Samantha Collins, a senior on the SDSU Cheer team, has dedicated the past 12 years of her life to cheer. When the San Jose native was recruited her freshman year to cheer for SDSU, she saw it as an opportunity to regain the passion she once had for cheerleading. Collins has been a part of the D1A All-Girl Division all four years at SDSU, and this past January, she helped her team place fourth overall at Universal Cheerleaders Association Nationals in Orlando, Fla.
How have the team and the community impacted your experience as an SDSU Cheerleader?
The reason we keep doing it is for the relationships, the lessons we learn, the people, and the community that's been built. At San Diego State, we say that we're family, and it's really true. When I graduate, I will 100% miss the people and my coaches the most. I'll miss doing cheer; my body definitely won't, but it's the people that have really made this program something so memorable.
What keeps you motivated to be a cheerleader?
I completely lost my passion for cheerleading when I was in high school. Coming to San Diego State, that light has been reignited, and I can end my cheer career on such an amazing note because of the experience I've had. A lot of the time, people don't know how much emotion and everything that goes into it, because we're in our own secluded little bubble. It can be really intense emotionally because of how much we invest in it.
Samantha Collins, on base, holding up her team at UCA Nationals. SDSU Cheer.
Samantha Collins, performing in the D1A All Girls Division at UCA Nationals. SDSU Cheer
What is something others may not know about cheerleaders?
We compete at Universal Cheerleaders Association Nationals every January, and that's what the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday practices are for. It is for our competition. Most of the football and basketball preparation is … in the summer, and we don't really touch that again. The whole season is mainly dedicated to preparing for nationals. A lot of people don't know that because they only see us at the games or at these events, and they don't even know that we compete.
Do you consider cheerleading to be a sport?
Cheerleading is undoubtedly a sport. By definition, a sport involves physical exertion, specialized skill, and competition, all of which are central to cheerleading. We dedicate countless hours each week to mastering complex stunts, elite tumbling passes, and precise choreography that require strength, technique, and trust. These are not skills the average person can perform without extensive training. Our preparation mirrors that of any Division I athletic program. We participate in structured strength training, conditioning, and cardio to build the power and endurance necessary to safely execute high level skills. Our routine is designed to compete on a national stage against the top programs in the country, where performance, difficulty, and execution are scored by a panel of judges. Beyond competition, we also serve as ambassadors for our university. Our responsibilities extend to supporting other athletic teams, attending community events, and representing the institution in media appearances. Balancing these commitments with an intense training schedule requires discipline and resilience. The physical intensity, mental focus, and competitive environment of cheerleading demand the same, if not greater, level of commitment as many traditionally recognized sports. Cheerleaders are athletes in every sense of the word.
Do you consider yourself an athlete first or a cheerleader first? Or, are they the same in your mind?
I believe the strength and stamina required for cheerleading are often overlooked. Many people focus on the energy and crowd engagement they see on the sidelines, but they rarely see the hours of training and repetition that happen behind the scenes. Not only executing our skills, but doing them safely is both physically demanding and mentally intense. I do not separate being an athlete from being a cheerleader. Cheer is the sport I compete in, so the two identities go hand in hand. The preparation, the pressure to perform, and the commitment to constant improvement are no different from any other collegiate sport. For me, cheerleading is simply the title of the sport, and an athlete is what I am because of the work it requires.
SDSU Cheerleaders at Carlsbad High School on Dec. 16. SDSU Cheer.
As a fourth year on the team, what role have you stepped into this year, and how does the team look up to you?
It's been really exciting to step into that role finally, and it's really nice to be someone the underclassmen can look to with questions and the day-to-day stuff. There can be a lot of rules when it comes to being a cheerleader, because we are the face of the university, representing something much bigger than us. … So, it's really nice to be someone that they can come to with their questions, and they don't feel afraid to ask anything.
What advice do you have for freshman cheerleaders stepping onto the team?
It's really interesting, because after college, there really is no professional cheer world ... So college is kind of the last opportunity you have, and it just ends forever. That’s why I would advise them to be able to take advantage of all these opportunities and experiences that they were able to get. It is just something really special.
