On Friday UConn beat Stetson 91-52 in the 1st round of the NCAA tourney to earn a spot in the 2nd round on Sunday vs. Northwestern. The Huskies won it all last year as a 4-seed and are back this year as a 1-seed. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with UConn cheerleader Olivia Haddad about cheering for the champs.
You are from Plainville, CT: what made you choose UConn? I am very family-oriented and UConn offered me the opportunity to stay close to my family while attending a great school.
You are majoring in biology: why did you choose that subject? I have always wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, and majoring in biology allowed me to fulfill many of the prerequisites necessary for entering that field.
You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? After graduation, I will be taking a gap year to build my resume in preparation for eventually attending PA school.
You have been cheering since 5th grade: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part of being on the cheer team? I actually started cheering because of my brother. When I was in 5th grade, my brother joined our town’s Pop Warner football team (the Plainville Colts), and I saw the cheerleaders on the field at his first day of practice. I saw how much fun they were having and told my mom that it was something I had to do. Now I am so fortunate to be able to cheer at the college level for such an amazing school, and the best part is the experiences that I have been given. Being part of a National Championship and a Big East Tournament title are experiences I will always remember, especially getting to do it alongside my best friends.
You got to attend the Final 4 last year as the Huskies won the title: what is your favorite memory from their championship season? My favorite part about last season was getting to see how amazing the culture at UConn really is. There is nothing like the UConn fan base: they show up for every game and bring such amazing energy. It is incredible to watch the dedication that both the players/fans have to prove, again and again, that UConn is the basketball capital of the world.
You are a captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? The key to being a good leader is gaining the respect and trust of your teammates to effectively lead the team. When Coach Charmaine entrusted me with the responsibility of leading this team alongside my two other co-captains, I knew I was going to do my part to guide the team to be the best we can be.
You are also the community outreach officer: what does that involve? As the community outreach officer, I am in charge of connecting our team with outside organizations and events. One of the most important events we are involved in is HuskyTHON, an 18-hour-long dance marathon to support Connecticut Children’s Hospital. Given the significance of this event, my co-officer Lauren and I prepare all year through fundraising and various meetings.
How much importance do you place on community service? Being part of the cheer team is so rewarding because it allows me to be very involved in my community. As the community outreach officer, I am deeply involved in HuskyTHON. It is a dance marathon where we dance alongside our miracle kids and their families to fight for the chance to one day end childhood illness. Seeing the bravery of these kids and their families is the most amazing part of this event, and the ability to connect my team to work alongside this organization is the best part of this position.
Your school also has a top-3 seed in the women’s NCAA tourney: how excited is everyone on campus this month? Here at UConn everyone on campus looks forward to March because we are the basketball capital of the world. We have some of the best coaches/players of all time at this university, which is why March is such an important month at Storrs. Our women’s basketball team is one of the best in the country so everyone at UConn loves watching them play. Gampel Pavilion has such an amazing environment, and being able to host Rounds 1 & 2 while supporting our team has everyone very excited!
What did you think about the win over Stetson, and do you think that your team can win it all again? In the game against Stetson, I knew UConn would prevail because of how well they have played this season. Our men’s basketball team has proven both last year/this year that they are the best team in the country. Because there is so much talent on that team and they work so well together, they can definitely win it all again!