WEST POINT, Ala. — West Point junior cheerleader Alli Tucker-Hillman will be going into her third year on varsity this fall, and she shared some of what she’s learned from her teammates and coaches during that time.
“It’s been good. I’ve had a great season so far and we’ve gotten so good in so little time. I can’t wait for the season to start,” Tucker-Hillman said. “I’ve learned more about how to be a team player, leadership, and how I can represent my school better in a positive way. It’s been a blast and I couldn’t ask for better teammates. I’ve learned how to improve my skills, confidence, and overall passion for the sport.”
Alli has loved cheering under head coach Kristy McCrickard and has soaked up as much as she can from her. She also learned some things from last year’s seniors as well. She got to experience going to state her freshman year and knows it will take a lot of hard work to get back there this year.
“She is definitely an amazing coach and leader. She has helped me through so many things in and out of cheer. She is so sweet and caring, but she knows when to push us and make us work harder. I’ve definitely learned time management, how to be a better and stronger cheerleader, and how to better prepare for my future. They were great at cheering, and they were like big sisters to me. I learned a lot of technique and confidence from them,” Tucker-Hillman said. “It was an awesome experience. I was definitely nervous, but in the end, it was worth it. It will take a lot of hard work and it definitely won’t be easy, but I believe our team will get there.”
Alli has seen improvements in not only her performance, but the team’s performance as well. She will definitely continue to put in the work in the offseason as she gets ready for next season. She has some goals set for this upcoming season.
“As a team, we’ve improved a lot, but personally, I feel like I’ve improved, not only on my skills, but as a cheerleader overall,” she said. “I will continue to work on my skills and leadership to make sure that I’m putting forth the effort to make the team better. My individual goals are to get my layout on the floor and a full on an air track, and my team goals are to make it to Nationals and become stronger and closer.”
Alli thinks this cheer season will be very special for West Point. She looks up to a college cheerleader and she talked about the best advice that someone ever gave her.
“When people watch us, they will see that we have more drive, work ethic, and we’ve gotten much stronger,” she said. “I look up to Alabama cheerleader Mary Sergi. I just love her personality and how hard she works to be an amazing flyer and cheerleader. The best advice that someone ever gave me would be to always be confident in my skills and work hard.”
