Gymnastics, tumbling, and dance—each are a fixture in the life of any competitive cheerleader worth his or her salt.
Such was the case with former Madonna cheerleader Kesley Crawford, whose talents helped the Blue Dons to multiple OVAC Class A championships and state tournament appearances.
Crawford caught the bug early and already had logged years of competitive gymnastics when she attended a student clinic at The Ohio State University in Columbus back during the 2015-2016 school year.
Then, an up-and-coming eighth grader, Crawford came to the realization that cheering, and collegiate cheering in particular, needed to be part of her future.
“Throughout high school I worked extremely hard to gain elite skill and transition my tumbling form spring floor to dead floor,” Crawford said. “After I attended that clinic at Ohio State, I was hooked. So, cheering in college became an important goal.”
Goal set. The question? Where to achieve it.
Crawford had a number of schools in mind, but there was always one atop her wish list. She admits her grandparents influenced her at a young age, but like many students at area Catholic Schools in the valley, cheer, cheer, cheering for Old Notre Dame is nearly compulsory.
But was literally cheering for the Irish a possibility? Getting into the hallowed halls in South Bend isn’t exactly easy.
“I visited Notre Dame many times and attended a cheer clinic there. I absolutely loved the team and coaches, so I anxiously waited to see if I could gain admission, but not sure if I had what it took to get accepted.”
Crawford recalled receiving her letter for the university while in Charleston at the state cheering competition. She saw the email from the admissions office, and read it aloud to her teammates in the elevator.
“Everyone started jumping and hugging me. It was a memorable moment,” Crawford recalled.
The Next Step
Once Crawford gained acceptance to Notre Dame, the next step involved making the team, not an easy task for an incoming freshman. That difficulty increased having to do so utilizing a virtual tryout.
Crawford penned a personal statement essay in addition to her application forms. Then came the hard part. She had to film herself performing the fight song, the cheers and various body positions required.
A skills’ video also needed to be submitted, displaying Crawford’s tumbling talents and partner stunts. She advanced past the first round, which then require additional film footage of her tumbling.
“It was nerve racking not to be there in person, but it was a fun experience,” said Crawford, he wound up being the only freshman selected for the team. It’s an honor she’s “extremely thankful for.”
Mission accomplished. Crawford not only gained acceptance to Notre Dame, but would be joining the cheer squad.
So how was that first experience?
“It was amazing. I’d never actually been to a game (here) before, so it was a fantastic experience,” Crawford admitted. “During the games we were not allowed on the field, so we cheered in the stands. However, we were still able to perform with the band and cheer to the students.
“I’d always been a fan, but never understood how much of a family Notre Dame is, which made me fall in love with the University even more.”
Balancing the Rigors
Excitement abounded to be sure. But after all, this is university and Crawford is here to work toward her future. She’s certainly not chosen an easy path.
Even less difficult degrees, when paired with the rigors of collegiate athletics, can lead to a demanding daily schedule.
Crawford’s degree path? Yeah, it’s not one of the ‘less difficult’ ones.
“I recently declared my major in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in bioengineering,” Crawford said. “I plan on attending medical school in the future and would like to pursue a career in pediatric surgery. One adjustment is the overwhelming focus on science classes but it’s definitely more difficult than my typical high school schedule.”
Crawford’s balancing act became more difficult recently when she made not only the cheerleading squad, but its competition squad going forward.
Already splitting her time between studies, practice, and cheering for football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball, now Crawford must add in skills competition practice and preparation.
“Navigating the demands of my college classes has been a learning curve,” she admitted. “The expectations are extremely high, so I have to study much more than I did in high school.”
Crawford is thankful her coach fully believes in academics being the team’s top priority and that the coach is understanding when tests or exam interfere with cheering.
There’s a reason head coach Delayna Herndon earned the ACC Spirit Coach of the Year award. She has her squad’s back and best interests at heart and, in return, they reward her with their max effort and attention.
Safe to say Crawford is enjoying her time and is honored to be a member of the Fighting Irish cheer squad, and its student body. Her success and attend likely have university staff feeling they made the right call in granting her acceptance.
“As a cheerleader, I am an ambassador for the university, which I take seriously,” Crawford said. “This way, I can make a positive impact on people as Notre Dame cheerleaders also serve the community and helping others is something I have always been very passionate about.”
