Meet the Society: The Warwick Devils

1) Hi guys! The Warwick Devils is one of the most vibrant sports societies on campus – how can people get involved?

Hey there! We have so many opportunities this year for new members which we’re really excited about. 

We compete nationally in cheerleading, dance and gymnastics across 9 different squads, with tasters and tryouts for these occurring in Weeks 1 and 2. If you’d prefer not to compete, we also have a non-competitive Fixtures squad which runs on Sunday evenings. This is a casual session which any member can attend, and regular attendance at Fixtures secures you a place to perform at events and games across campus and in the community! We also have amazing socials at least once a week, and each term we try and help out with the community as much as possible. We’re also looking forward to attending American Football and Volleyball games across campus and cheering them on too!

2) Speaking very generally, what are the main aims and agenda of being in The Warwick Devils, is it all just waving Pom Poms?

Not at all – in fact, only one of our squads competes with poms! The main agenda of being on a competitive squad is to do as well as we can at competitions, and to hopefully bring back the National Champion title! We have at least two national cheerleading competitions a year, and the gymnastics team competes at regional opens and the national BUCS Championship.

Whilst we do take competitions, trainings and performances seriously, we also recognise that you haven’t come to university to be a professional cheerleader. You need to balance the sport around your studies and your social life, and we try and integrate into that as best we can. And it’s not all work – we play hard as well! Whether you want to keep fit, have fun at crazy socials, do awesome charity work, try a new sport or want to make amazing friends for life, the Devils has something to offer everyone.

3) We’ve all seen Bring it On, what is a cheerleading competition really like? 

Both intense and exhilarating at the same time! Cheerleading and gymnastics have become very popular sports in recent years, and almost every university has a team in some shape or form, so you can imagine how packed the arenas are. Before you hit the floor to compete, the nerves will be running high, as your squad have been working on perfectly executing one routine for about 5 months. Hitting the mat and finishing your routine is one of the best feelings in the world! We also make sure that we’re all down at the stage to cheer on every Devils squad who is competing that day. It’s also really great to watch other universities compete and to see the routines that they put out. At the end of the day, the awards ceremony is always great fun and the entire arena turns into one giant dance party!

4) What kind of social events do the Warwick Devils Host?

The Devils circle at Pop almost every single week, and this year we have some really exciting fancy dress themes planned. In week 4 we also have our Adoptions, where all new members are officially inducted into the Devils! This normally involves completing some crazy challenges within your assigned ‘family’ group, and everyone has a great time.

Throughout the rest of the year we have sober socials planned, including movie nights, as well as joint socials with the Wolves (Warwick’s American Football team) and fundraising nights at Kasbah!

5) How do the Warwick Devils connect with the rest of campus life?

We try and take every opportunity to perform across campus, or to get involved with other events happening around Warwick. In previous years we have performed in the finale at the One World Week fashion show, in the closing Rugby Varsity match and at Warwick’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. This term we’ll also be performing in Let’s Dance for Sports Relief, which is a fabulous charity event hosted by Classical and Modern Dance (CMD). We also will be attending American Football and Volleyball home games to cheer on our fellow Warwick athletes!

6) Why should people join The Warwick Devils?

The Warwick Devils really have gone from strength to strength each year. We won Most Improved Sports Club 2016 at the Warwick Sports Ball awards, and we’re looking to keep improving and expanding the club, to make sure that each Devil has the best possible experience. And as you’ve hopefully seen, we have some incredible opportunities that you can be a part of!

We have members from all different nationalities, races, genders, sexualities and backgrounds, and everyone within the club is friendly and welcoming. Overall, we are just one big happy family and we’d love for you to be a part of it!

• cheer
• cheerleading