Cheerleading at Delta College has been revived, with a one-unit class now being offered in the physical education department.
However the Spirit Training course enrollment numbers have dropped last semester from 23 to seven students due to confusion about how the class was offered.
“I think there was a lot of confusion with the class being that it’s new since it hasn’t been offered as a class for ten years and a lot of the girls from the football season were not able to enroll this semester. For college students, it’s hard for them to get their work schedules rearranged as well as their class schedules settled,” said Joanna Saldana, the current cheer coach.
Saldana expects to see enrollment numbers increase during football season due to current cheerleaders recruiting at various high schools and increased exposure on social media.
Along with cheering at sporting events, the Delta cheerleading team has also cheered at charity runs including the Fun Run for St. Joseph’s Walk for Wellness, the Walk for Alzheimer’s and the San Joaquin County Heart Walk.
Adding on to community work, the cheer team has made breast cancer awareness kits in October and hand delivered them to St. Joseph’s patients.
“The team collaborates and choreographs to bring together the routine,” said current cheerleader Cassie Garcia.
The cheer team’s routines vary between basketball and football season.
Overall they include choreography, tumbling, stunting and floor cheers.
Saldana has been cheer coach for two basketball seasons and one football season and is also the head cheer coach at Edison High School.
Prior to Saldana taking the position, the cheer team was unable to preform stunts because they were just considered a club.
Last semester during football season they were able to do stunts and take tumbling classes that included practice on stunt techniques.
“There’s a lot different between college cheer and state cheer. There’s different regulations,” said team member Jade Hines.
Spirit Training is offered in the summer, fall and spring semesters.
In the summer the class is offered as PEACTIVE 005A Summer Spirit Training.
CHEER COURSE: The cheerleading course is offered as Spirit Training. The next open course runs in the summer as PEACTIVE 005, Summer Spirit Training.
For more information, contact Joanna Saldana at jsaldana@deltacollege.edu.