The Liberty Christian cheer team recently won its fourth national championship in an event that showcases some of the strongest cheerleading talent from across the country—and this national championship is their first in the very difficult “traditional routine” category.
The UCA National Cheerleading Championship included more than 1,200 teams and coach Stephanie Jones said the Warriors cheer team rose to the occasion.
“With so many large schools and established programs participating, it creates an incredibly competitive atmosphere that can be intimidating,” Jones said. “However, I’m proud of our athletes and how they remained focused, overcame adversity and pulled off an upset in the final round to bring home a national championship.”
Winning has become old hat for the Liberty cheer team, but this particular win stands out.
“This is our fourth win, but the first three were in the Game Day Division,” Jones said. “Also not an easy feat, but this was our first win in the traditional performance division, which is more tumbling and stunts. It was a super special win because this traditional team was 10 years in the making. We have made finals every year and placed in the top five but never won. We have been four-tenths of a point away from winning, but have never been able to finish first.”
Liberty is also an 11-time defending state champion, and Jones, who has coached the LCS cheer team the last 12 years, attributes her team’s success to a few factors.
“We have been very fortunate over the years to have athletes who buy in and trust the process,” Jones said. “They work extremely hard and are motivated to raise the bar a little higher each year. The support from our parents, alumni and the Liberty community has played a huge role in building a successful program.”
While winning as become a way of life for the Warriors Cheer team, Jones said it never loses its luster.
“Winning is always fun but it definitely adds a lot of pressure,” Jones said. “We try to minimize it as much as possible by focusing on improving as a team and setting goals to reach each season, but I know the kids still feel the pressure of wanting to meet or exceed expectations. We say a lot—’Pressure is a privilege, be thankful for the opportunity, the ability and the skills to compete.’”
While the cheer team’s success makes cheer a popular program and serves as a great source of pride for the Liberty Christian community, Jones said that the training and preparation that goes into it can be quite challenging.
“Our team has a pretty rigorous training schedule throughout the year,” Jones said. “We have offseason training from April-June and then have daily practices from August-February. They also have to work outside of practice on their own to develop new tumbling and stunting skills. I am also blessed to have an amazing coaching staff who go above and beyond to ensure our athletes are prepared.”
Jones, 50, who said she has been fortunate to collect several great memories over the years said that this year’s event, held in Orlando at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, created a few of its own.
“I witnessed the most exemplary sportsmanship I’ve ever experienced at a cheer competition,” Jones said. “One of our top competitors, Greenup County High School from Kentucky, has an amazing history of having competed in every championship for the past 45 years and securing 17 titles.”
Greenup has been such a perennial powerhouse that Jones herself competed against the program when she was in high school.
“During the awards ceremony, they were seated next to our team and as the placements were announced, they received third place,” Jones said. “Afterward, they reached out to our girls to genuinely encourage and cheer for them as they celebrated their first national title in the traditional performance division. Winning in this division is tough, and we knew it was going to be a nail-biter right up to the finish.
“To share the stage with a team that has the same goals and passion for the sport, yet still takes the time to celebrate with our program as they did speaks volumes about the character of their athletes and coaches. They made the experience special for our kids and I know it’s a memory they will never forget.”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Jones said she hopes her athletes have a few takeaways.
“We try to create a team culture that strives for excellence, fosters a family-like atmosphere and teaches a few life lessons along the way,” Jones said. “My hope is that our athletes leave the program with lasting friendships and cherished memories, knowing they contributed to making the program and community better during their time with us.”
The championship will air on ESPN in the spring.
