more than just a normal fan of Bradley athletics,” Hinnen said. “We want positive representatives of our student body.”

However, the mascot height requirement is 5’8” to 6’1”, he said.

The April 25 and April 26 sessions are mandatory for those interested because they will learn the material to perform in tryouts. The actual judged tryout will be Sunday morning.

The women’s cheerleading squad was created to help carry the responsibility of the coed team for games and appearances, Hinnen said.

Hinnen also said he is very excited that the athletic department sees the value in having cheerleaders at soccer and basketball games.

“To my knowledge, Bradley has always only had a coed cheerleading squad,” he said. “The decision to add another squad provides an opportunity for more students to get involved while easing the burden put on the group as a whole.”

After the spring tryouts, there will be seven couples for the coed squad, eight to 10 women’s for the women’s squad and two to four students selected to wear the Kaboom! suit.

“We will have walk-on tryouts again in the fall, and we always leave a few spots on the roster open specifically for that tryout,” Hinnen said.

Anyone can tryout for a spot on the team or for the mascot, including students who only have one year left.

“If you have cheered before but didn’t tryout when you came to Bradley for whatever reason, this all-girl squad gives you the opportunity to get back into cheerleading and to be a part of something new and exciting,” Hinnen said.

There is also a search for more men to join the coed squad with no experience required.

“Most of the guys on the squad were high school athletes,” Hinnen said. “If you miss the structure that being a part of an athletic team provides, you enjoy working out and you think it’d be cool to watch a soccer game from the field or a basketball game from the court, we want to talk to you.”

Both cheerleaders and mascots also have the opportunity to receive book scholarships that cover required material for their classes.

“They get to travel and they get a ton of gear for being a part of the team,” Hinnen said.

All of Kaboom!’s non-athletic appearances are paid, and the student receives a paycheck for their time.

“It’s a pretty sweet deal,” Hinnen said.

More details and questions regarding tryouts are available on the Cheerleading Facebook page www.bradleyspirit.com or by emailing Coach Ryan Hinnen at mhinnen@bradley.edu.

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