Sports & Sororities! Interview with UTK Cheerleader Hailey Hudson
We conducted this interview as an encouragement to high-school girls who may be pursuing college athletics, Greek Life and/or interested in getting involved in campus ministry during their 4 years of college!
Reminder to all girls reading this: You can do hard things. You can set big goals. The best is yet to come. I believe in you! -Leighton (founder of Recruitment Ready)
Okay, pep talk aside-Let’s read along!
Hailey! Tell us where you are from!
I’m from Knoxville, Tennessee! A born and raised UT fan!
What’s your favorite part about being in college?
My favorite part about college so far has been the opportunities to meet so many new people. I have so many friends that I have come to love like family that I have only known since August. Through my cheer team, sorority, and classes I feel like I have had so many doors open for me and it has lead me into relationships with some of the most intentional people I’ve ever met. On top of this, I love that you can make your experience your own. My experience doesn’t look exactly like anyone else’s and I love that I can decide how I want to spend my time. In high school, I felt like my days tended to look very similar to one another but this is not the case for my college experience. Everyday is filled with new blessings, challenges, and memories that I’ll get to cherish forever.
Tell us what it’s like being a college cheerleader:
I would say that being a college cheerleader at the University of Tennessee is one of my biggest blessings and is easily one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever been apart of. I get to spend almost everyday with 38 people that have come to be people I consider family. At Tennessee, we get to cheer for volleyball, basketball, and football. On top of being apart of these game days, we also compete at UCA nationals in January. This year we won 1st place in the D1A gameday division and this easily was one of my favorite memories of the season because so many hours of hardwork went into this championship. It’s a part of college cheerleading not many people see but it is part of our season that is very important to our program.
Another one of my favorite parts of being a college cheerleader at the Tennessee is our overall gameday experiences from running through the T in a checkered Neyland Stadium to standing on the courtside of a packed out Thompson Boling Arena during a basketball game.
I grew up coming to these Tennessee games and I always dreamed of being on the sidelines, so now being able to change lives on game days is definitely my biggest “why” for my college cheer career. Overall, my experience as a college cheerleader has been one of my greatest gifts yet.
Is it hard to balance cheer and being in a sorority?
As a freshman, I am still learning the balance between my commitment to my cheer team and being a member of Alpha Delta Pi at the University of Tennessee. My overall rush experience looked slightly different than most people going through the initial rush week in August , however I was able to make both work through time management and help from other team members who had been through the rush process in years before me. I would go straight from my cheer practices to making my various philanthropy, sisterhood, and preference rounds in sorority village ,and then most times would quickly head back to practice upon the moment I left the house doors. This week of rush was one of the hardest parts of my sorority experience thus far but made bid day so much more special to me when I got to run home to Alpha Delta Pi. Since then, I have definitely found my balance between being able to take part of various events with my sorority as well as being 100% committed to my cheer team.
Bid Day 2023! Photo shared with permission.
Bid Day 2023! Photo shared with permission.
What is one piece of advice you would give a girl that wants to rush this year?
My biggest piece of advice for a girl who wants to rush this year would be to have an open mind going into your rush experience. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the whole rush process but at the end of the week you will end up right where you’re supposed to be. It’s so important to walk into these houses and just be your true self and find out where you feel most at home.
Is it hard to balance academics, Greek life and being a collegiate athlete?
It’s definitely a challenge and requires a lot of time management. There is only so much people share on social media where it looks like they have everything figured out (including myself) but this is not reality. However challenging, it can be manageable with setting your priorities and leaning on friends, family, teammates, and coaches when you need help. It’s so normal not to have everything figured out, especially your first semester of college. You are given so much more freedom and it’s up to you to determine what deserves your time. My major is Kinesiology (Pre-PA) and I spend a lot of hours doing school work and studying to reach my future goals. I have to plan out my assignments weeks in advance to make sure I don’t miss a beat between cheer practices, cheering at games, and attending various sorority events. While this is a challenge, I have found my groove in being able to manage all three. Luckily, ADPI at Tennessee has been so helpful in my learning process and has been more than understanding if I can’t make every single chapter meeting or event. Communication is key and I promise you will have so many people in your corner that love you and are rooting for you! It’s safe to say that I stay busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way and I feel super blessed that I get to be so involved during my college experience.
Photo shared with permission.
We know your faith is important to you...how have you incorporated your faith into your college life?
Since coming to college at the University of Tennessee, I have never felt so lead, heard, and supported by people who are also walking in their faith journey. On Monday nights, I attend 1-TENN a fellowship service for athletes at the University. This fellowship service has become my favorite night of the week because I get to worship and spend time listening to such knowledgeable and wise leaders who speak and lead us through our college experience and all of life that follows! I carpool to this fellowship service with teammates and it’s become a moment in my week where I can step away from the chaos and just enjoy their company. It’s safe to say that my coaches and teammates have been some of the biggest influences in my life and they all continue to show me what faithful relationships look like everyday. Since becoming a member of Alpha Delta Pi, I had been so blessed with friendships that encourage me and remind me what friendships centered in Christ look like and I have never felt so confident that God has lead me right where I’m supposed to be in this chapter of my life.
Photo shared with permission
Thanks so much for your time! Last question!
What is one piece of advice you would give a girl that wants to try out for cheerleading in college?
My one piece of advice I would give for a girl that wants to try out for cheerleading in college is to be committed to the process. I cheered for 10+ years and attended various college cheer clinics to find out which team I could see myself being apart of. I spent a lot of hours coed stunting to feel prepared for my recruitment process at Tennessee and I just had to remind myself to be confident in my own skill set. At the end of the day, you have been given these gifts for a reason and there is no need to compare yourself to other athletes. You will end up right where you’re supposed to be!
Recruitment Ready exists to offer a positive resource to young girls and we are thrilled you made it over to our blog. If you have any questions about our coaching services or offerings please email get.recruitment.ready@gmail.com or book directly with this link here!
Cheering you on!
