EAST GREENSBORO – After becoming Grand National Champions at the Cheer LTD Nationals at Canam competition, the North Carolina A&T Aggies cheerleading program began preparations for the 2022-23 season with excitement.  

They ended the 2021-2022 season with an Aggies cheerleading clinic on March 26 in Moore Gymnasium. The clinic featured recent high school graduates looking forward to attending N. C. A&T in the fall and eligible N.C. A&T students interested in being on the team. 

Coaches and the 2021-2022 Aggie cheerleading team helped with stunting, tumbling, and introducing and teaching the Aggie style of cheerleading to the prospects at the clinic. 

N.C. A&T cheerleading head coach Daniel Kearns-Pickett said the cheerleading coaches used the clinic as a form of recruiting. "It was a great way for participants to learn from us, but also for the coaching staff to learn who is out there and interested in our program," said Kearns-Pickett.  

The techniques taught at the cheerleading clinic were the main things the coaches analyzed during tryouts. 

Many individuals used the Aggie cheerleading clinic to prepare themselves for the tryouts that took place on April 8-10 in Moore. Even those who cheered on the squad last season had to try out for the championship program. 

"We have a few ladies who made the team that were at the clinic. I think that helped them a lot," Kearns-Pickett said. "It worked out in their favor because we had a question and answer portion at the end of the clinic, so they knew what was expected of them." 

Eighty individuals tried out, and many excelled in their performances; therefore, the coaches decided to make the team larger next season. Twenty-eight people made the cheerleading team, including two men. It will be the first cheerleading team in decades that is co-ed.  

"I'm hoping that this will open the door for other males to, at least, try out," Kearns-Pickett said. "What we look for is different in a guy athlete on the team versus what we look for in a female athlete. It's a different dynamic and culture when having a mixed team. I'm excited!"

The Aggie cheerleading coaches and the team had their first team meeting on April 29. They connected and discussed summer plans for the team leading up to the official first summer practice of the season. 

The team will review cheers and dances during the summer, so when they return for the first summer practice, they will know the content. Like most historically black college and or university (HBCU) cheerleading squads, there is plenty of cheers and dances in N.C. A&T's routines. 

But the Aggies also had an additional component – stunts and tumbles. 

"As a coach, it helps me out a lot if they could have the cheers and the dances learned before they come back so that we can work on the skill of stunting and tumbling that requires us to be together," Kearns-Pickett said. 

N.C. A&T will have its first summer practice in late July to prepare for football season. The cheerleaders are looking forward to showing Aggie fans how well-prepared and extremely talented the team will be in 2022-23.