Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The A-10 Tournament is taking place this week 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 commences our coverage from DC with an interview of Rhode Island cheerleader Sophia Castilletti about cheering for a winning team and her prediction for today’s game vs. Fordham.
You are from Long Island: what made you choose Rhode Island? A major part of my decision was the cheer team.
You are majoring in nursing: how did you choose that subject? URI has a really good nursing program. My mom is a nurse so I grew up around it: she would always tell me stories so her passion made me want to follow in her footsteps.
You are a junior: what is the post-graduation plan? I want to get a job but am unsure what specialty to choose yet. I might also go to grad school.
What has been the highlight of your season so far: starting 9-0, Senior Night, other? Starting 9-0 was great, but our upset over Providence at home in that 9th game was the highlight because it is a big rivalry within the state.
The Rams had losing seasons each of the past 4 years but are 18-12 this year: is it more fun to cheer for the team when they are playing well? Yes, but even when they are having a losing season it is not hard to remain in high spirits. The more energy we can bring on the sideline, the more energy the players will have on the court.
How does your school 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? Our coach decides who will go based on availability/experience, so our upperclassmen travel more often. It is very exciting to get an opportunity to show off our skills in front of a large audience.
Does your band have anything extra-special planned for this week? Not really: we practiced yesterday to make sure all our skills are perfect and hopefully we will keep winning.
Any predictions for your game today vs. Fordham? I think our chances are good: we played them last Saturday and our team won by almost 20 PTS because the team did what it had to do.
