The bulldog basketball team draws in large crowds of students and Asheville community members alike looking to enjoy a fast-paced, entertaining game on the court. But, if you look to the sidelines, you’ll find a different sort of athlete providing support to the players and entertainment for the crowd.
“The Spirit and Dance Team, along with our Bulldog Game Day band, are great additions to the game day experience and another way that students at UNC Asheville can find ways to belong,” said Janet Cone, director of athletics at UNC Asheville.
In October 2023, current Cheer and Dance Team Coach Sarah Mohr took over the spirit program when the previous coach abruptly left. Due to budget cuts, she remains the only coach since then, despite the spirit team being made up of both cheer and dance.
“The most difficult thing is not being able to be in two places at once to provide direct in-game support to both teams during home basketball games,” Mohr said.
With only one coach for two teams on opposite sides of the court, Mohr is forced to trust that her training off the court will guide the dance team’s performance on it.
Mohr said she is fortunate enough to have Director of Campus Recreation Leah Belt provide support to the team every step of the way.
“When I stepped into the director of campus recreation role in 2022, oversight of the Cheer and Dance team was an existing part of that position’s responsibilities. This is my third season being involved and managing the administrative needs of the teams,” Belt said.
Mohr said she expresses immense gratitude to Belt, as her support has helped Mohr build the team up to what it is today. The early months of her coaching career consisted of regular meetings with Belt and the captains of both the cheer and dance teams in order to get a sense of the direction and needs the program was looking for, according to Mohr.
“I still work closely with (Belt) and with members of the athletic department outside of practices to work on developing and maintaining a program that contributes to the mission and vision of the UNC Asheville Bulldog Athletics department and the University,” Mohr said.
Along with a change in dance team administration and coaching, there has recently been a shift in the funding the team receives.
“Just recently, an alumnus (of the UNC Asheville dance team) began an endowment that the cheer and dance teams have benefited from,” Mohr said.
One change that resulted from the installation of this endowment is the removal of dues that team members previously had to pay in order to participate.
According to 20-year-old Carly Winter, captain of the UNC Asheville dance team, the member dues were $100.
“I got t-shirts with that money, but my coach bought leggings and didn’t let us keep them,” she said. “I also had to pay for my own shoes. All we got to keep that year were the two t-shirts they bought us.”
The team also receives funding from the school, according to Belt.
“The cheer and dance teams are both funded through the Division of Student Affairs, similar to student clubs,” Mohr said. “This funding enables the university to hire a coach and support staff. Funding is also used for refreshing equipment or uniforms when possible and travel-related expenses associated with the Big South tournament.”
Dance is not recognized as a sport by the NCAA according to the list of sports on the official NCAA website, and therefore it is up to the individual university to determine the support their team will receive. With limited resources from UNC Asheville, much of the work falls back on the captains, said the UNC Asheville Dance Team Captain.
“Both cheer and dance captains choreograph, teach, critique, mediate, confront, and make the on-court decisions,” Winter said. “Oftentimes, it feels as if there isn’t much tangible support for the captains.”
When it comes to financial compensation for the spirit teams, the UNC Asheville Game Day Band members receive a $45 payment per game, according to the official UNC Asheville Wind Band’s webpage.
“Captains don’t get scholarships anymore (like they used to). They don’t get much talking or true decision power, and it feels hard to receive social support when it comes to smaller dramas,” Winter said.
Though it is not tangible, the work does not come with no reward, according to Winter.
“With captainship does come a team who has your back through those hard decisions,” Winter said. “Those friendships that are made through teams like cheer and dance are very motivating and rewarding.”
