The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

Not just a cheerleader

Tracey Russell is a dedicated multitasker. ||Kristen Stauss || staussk@imail.losrios.edu
Tracey Russell is a dedicated multitasker. Photo by || Kristen Stauss || [email protected] ||

When it comes to leadership, President Obama isn’t the only one with a lot on his plate. Imagine being only 20 years old, attending college full time, working at a local Bel-Air approximately 27 hours a week, and being responsible for a team of women who are counting on you to make an entire season successful. Meet Tracey Russell, captain of Sacramento City College’s cheerleading squad.

Russell originally decided to attend City College because of its good reputation, the price and because of all the good she heard about the campus.  She is now a third-year student at City College, majoring in graphic design, and knows the meaning of dedication and hard work.

“Everyday that I’m not at school, I’m at work.” she says.

On a normal day, Russell wakes up at 6 a.m., arrives at school by 7:15 a.m., practices cheer from 7:30 a.m. to almost 9 a.m., rushes to another practice with the hip-hop competition squad until 10 a.m., grabs a quick bite for lunch, then spends the rest of her day in class, working on homework and preparing for the next practice and game.

“It was very hard for me in the beginning [and] it’s a lot of organization that’s for sure,” Russell says.

Not only has Russell managed to keep this up for the past four months, she has stayed on top of her game, specially when it comes to leading her squad to success.

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Stassi isn’t the only one who has great things to say about Russell’s accomplishments. Her teammates are also glad to have her as captain of the squad.

“She’s proven that she can work under pressure, keep her cool, and put her foot down between leadership and friendship,” says cheerleader Faith Gorman.“If she wasn’t here, things wouldn’t get done. Practice would just be a hangout spot. Tracey makes sure everything’s finished.”

Although it may seem like it all comes naturally to Russell, she admits that it gets tough, and that she does get fed up every now and then.

“As captain, I try not to show emotion in front of the team because I don’t want to lose the respect. Sometimes I just go home and vent to myself, ” Russell explains.  “Cheer is a sport. If people were to step into our shoes, they would see that its really hard, physical and athletic.”

Russell is not certain about whether she will be cheering for the Panthers next season.  Although it’s something she’s been doing for the last seven years, she believes it’s time to finally hand the reins over to someone else.

“I think next season I want to watch the cheerleaders rather than be the cheerleader,” she says. “More than anything I was in it for the experience, building all of these bonds with my teammates, knowing I can manage something like this. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

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