Cheerleading Head Coach Kaylee Smith on Why Give, Why Now
5/10/2024 2:02:00 PM | DAF, Cheerleading
Can you share an example of one or two ways philanthropic support has made your program stronger recently?
We were able to purchase a full competition-sized cheerleading floor that enables our program to properly train for game day and competition without compromising safety. Prior to that purchase, we were limited in our skills development due to lack of appropriate safety flooring. Philanthropic support has also helped cover transportation costs for our scholar-athletes attending the college national championship in Orlando, Fla.
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What are some key ways you see your program advancing in the next 1, 2, 5 years?
In the immediate future, with philanthropic support, we plan to invest in three different areas: equipment, coaching and training opportunities.
 Equipment: Top quality equipment and team training gear such as additional mats, proper weight training shoes and safety gear to ensure the safety of our athletes while training.
Coaching: We currently have a staff of volunteer coaches. By securing additional funding, we plan to officially hire dedicated skills coaches who can provide assistance in game-day cheerleading operations and help our scholar-athletes excel in their skills and performance. Additionally, we will look to obtain a social media director to assist in recruitment, marketing, fundraising and maintaining the reputation of our program.
Training Opportunities: With additional funding, we will provide specialized training and choreography sessions for our scholar-athletes, which will help our program stay competitive at the national collegiate level and provide more crowd-engaging activities during home games.
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In the next few years, we plan to launch a more intensive recruitment platform to attract talent from diverse backgrounds. Our five-year plan includes scholarship opportunities — with sustained funding, our goal is to provide scholarship opportunities to deserving scholar-athletes who continuously display talent, dedication and academic achievement. We would like to provide all students with a 3.0 GPA or higher an academic stipend to cover the cost of their books, assisting in the cost of their education while at Davidson College.
What do you see in our scholar-athletes every day that makes an investment in them worthwhile?
The biggest thing I notice in our scholar-athletes is their commitment to Davidson College, Davidson Athletics and themselves as athletes. As coaches, we see firsthand their dedication to our program and their passion for their sport. It's evident that many of their valuable athletic experiences and opportunities to grow as scholar-athletes would not be possible without the generous financial contributions that support our program.
What are you most excited about when you think about the future of your program?
The Davidson Cheerleading Program has grown exponentially in the last four years. We are consistently placing in the Top 10 in the country, while maintaining an exciting game-day atmosphere for fans in and around Davidson. I am so excited to see the continual increase in the competitive strengths of our program when compared to other Division I NCAA programs.
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"Athletics Done Right:" What does that mean to you?
I believe there are two sides to this — one, in the way we act and, secondly, in the way we train and provide for our athletes.
Integrity, consistency, excellence. Doing the right thing for our sport, our staff and our athletes every time — at all times — with the athlete's academic and athletic performance as the top priority. We are providing our athletes with the proper resources to train effectively and compete at the highest level.
You can make a gift, supporting any of our 21 Division I programs, at this link.Â
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We were able to purchase a full competition-sized cheerleading floor that enables our program to properly train for game day and competition without compromising safety. Prior to that purchase, we were limited in our skills development due to lack of appropriate safety flooring. Philanthropic support has also helped cover transportation costs for our scholar-athletes attending the college national championship in Orlando, Fla.
Â
What are some key ways you see your program advancing in the next 1, 2, 5 years?
 When I look back on the positive memories I had as a Davidson cheerleader, many of those memories involve donors. Cheerleading was a second home for me as a student, and I'll always remember the alums and fans who showed us support. Today, the team is much larger and more diverse. They're doing the things we always dreamed of, cheering for every Men's Basketball game and home Football game all while practicing skills and stunts for cheer competitions. The coaches do a wonderful job of helping alums stay connected to the team and providing opportunities to get involved. I'm able to see first hand how my gifts impact the team.~ Morgan Kee '12 |
In the immediate future, with philanthropic support, we plan to invest in three different areas: equipment, coaching and training opportunities.
 Equipment: Top quality equipment and team training gear such as additional mats, proper weight training shoes and safety gear to ensure the safety of our athletes while training.
Coaching: We currently have a staff of volunteer coaches. By securing additional funding, we plan to officially hire dedicated skills coaches who can provide assistance in game-day cheerleading operations and help our scholar-athletes excel in their skills and performance. Additionally, we will look to obtain a social media director to assist in recruitment, marketing, fundraising and maintaining the reputation of our program.
Training Opportunities: With additional funding, we will provide specialized training and choreography sessions for our scholar-athletes, which will help our program stay competitive at the national collegiate level and provide more crowd-engaging activities during home games.
Â
In the next few years, we plan to launch a more intensive recruitment platform to attract talent from diverse backgrounds. Our five-year plan includes scholarship opportunities — with sustained funding, our goal is to provide scholarship opportunities to deserving scholar-athletes who continuously display talent, dedication and academic achievement. We would like to provide all students with a 3.0 GPA or higher an academic stipend to cover the cost of their books, assisting in the cost of their education while at Davidson College.
What do you see in our scholar-athletes every day that makes an investment in them worthwhile?
The biggest thing I notice in our scholar-athletes is their commitment to Davidson College, Davidson Athletics and themselves as athletes. As coaches, we see firsthand their dedication to our program and their passion for their sport. It's evident that many of their valuable athletic experiences and opportunities to grow as scholar-athletes would not be possible without the generous financial contributions that support our program.
What are you most excited about when you think about the future of your program?
The Davidson Cheerleading Program has grown exponentially in the last four years. We are consistently placing in the Top 10 in the country, while maintaining an exciting game-day atmosphere for fans in and around Davidson. I am so excited to see the continual increase in the competitive strengths of our program when compared to other Division I NCAA programs.
Â
"Athletics Done Right:" What does that mean to you?
I believe there are two sides to this — one, in the way we act and, secondly, in the way we train and provide for our athletes.
Integrity, consistency, excellence. Doing the right thing for our sport, our staff and our athletes every time — at all times — with the athlete's academic and athletic performance as the top priority. We are providing our athletes with the proper resources to train effectively and compete at the highest level.
You can make a gift, supporting any of our 21 Division I programs, at this link.Â
Â
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