Last Saturday North Texas had a 4-PT OT win over Western Kentucky in the C-USA tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Mean Green lost 3 straight games to finish the regular season but won 4 conference tourney games in 4 days last week to earn a spot in the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2010. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with La’Tia Travis about being a captain and not being able to join the basketball team in Indianapolis tonight.
You grew up in The Colony: what made you choose North Texas? What made me choose North Texas was touring the campus and truly falling in love with the environment. I loved the sense of community as well as the pride that the city of Denton has for the Mean Green. Not only was I set on coming to UNT to pursue a degree, but I wanted to continue cheerleading at a collegiate level and I believed that North Texas was the team for me. After attending a cheer clinic in the spring I instantly fell in love with the program and wanted to become a part of it!
You have been a cheerleader on the all-girl squad for 4 years: what is your favorite part of being a cheerleader? My favorite part of being a cheerleader is just being involved. We are given so many great opportunities to represent our school’s athletic teams and student organizations. Being a part of all the school spirit and pride has made my experience here at North Texas unforgettable!
You have been a captain for 2 years: what is the key to being a good leader? After being in a leadership position for 2 years I would say that it is important to know your team and connect with your teammates. As a captain it is your responsibility to make decisions that will be beneficial to your squad and your program, and that is only possible if you know your teams goals and motives. Always put your team first!
What does the cheer team do at basketball games during a normal year? This has not been the typical year for us when it comes to cheering on our teams. We would normally be cheering on the Mean Green right by the court in front of the student section. During timeouts we got the chance to interact with the crowd by doing stunts, pyramids, tumbling, and band chants on the court. Although this year has been unlike past years we are still grateful that we were given the opportunity to safely cheer on our favorite basketball team from the stands!
What do you think the role of a college cheer team is today? Overall, the role of a college cheer team is to be spirit ambassadors for their college/university.
You are majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in Health Promotion: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I chose Kinesiology and Health Promotion as my field of study due to my interest in human physiology as well as health/exercise/nutrition. When it comes to post-graduation I do not have a concrete plan just yet but I do plan to continue coaching. I have been working as a gymnastics coach for about 2 years and a cheerleading instructor for about 4 years and have loved every minute of it!
How do you like basketball, and is that your favorite sport? A large part of my childhood was staying up late and watching the Dallas Mavs with my dad so I have always enjoyed watching (and now cheering for) basketball! I would not say that I have a favorite sport: I love many different sports for many different reasons. But my favorite sports TEAM? That is an easy one: GMG!
Last Saturday the Mean Green had a 4-PT OT win over Western Kentucky in the C-USA tourney title game: how excited was the student body to make its 1st NCAA tourney appearance since 2010? A Mean Green win is always an exciting time for the city of Denton. We are especially proud of our boys for bringing back ANOTHER C-USA championship title: light the tower!
Due to COVID your team has been unable to participate this season and you will not be traveling with the team to Indianapolis this week: how frustrating is it to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? Our team has been able to participate this season: just from a distance! As unfortunate as it is that we are unable to travel with our basketball team this year, we understand that safety and health is the number one priority right now. We will not be courtside in Indianapolis but we will be cheering just as loud (if not louder) all the way from Denton, Texas!
You are playing Purdue tonight: any predictions? We are beyond excited to see the Mean Green play Purdue. I predict that they are going to put on a show and make all of North Texas proud: good luck boys!