PRATT, Kan.- Just days before the whirlwind of widespread COVID-19 shutdowns, head coach Shae Napier and the Pratt Community College cheerleading program were triumphant at the 2020 Region VI Cheer and Dance Competition, winning both the Region VI All-Girls Championship as well as the Gameday Championship.

As the fall dawns closer on the calendar, Napier is as eager as ever to continue the work of rebuilding and rebranding the Beavers cheerleading squad. Recently, Napier answered questions regarding the title-winning spring and how her program's recent success is shaping a new future. 

From where the program was when you took the job to now, how satisfying is it for you to see such rapid growth?

There are really no words to describe how satisfying it has been to see such rapid growth in this program. Make no mistake it was not easy and it will continue to take a lot to progress this program, but the returning sophomores and incoming freshman are ready to continue what it takes to build on what this past year's team accomplished. So much goes into building a strong program, way beyond what the community sees at face-value of cheering on the sidelines for games and matches.

These athletes work all year round on preparing for those games all-season, competition at a regional and national level and working to give back to community. They are hungry to build on all of this past year's accomplishments and surprise everyone around them, yet again. 

Obviously winning two championships this spring was a monumental accomplishment, but what do you think it means specifically for your program?

Winning two championships this spring was monumental to say the least. What I specifically think it means for this program is it has brought back a sense of pride to the program, the institution and the community. I spent my first year here coaching just trying to make it through the season with the few athletes I had inherited along side a program that was in shambles and had been for over five years.

It's tough to come back from something like that, but we did it. I knew that with the right student athletes and the right amount of fearless ambition, the program could be restored and we did that this year with the help of those two championships. The student athletes, the institution and the community now have something to be proud of when the program is brought up in conversation and that's so important when you're looking to bring value to your institution and community.

At the start of the 2019-20 season to seeing your group take home two titles never before won by the school, did you ever think such a thing was possible?

Like I mentioned earlier, I knew that with the right student-athletes and the right amount of fearless ambition, along with some blood sweat and tears, that restoring the program and bringing home two titles never before won by the school would be possible. I cannot express how proud I am of the group I had this year and how hard they worked, all the obstacles they had to overcome, because there were many, and how much they grew not only as athletes, but as young adults through this entire process of making school history and accomplishing what many probably thought was the impossible. 

How has your time at Pratt shaped you as a coach and as a person?

My time at Pratt has shaped me as a coach and a person in many ways that I never imagined. I took this job two seasons ago after stepping away from my corporate job that I'd had since college. I knew the transition would be different and it would teach me a lot returning back to some of my roots, but even then I couldn't gather truly how much it was going to positively impact me. In both as a coach and a person, it has matured me in ways that I didn't know needed it, it's pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of and it's reminded me how impactful being a coach is on every student-athlete's life.

How has the recent success impacted you from a recruiting standpoint?

The recent success has impacted the program from a recruiting standpoint very positively, as you might imagine. This past season was my first opportunity at recruiting my own athletes. Recruiting student-athletes and asking them to buy into something that does't really exist yet is not only difficult for the student-athlete, but it's also difficult for me as a coach. I'm asking a recruit to make a big commitment on the next two years of their life when considering Pratt.  Now that there is tangible evidence that what I am doing here with this program is positive and working towards a bigger picture and in the right direction recruits can see that and know they will be taken good care of and achieve great things here.

In regards to the 2020-21 incoming class, how excited are you about this group?

I am so excited! The 2020-21 incoming class is bringing in a lot of talent. Some talent I'm sure Pratt has never seen before or hasn't seen in a very long time. These student athletes are not just talented either, they are motivated and hard working just like my returning sophomores. I'm excited to see the positive inner team competitiveness that comes from bringing in a new group, as well as the things we are going to accomplish as an entire team this year.

We've got our eye on improving the gameday atmosphere and continuing to establish new gameday traditions as well as returning to our conference competition in the spring to defend our current titles and competing at Nationals in Daytona. We will actually be hosting an NCA Day Camp for Kansas August 1 & 2 where bids to Nationals will be awarded.

In what ways do you plan on continuing to grow this program?

Everything I've mentioned before will all go into continuing to grow this program. We have come such a long way from the time I first stepped foot on this campus and will continue to do so.