From football Saturdays at Lincoln Financial Field to volleyball matches at McGonigle Hall, Temple University thrives on energy and school pride. Yet, there is more to the gameday livelihood than a simple Hooter outing. Across every Temple venue and season, the school’s cheerleading squad serves as a constant reminder of school spirit and what it means to be an Owl.
Cheerleading Head Coach Jenna Komosinski has been at the team’s helm for seven years, along with an additional five years as an assistant coach. With over a decade of experience in North Philadelphia, it is a community that has spoken to her like no other.
“There’s something about being on Broad Street–being at Temple– like the grit that they have. I just can’t imagine it being the same way anywhere else,” said Komosinski. “This is a place where you would find that spark.”
Contrary to public perception, college cheerleading extends much further than the sidelines. Anthony Ciliberto, a senior on the team, understands how much that perception contrasts with the work the team puts in behind the scenes.
“The biggest misunderstanding is that all we do is hold pom poms and cheer,” Ciliberto said. “When in reality, we’re practicing about 15 to 20 hours a week, working very hard nonstop; it goes all year, even when games are done.”
Cheerleading is a demanding sport that requires precision, strength, discipline, and unwavering trust. This becomes even more challenging when juggling performances for multiple sports.
“It is challenging to support a lot of the athletic teams while we’re doing our own training for our own competition,” Komosinski said.
Komosinski is not the only one to echo these demands. For the cheerleaders who perform on both the hardwood and the field, these issues go beyond just practice.
“The hardest part about being on a college cheer team would be time management and learning how to deal with all our practice hours along with class, work, and still having a social life,” Ciliberto said. “For a football game, we’re there five hours early working through our pregame routine, working with the band, the dance team, and everyone facilitating at [Lincoln Financial Field] to make the one big picture come together, and it’s just awesome. It’s a long day, but it’s great.”
The autumn football performances are just one of the many aspects of a hectic cheer season. Yet, none are as critical as the preparation for their biggest event: Nationals.
“My proudest moment of this season was at UCA Nationals,” Ciliberto said. “We competed at Worlds, and we placed second. It was an awesome, awesome experience for our whole team.”
UCA Nationals is an annual collegiate competition that crowns national champions across multiple divisions, including cheer. Widely regarded as the most prestigious collegiate championship, the event serves as a priority in regard to preparation for Temple cheer. To achieve their desired performance, the squad must perform as a unit.
“Our team is very diverse and from a lot of backgrounds, which is really helpful and adds to the characteristics and personalities on the team,” Komosinski said. “But it’s tough to get people from so many backgrounds and styles of cheerleading together to make sure our look is cohesive, and all our stunt technique and stuff is the same.”
To ensure the team is balanced skill-wise, they spend time in-camp during the summer. This provides time for preparation while allowing the cheerleaders to workshop needed skills for the upcoming school year. These practices are then reinforced in the fall to knock off potential rust for upcoming athletic events.
“We consider ourselves ambassadors of the University, so whatever we do also reflects on Temple,” Ciliberto said. “So we love to put our best foot forward, do good, help our community, and truly just be a part of Temple and show them how much we care for the school.”