Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with an interview of Northeastern cheerleader Jenna Barber about being a captain and her prediction for tonight’s game vs. Hampton.
You are from North Attleboro, MA: what made you choose Northeastern? It is a really good school that offers a lot of career opportunities.
You are majoring in psychology/behavioral neuroscience: how did you choose those subjects? I am in a “Plus 1” program so I am also getting my Masters in applied behaior analysis. I enjoy working with kids, and psychology is the best prerequisite major to do that.
You are captain of the team: what is the key to being a good leader? We are a club sport but compete at a national level. The keys are to lead by example and be a role model for my teammates.
You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? I currently work as a therapist for a behavioral consulting agency.
After not winning more than 12 games in any of the past 4 years the Huskies won 17 this year: is it more fun to cheer for the team now that they are doing well? It is definitely more fun! The basketball team also seems to be enjoying it, and the game-day atmosphere this year has been great.
What has been the highlight of your season so far: beating up on some of the other Boston schools in November, Senior Night, other? Senior Night was very fun. We beat North Carolina A&T, and after taking a big lead our coach put in the seniors!
Your squad is ranked 3rd in the nation in all-girl D-1: what would it mean to you to win NCA nationals next month? It would mean pretty much everything. Our coach Kennedy Pagano has worked with us for the past 4 years to help us become as competitive as we are: it would be my peak.
How does your team decide who gets to go to DC, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? There are 24 girls on the team and we choose the 12 strongest to come to DC. It is the only time all year that we travel with the team: it is nice to support them and do more outreach in new places.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for this week? It is a chance to hang out as a team, and since we have our strongest cheerleaders it allows us to perform more advanced skills on the sideline.
Any predictions for your game on Saturday vs. Hampton? I think our team will do well. We used to have a situation where our 1 best player would have to carry the whole team, but this year is great because everyone has been feeding off each other.
