This year, Chapman has added cheerleaders back to the court. After a three year break, varsity cheerleaders now cheer at varsity basketball games.

Athletic Director Michael Pettit was the one who made this decision, hoping to improve the experience for everyone.

“One of my big goals coming to Chapman is to improve the gameday experience, and I think bringing the cheerleaders back to basketball games will help generate the atmosphere and culture I am looking to create,” said Pettit.

Cheering for basketball is very different than it is for football.This is very new for some of the players and cheerleaders.

”I like basketball because it goes by faster and it’s not so boring just waiting for a play to happen, and it’s constant,” said sophomore cheerleader Sydney Lance.

The cheerleaders aren’t the only ones who like being there; the players also enjoy them being around.

“Yeah, I think it’s great,” junior Hawken Smith said. “I think they provide a lot of energy. It’s much better than it was in years past.”

Junior Jamie Lamaster agrees.

“It was bland without them because we don’t really have big crowds so the cheerleaders make it better,” he said.

Cheering at basketball has been good for the relationships among the cheerleaders.

“I think it’s impacted us in a good way because we get to see our teammates in the off season more, and we still cheer together, even if we’re not competing,” Lance said.

Pettit said that having cheerleaders at games is not just a passing idea:

“As long as I am the Athletic Director at Chapman, we will have cheerleaders at basketball games.”