Kaden White, a human development and family studies major with a minor in psychology, spends a good portion of his time balancing class schedules, homework and studying.
Add in cheer practice, workouts and sporting events, which doesn’t even begin to describe the roles he takes on as a second-year student. He also has two jobs on campus: a desk clerk for Residence Life and a campus service officer for BGSU Police.
White’s beaming smile can be seen even behind his Falcons’ mask, and his teammates say his contagious laugh can brighten anyone’s day. He wears his bright orange practice uniform as he balances the responsibilities of being a student-athlete at a Division I school.
“How I stay sane is scheduling things where I can, but also taking time to myself and remembering that I am still a human. I need sleep and I need time to socialize. It is hard but you have to have a strict schedule,” White said.
Earlier this year, the BGSU Cheerleading team traveled to Orlando, Florida for the UCA Cheerleading National Championship and placed third in both divisions. White is a base on the small co-ed team and appreciates the program’s culture. According to a 2022 article from BGSU, the cheerleading team placed in the top 10 in the nation for the past 12 years.
Mikayla Russ, BGSU Cheerleading assistant coach, described the team’s culture as a family atmosphere deeply rooted in tradition. The nationally ranked program also creates an uplifting environment through accountability, open communication and honesty.
“We’ve seen Kaden really jump into the family atmosphere. He’s coming in early to help his teammates out with spotting skills. When he comes in early to spot skills, he is not worried about himself, he’s focused on being there for his teammates. We see him staying after practice to work on his skills, so you see he is focused on others and then you see him taking that accountability piece by getting extra reps in,” Russ said.
Grace Engle, a second-year on BGSU’s Cheerleading team, said White is a dedicated member of the program. Despite being busy, she said he puts the team first and is one of the hardest workers at practice.
“On bad days he’s always that person to come up to you and ask how you are doing. That can take you from a bad mood to a good mood,” Engle said.
Similar to any first-year student at a new university, White said he struggled to find people he could relate to. This academic year he found a community within the BGSU Cheerleading team and met more people of color around campus who understood him on a cultural level.
For White, time management skills come naturally. He explained that although cheer is busy, he is busy all the time with his other commitments. However, he is thankful for the community he is a part of and being surrounded by teammates who understand balancing cheer, school, work and social life.
Russ also recognized the impact White has had on the team over the past few months as he recently joined the team in fall 2021.
“Kaden is definitely one of the more outspoken, positive voices in the program. He has been here for three months, and people love him. He is so positive, supportive of others and he is vocal about it. I think he is still growing into the culture because of his newness, but he is definitely affecting his teammates in that verbal leadership position by having a positive outlook,” Russ said.
BGSU Cheerleading has an open communication policy for all student-athletes. Coaches schedule one-on-one meetings to support athletes who may struggle with time management. Additionally, the staff links athletes to resources offered on-campus including mental health and tutoring.
“I think that for students at a university it is hard for a lot of us, if not all of us, to recognize that you are not alone and there is always someone who can relate to you and what you’re going through. I think that helps us grow as people and as a community. That is my biggest goal, to grow as a person and help the person who happens to be standing next to me,” White said.
