The Spirit of The University of Alabama: A Look Into Alabama’s Spirit Squads 

By Abby Cope, Features Editor

When taking a tour of Alabama’s campus, students are known to come out with three major takeaways: the beauty of campus, the lovely weather and the incredible athletics program across the board.  

Alabama has a long-standing history of being a school that excels in all their athletics programs. For most, the football team comes to mind first. Then maybe basketball, baseball or even gymnastics. While those are all extremely admirable sports, what about the people who are at every event cheering on our athletes?  

That is where UA’s spirit teams come in. UA’s spirit programs are comprised of all-girl, co-ed and dance teams — and of course, their iconic mascot, Big Al. Rain or shine, win or lose, these women and men are on the sidelines of every game cheering on the Crimson Tide.  

The spirit programs are no stranger to this winning history. UA’s cheer teams have racked up seven national titles between them and have no plans on stopping there. This past January, the spirit programs competed in the infamous UCA Nationals competition at Walt Disney World Resort and came home with the marks to show for it.  

UA’s co-ed cheer team came in first place, a feat not accomplished by this team in ten years, and all-girl was not far behind coming in second in their division. These amazing achievements are not made overnight — it takes months of discipline, training and the right coaches to lead the way.  

Jennifer Thrasher is the Director of Spirit Programs and Head Cheerleading Coordinator at The University of Alabama. This current season will be Thrasher’s 14th as a coach, but in her undergraduate years, Thrasher was on the sidelines cheering on the Tide herself. She attributes her upbringing to her lifelong dedication to the sport.  

“I had a really tough cheer coach in high school who drove me to want to cheer competitively in college. Then I cheered in college, became a graduate assistant coach, and now I’m here. Ultimately it boils down to this: I love people and want to make an impact. That’s the main goal. It’s all about having the great people around me and the student athletes commitment — anyone who is going to represent their school, whether working for a magazine or athletics, it’s a commitment and lots of extra time.” 

UA is intentional when selecting not only their athletes but their coaching staff as well. In order to build a winning team, a coaching staff composed of confident, strong and leading men and women must stand behind them and help guide our athletes.  

Thrasher notes the men and women who she has coached alongside, such as Christa Sanford, Asia Chatman, Morgan Williams, Brian Groeschell and Brandon Prince, to name a few, as role models both on and off the field.  

“The coaches at Alabama inspire me daily. They’re such shining lights and great examples for ladies in our program. That is why we are successful. We have the right people surrounding us. Surround yourself with good strong women, and that’s what you’ll become,” Thrasher says. 

It is a demanding process to be an undergraduate student, let alone one with athletic and extracurricular commitments. Though it is a tough balance to keep and can be disappointing when it may feel like one’s work did not pay off the way one thinks it should. However, Thrasher wants her athletes to know that the best part of it all, both from a coaching and cheering perspective, is the process itself.  

“My favorite part of my time with the cheer team is the journey. My time with my teammates and friends when I cheered, as hard as they were in the moment, was my favorite. It’s what you remember. We never won nationals when I cheered; we came in 3rd. That’s not the final thing. Nationals and winning is amazing, but your real memories are relationships and moments with friends and teammates who become really close because you spend so much time together,” Thrasher says.  

“The hard work is always worth it. Maybe the outcome is not always what you want, but you still learn through that process. Through maximum effort, no matter what you’ve achieved, you’ve made it worth it. The hard work is always worth it, so enjoy the moments. Life is about people and relationships, not chasing one thing but rather enjoying the process.” 

The Capstone’s history as a school that is no stranger to winning is upheld by its spirit squads proudly. The next time you’re cheering on the Tide at a football game, a basketball tournament or even a gymnastics meet, take time to note the hard work of the men and women not only on the court, but on the sidelines as well.