The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The East Regional is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is all over it and covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with LSU Spirit Director/Coach Pauline Zernott about the role of college cheerleaders and her prediction for Friday night.
What is the atmosphere like at LSU this week now that you are in the Sweet 16? It is a fantastic time for LSU Basketball. Everyone is super excited to see the success of this year’s team.
You grew up in New Orleans and went to college at LSU: how did you like being a cheerleader, and what was it like to cheer for the New Orleans Saints? I love the opportunities that I have been given as a cheerleader and coach. I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively and have been to so many amazing stadiums and game day environments. Cheering for the Saints was great and I was fortunate to be there when their success was on the upswing. However, I must say that while the Superdome is an incredible stadium, nothing comes close to cheering in Tiger Stadium!
What do you do as Spirit Director/Coach? I do a little of everything for the program. I oversee tryouts, game day preparations, team calendars, scheduling, appearance requests, recruiting, budgeting, equipment orders, coaching at home and away games, summer camps, clinics, etc. I am very fortunate to have some amazing assistant coaches who help me with the day-to-day training of the cheerleaders and Tiger Girls, and I work with Team Mike to make sure that our team mascot Mike the Tiger gets to all of his events.
Will we see your group doing anything extra-special for the NCAA tourney this weekend? Our main goal is to support our basketball team. We will help pump them up for the game and hope to cheer them on to victories. We are really thankful to be in DC. We will be going to the White House to meet 1 of our Louisiana congressmen (Steve Scalise) at the Capitol.
What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over the past few decades? I believe the biggest role of a collegiate cheerleader is to be an ambassador of school spirit and tradition. It is our job to do our best to support our athletic teams and represent our University in a positive light. Being a collegiate cheerleader is an honor and a privilege. Supporting our athletic teams and school community is our objective. We do so much more now compared to 20 years ago: we have no off-season.
How do you decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? We based our travel roster off of seniority, grades, and volunteering. We are very fortunate to have amazing athletic teams at LSU to support. Whether it be basketball, football, gymnastics, baseball, volleyball, etc.: we typically have a lot to cheer about. Not many schools are as fortunate as we are here at LSU. All of our athletic programs are phenomenal!! Being here in DC is very exciting because our team has not been to the Sweet 16 in a number of years. We are very proud of the team and the hard work and success they have had this year. They have been through so much but have never given up. I believe that they have shown great adversity in light of having a really emotional year.
What has been your favorite moment so far this season: beating Kentucky, beating Tennessee, Senior Night, other? Senior Night without a doubt: we clinched the regular season SEC Title!! It was magical and reminded me of those the late 1980’s when I cheered on players like Shaq, Stanley Roberts, Wayne Sims, Chris Jackson, and Vernel Singleton. I was ecstatic that the cheerleaders I coach were able to experience such an amazing atmosphere. Deaf Dome was like old times and that night was incredible!!!
What impact (if any) have the team’s off-court situations had on your squad (Wayde Sims’ death last September, Will Wade’s suspension earlier this month, etc.)? The tragedy of Wade’s murder was so heartfelt and brought our LSU family closer together. The experience was heartbreaking and nothing short of a tragedy. I believe that our team had played hard for #44 during each and every game this season.
What is your school’s policy on player-cheerleader dating? There is not really a policy and it has never been an issue. We always ask that outside relationships are kept private and they are not part of our team’s dynamic.
Any predictions for Friday night? Michigan’t beat LSU: 💜💛🏀🏀