I took a week off of school to compete at NCA College Nationals in Daytona, Florida. This event took place from April 8-April 13, 2025.
Background
NCA & NDA College Nationals is the largest cheerleading and dance event in the United States.
Teams from across the country compete for the title of NCA & NDA Collegiate National Champion.
This event brings together thousands of athletes and spectators and it is known for its high-level competition and entertainment value.
If you’ve ever watched the Netflix Documentary Cheer, this competition is exactly like that.
All dance teams and intermediate division cheerleaders perform inside the Ocean Center, while the advanced cheerleading teams compete outside on the bandshell.
I have competed at Nationals for three years, and this year by far was my best and favorite experience.
Travel Day
Our team likes to leave on Tuesday, which is before our scheduled practice day, since we always fly out early in the morning.
I left my college town around 2:30 a.m. and arrived at the airport around 3:30 a.m.
After a couple of hours, we landed in Orlando, Florida at 9:00 a.m. and took a bus ride (just under 2 hours) to our hotel on the strip in Daytona.
This travel day is essential for us because by the time we arrive, we’re exhausted.
Many of us like to either sit by the pool and relax, take a nap, or get some last-minute homework done.
That same night, we always have a team dinner. This year, we had mandatory all-black dress code to look clean and crisp.
We ate at Joe’s Crab Shack, and it was amazing. This dinner is a fun way to unwind and get a nutritious meal in before all of the craziness begins.
Practice Day
Our practice day was on Wednesday, and we wore our cute new gear. This year we had a boxing theme for our routine and outfits.
Our team threw some stunts outside the Ocean Center before our scheduled practice time inside on the mat.
Inside, you get six minutes at each station.
The first station consists of two mats, which we used for tumbling, jumps, and any last-minute stretching.
The second station has three mats which we used for stunts and our pyramid.
The final station is a full-floor mat where we performed full-outs.
Being in the practice room is very overstimulating–there are multiple teams screaming counts, music playing, and NCA staff telling you when to switch stations.
After being inside, we walked across the street to the Hilton Hotel.
Behind the hotel, there are large patches of grass where teams can practice.
We ran through our stunts and pyramid a couple more times to make sure we were fully ready for Day 1 of the competition.
Day 1
The first day of the competition is only worth 25% of your total score
We wore our white body liner, white bow and the “F” uniforms.
We were up bright and early to get ready, warm up, and practice.
We arrived about two hours early to practice in the Ocean Center grass.
Eventually, it was time to warm up on the mats in the Ocean Center and it went great.
After warm-ups you wait behind the stage in a dark room for abount 20 minutes. At that point, we could all feel the jittery nerves.
Some of us were overwhelmed, and emotions started running rampant.
We tried to calm ourselves and eachother down–and before we knew it, we were called onto the stage.
Stepping onto the stage, you see nothing but a big, bright light in your face.
We started performing, and I immediately felt like I was home again.
Most of our stunts were perfect, and our energy was electric.
But once we got to the pyramid, it started to go downhill.
The first part was a Swedish fall, and it did not hit.
Then we split apart, and 3 parts of the pyramid did not go.
After the pyramid was the dance section, and you could see by people’s faces that they were nervous or upset.
We received the scoresheet and knew we had to make some adjustments for Day 2.
A couple of hours later, we went back to the grass to practice stunts and the pyramid while adding new techniques to stablize them.
Our standing after Day 1 was 14th place.
Day 2
Finals are worth 75% of your score, but this year we tried not to emphasize the pressure.
Heading into Day 2, we had a short 15-minute warm up outside and danced to shake off the jitters.
We danced to “Flex” by Cupid (I recommend listening to this song and doing the dance–it’s so fun).
We were right next to a team we were competing against, but they sadly didn’t join in.
Our team walked into warm-ups feeling confident, and all the nerves melted away.
Eventually, we stepped onto the stage and gave an outstanding performance.
We were all crying tears of joy afterward because we were so proud of ourselves– and honestly, we were so close to hitting zero (in my mind, we did).
Awards were later that same day, so we went back to the hotel to eatlunch and relax.
We had improved so much between Day 1 and 2, so we expected our rank to skyrocket.
During awards, we were called for 14th place.
It was disappointing, but I was still so proud–of myself, of this team and how far we’ve come.
In my mind, we deserved at least top 5, but the judges saw it differently.
Saturday (free day)
After competing, we get a free day to ourselves.
Many of us go to Stunt Fest, which takes place on the Hiton Hotel grass.
It’s a fun, lighthearted event where teams can mix, mingle, and stunt together.
I spent some time on the beach soaking up the sun before heading abc to the cold New York weather.
Conclusion
Overall, I am extremely proud of everyone and would not trade this team for the world.
This team has truly shown me what a family is, and I couldn’t be more thankful–for them and for our coaches.
D3LTF3 <3
