Sept. 6, 2002
Lifting the Spirit of George
Spirit Squad Tryouts Slated for Sept. 9
By Brian
Krause
Adam Zambuto and Seth Wong love to spend their Friday nights picking
up girls seven feet in the air. They can do it with one hand.
Zambuto and Wong are part of an elite group of GW athletes whose energy
and intensity brings Smith Center fans roaring to their feet. However,
these students often find themselves overshadowed by the teams they
support.
Youve probably seen them perform dozens of times and never even
given it a second thought. But then, who really goes to basketball games
to watch the cheerleaders?
Nobody ever says the cheerleaders were great, but they talk about
how the basketball team did, Wong says.
More at ease in the air than on the ground, Wong is the squads
aerial tactician. A gymnast for more than 15 years and a diver in high
school, his acrobatic prowess seems to defy gravity.
There are many stereotypes surrounding male cheerleaders that
say its effeminate, says Wong. People see cheerleading
as sissy because of the way its portrayed on TV and in the movies.
Originally intending to join the crew team, Wongs rowing aspirations
sank when he was only offered a position as coxswain. Still wanting
to remain physically active, a friend on the cheerleading squad convinced
him to give it a try.
When I was in high school, I never really got respect for doing
gymnastics, says Wong. But with cheerleading I realized
I would have the opportunity to do gymnastics in front of the entire
school.
You have to be in exceptional shape to throw a girl in the air
or to even yell for a whole game, adds Wong. Cheerleading
is not for the weak.
Hardly sissies and anything but weak, the men on the Spirit
Squad are serious athletes from a wide range of different sports looking
to find their niche. Many played sports in high school that are not
offered at GW, such as football, wrestling, and gymnastics, and have
found cheerleading a fantastic way to utilize their talents while staying
physically fit.
Weighing in at 230 pounds of lean muscle, Zambuto is not the peppy,
pompom-shaking type of cheerleader seen on Saturday Night Live. A former
starting offensive end/defensive tackle, this ex-football player doesnt
like being told he is not an athlete.
People often say to me, You couldnt play a real sport,
says Zambuto, who benches 260 pounds. Id like to see you
toss a girl over your head and catch her with one hand. Its not
an easy thing to do. I challenge any guy to try cheerleading who doesnt
think its a sport.
Physically demanding, the cheerleaders rigorous practice schedule
can take its toll. Working out with the team and lifting weights five
days a week has left Zambuto with chronic sciatica problems.
We work hard, we train hard, and we get hurt hard, says
Zambuto.
Not only responsible for attending team practices, the cheerleaders
must also arrive at basketball games two hours before tip-off. They
sacrifice spending Thanksgivings and Spring Breaks with their families,
and they must attend training camp in August, too. This years
mandatory information meeting for new spirit program members is slated
for Sept. 9 at 6 pm in the Smith Center auxiliary gym.
This teams biggest strength is its determination and its
work ethic, says Nicole Macchione, in her third year as cheerleading
coach and spirit program coordinator. Ninety-eight percent of
the male participants come in with no experience. They even stick around
after practice is over and theyre really determined to be a better
squad.
A cheerleader herself for over eight years, Macchione led this inexperienced
squad to the NCAA National Cheerleading Competition in Daytona, FL,
this past April for the first time in years. The squad placed 11th out
of 21 teams at the competition, despite a fluke accident.
We were just running the routine and one of the girls landed wrong
and broke her clavicle the morning of the competition, Macchione
says. We had to redo everything that we had been practicing since
October.
Going to nationals was a real source of motivation, adds
Macchione. They saw what it is like at that higher level and they
want to maintain that. In three years we will be a group to contend
with.
Volleyball Serves Up Three for 2002
The Colonials volleyball program added three key freshman to a squad
that finished last season 6-18 overall and 5-11 in the Atlantic 10 conference.
Abigail Hatter, Shannon Parks, and Lindsey Vernand join GW head coach
Jojit Coronel and the rest of the Colonials team this fall
Hatter, a middle blocker from nearby Manassas, VA, was a standout at
Forest Park High School where she earned 2001 All-Area Player of the
Year honors as a senior. She also was named First Team All-District
and All-Area for 2001 as she led her team to the Virginia state quarterfinals.
Parks, middle hitter from Marietta, GA, was a standout high school player
as well as a member of the Atlanta Juniors Volleyball Club where she
was coached by GW Hall of Famer Anna Bush ('87). Parks was named the
2001 Georgia Player of the Year.
Vernand, a 6-foot outside hitter from Huntington Beach, CA, was the
2001 High School Athlete of the Season for 2001. She is a three-year
scholar-athlete who has maintained a 4.0 GPA, while playing for Laguna
Beach volley ball club, one of the top club teams.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu