Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our series with James Madison cheerleader Lauren Kammerman as she talked about choosing JMU and how she got into cheerleading.
You grew up in Virginia: what made you choose JMU? I originally had not even considered coming to JMU, but my mom suggested that we visit and take a tour. My tour was absolutely amazing: more specifically I noticed the beautiful campus, the friendly people, and the school spirit that is so unique to JMU. I was blown away at the fact that I could feel so at home and so included on a campus full of people I had never met. Right after my tour, I knew that JMU was the place for me. My love for my school has grown every day since I stepped foot on our campus: I would not want to be anywhere else.
How did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? I started in gymnastics when I was about 3 years old and continued it until I was about 12. I had never heard of competitive cheerleading until a friend of mine introduced me to it. After sitting in on a few practices, I quit gymnastics and took up competitive or “all-star” cheerleading. I competed in all-star cheerleading for the next 6 years. During that time, I was also part of my high school’s varsity cheer team for four years during high school. I think the best part is being able to represent my school, as well as being able to get up close and personal with the “action”, whether that be on the field or on the court. It is such a unique experience to have a front-row seat to every football and basketball game!
You are majoring in Communication/Media Studies: what do you want to do after graduation? As of right now I would love to work in the public relations field. Ideally, I would love to work in business advertising. Fortunately, I still have two more years at this amazing university to figure out exactly what I want to do, as well as gain experience that will help me get to where I want to go.