It has been a wild week for the Irish: sweating out Selection Sunday waiting to hear their name called, then a 2-PT 2-OT win over Rutgers in Dayton on Wednesday, followed by a 14-PT win over Alabama in San Diego earlier today. Their reward: a date with Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon to see who will go to the Sweet 16 next week! Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Notre Dame pom squad member Caroline Leonard about being a “uniquely student-led team” and that wild win on Wednesday night.
You grew up in Tennessee: what made you choose Notre Dame? My dad actually went to Notre Dame and my mom went to Saint Mary’s so I have been a Notre Dame fan my entire life! I actually went to Saint Mary’s for two years before transferring over to ND. I loved Saint Mary’s but admired the tradition and academic excellence Notre Dame would offer me.
You have 8 siblings: what impact has having such a large family had on you? Having such a large family has always been my biggest blessing. There was always something going on when I was growing up so I never got bored! The friendships I have formed with my siblings have given me the opportunity to learn so much about myself and about being friends with and caring for other people outside of my family as well. My 5 brothers/3 sisters are all so unique that it is so much fun when we all get to be together.
You got your bachelor’s degree in Psychology last year and are now pursuing a Masters of Science in Management degree: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I chose Psychology for undergrad because it was just the first subject that I was actually truly interested in learning about. I love the science behind what happens in people’s minds and how that prompts them to act in certain ways: it is just intriguing! For my Masters, I chose Notre Dame’s MSM program because it offered me the opportunity to take an ample amount of business classes, giving me the tools I need to succeed in my future. The MSM program is geared towards students who did not major in business in undergrad: everyone is on the same playing field and trying to learn as much as possible about business and management before we go out into the real world. I currently have no set post-graduation plan, but am applying for jobs and keeping my options open. I know that my first job is probably not going to be what I do for the rest of my life but I am excited to start this next chapter in my life.
How did you 1st get into pom, and what is the best part? I began dancing at age 12 at a dance studio in my hometown of Hendersonville, TN, and danced competitively there until I graduated high school. I also danced on my high school’s dance team, which is what made me fall in love with the “team” aspect of dance/pom. The two types of dance are similar but the dance team focuses more on cheering for your school! When I came to Notre Dame I knew that I wanted to keep dancing. Pom Squad allowed me to do that and it has been the biggest blessing being a part of such a close-knit group of dedicated and hardworking individuals the past 4 years.
Your website says you are a “uniquely student-led team”: what does that mean? Pom Squad is actually a Club Sport so we are not funded by the University at all. We raise all our own money to fund our uniforms, poms, and other team necessities. We are student led in that we do not have a coach: it is run by two co-captains that essentially do it all! They plan, schedule, market, choreograph, and run practices/the team. The captains are basically the coaches but we lead our peers, which provides challenges of course, but also is very rewarding. I have been blessed to be captain of the Pom Squad for two years now.
What do you think the role of a college pom squad is today, and how has it changed over time? The role of a college pom squad is to always promote spirit for the school you are cheering for. We are different from cheer in that we perform short dances for athletic events rather than tumble and do stunts. Over time, college pom squads/dance teams have evolved into a more competitive nature. These girls put in just as much time and effort as other athletic teams but are often not as recognized in what they do.
How frustrating has it been to be part of a spirit squad for a great basketball team during a pandemic? Extremely! It was so hard providing opportunities for the Pom Squad to perform at. During a time where everyone really needed some spirit and pep we were unable to give it to them: it was hard on everybody. All we wanted to do was be able to cheer on our teams and get everyone involved again. We were very lucky and happy to be able to get back to cheering and dancing at games this season.
Last Sunday the Irish made the NCAA tourney as an at-large selection: how excited was everybody to see them make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2017? It was incredible! Our basketball team has really worked hard and everyone was so excited that they would finally get another opportunity to showcase their talent in their sport.
On Wednesday night in the 1st 4 Notre Dame had a 2-PT 2-OT win over Rutgers: where does that rank among the most exciting games that you have ever seen, and was the campus going nuts after the last-second win? That game was so exciting especially since it was ND’s first time in the NCAA tournament in a long time. It was definitely one of the most exciting games that I have seen, and yes the campus was crazy-happy!
Any predictions for Sunday vs. Texas Tech? I think that as long as we come out strong from the very start we have a good chance of getting another Irish win!