Spirit Squad | November 24, 2022

From a young age, many people seek the connections and relationships that come from being part of a team. The opportunity to be a part of something bigger than oneself is a tool that breeds success. Niiyonah Kitchings has shown her commitment to being a team player throughout her college experience. 
 
Kitchings, an Aiken, S.C. native, chose USC Aiken due to the proximity to her home and family, along with the adoration she took to the campus. 
 
"My sister graduated from USCA and when I visited it, I fell in love. I knew I didn't want to go far, so it was my clear choice," said Kitchings. 
 
Kitchings began doing cheer at the age of four. She found that cheer was something that helped her to find a sense of place and belonging. When she came to USC Aiken during her freshman year, she immediately took action to be on the cheer team. 
 
At the time of her freshman year, USC Aiken had both a dance and cheer team. These teams were separate in their performances but similar in their roles and shared spaces. After Kitchings' first year of being on the cheer team, a decision was made that combined the cheer and dance teams, creating the Spirit Squad. 
 
"My freshman year at USC Aiken, there was a cheer and a dance team. I was on the cheer team. They ended up combining the two so that led me to the Spirit Squad. I was fine with it because I have a passion for cheer. Anything was fine with me," said Kitchings. 
 
Though Kitchings felt the drive to maintain her position on the team, many others realized this jarring change was not for them. Through the transition, many members of both teams chose not to continue with the Spirit Squad. 
 
Kitchings said, "There were a lot of girls who left. This year we had two tryouts. The second one had a good amount of people and the majority of them earned a spot on the team. With so many seniors from last year's team, we did not have a lot of returners for this season."
 
Kitchings could not be driven away from her passion, even though it was very different than what she had imagined. Her love for cheer was rooted deep inside, motivating her to stand with this new team. 
 
"It was challenging at first getting with dancers who knew nothing about cheer, and cheerleaders getting with dancers who knew nothing about dance. But, it all worked out in the end," said Kitchings.
 
The transition period was somewhat seamless for Kitchings as she went from one team to the next. Making the change from being a cheerleader to the Spirit Squad was a matter of involving movements that already came naturally to her. 
 
Kitchings said, "For me, the transition wasn't too hard. I grew up in a family of dance so it felt fairly natural. The biggest adjustment was the amount we dance. We dance more than we cheer so that was the biggest change."
 
For Kitchings, she finds the most satisfaction in the execution of her team's performances, along with the relationships that have been built between her teammates.  
 
"I love going out and performing but most importantly I love building bonds with my teammates," said Kitchings.
 
Kitchings, an Exercise and Sports Science major, plans to pursue a career in physical therapy following graduation.