BOWIE, Md. - Bowie State University Department of Athletics will spotlight one student-athlete or administrator in wake of COVID-19 pandemic that forced CIAA to suspend fall and spring competition. This week's spotlight will feature Thomasina Boardley, the cheerleading coach from Glen Burnie, Maryland.
The best way to describe Boardley trickles down to one word: Busy. If she's not busy handling her job responsibilities as the Bowie State cheerleading coach, she's either working at some type of program, exercising, or spending time with her family and friends. And because Boardley never has much free time on her daily schedule, she does not watch much Television, though she admits her passion for the hit television series called "The Voice".
Boardley is also passionate about her music, especially when it comes to old school and gospel songs and artists. Mary J. Blige and Kirk Franklin—two of the most popular singers in the world— are her favorite singers to listen to daily.
Boardley also shows a lot of enthusiasm when she talks about her job as the Bowie State cheerleading coach.
"I'm very passionate about what I do, and I enjoy what I do," Boardley said. "I enjoy working with the students. I enjoy teaching them, mentoring them and helping them, so they enjoy their college experience."
During an interview with the Bowie State University athletics department, Boardley talked about her journey towards becoming the cheerleading coach, and more.
Tell me about your journey en route to becoming the cheerleaders coach at Bowie State?
So, I was working in the public school system, where I was a special education director. I was in a grant program and played softball on the side with the associate director and compliance officer at the time named Donna Polk. She was like, "We need a cheerleaders coach." And I was like, "I just started grad school." Then Donna took me to the athletic director at the time, Derek Carter, and got me an interview. Sooner than later, I got the job. And this was about 14-years-ago.
Wow. So, what was your original plan? You know, like going to grad school and everything before becoming the cheerleaders coach?
I was in grad school to become an assistant principal, but I started out teaching.
Has teaching always been your passion?
Absolutely.
What do you like about it so much?
I feel like I'm working with students and giving back to the community. I get to know them, help them to succeed, help them to be successful, motivate them and encourage them and just support them. I just really love helping others.
Do you think coaching is basically like teaching?
Yes, absolutely. You have to have patience. So definitely, coaching is very similar to teaching.
Have you enjoyed your tenure at Bowie State so far?
Absolutely, I love it.
Do you still have an interest in becoming an assistant principal one day?
Actually, no. But I do have an interest in earning my master's degree and possibly, I don't know, become an Assistant Vice-President or something. I just love working in higher education.
What are some of the challenges you face in terms of coaching and teaching?
Shoot. There are challenges like time management and commitment. Like I said, I like to give my all, so it's hard to make sure that I don't spread myself too thin. But yeah, time management is certainly a struggle.
Have you struggled with anything that eventually you got better with over time?
I feel like I've gotten better with time management, but I've also grown in terms of technology as well. When you work in higher education, your interest grows in terms of furthering your education as well.
When you said technology, do you mean you weren't up to date with the tech stuff?
Well, yeah. But working with students allows me to stay up to date.
So as far as cheerleading goes, how does recruiting work?
Excellent question. I don't recruit for cheerleading because I don't have scholarships accessible, so I just have open tryouts.
What do you look for during tryouts?
I look for cheerleaders who have energy, can cheer, sky, tumble, and can shake some too. That's all important to me. I also like for them to have some background in cheerleading, stunting and tumbling as well. And, as an HBCU, I want to make sure that you can shake some too.
What are the things you don't want to see in tryouts?
Yeah, I don't like people who don't have school spirit. I think it's important to have school spirit, to take pride in the institution we're working in. And I don't like people with a bad attitude.
Are you able to spot those things pretty quickly?
Yeah, you do. You can tell when people have school spirit and are excited to be there.
How have the cheerleaders handled this pandemic?
The cheerleaders handled it pretty well. Of course, they were disappointed that they couldn't cheer for any of the sporting events or athletic teams. They also looked forward to going to cheerleading camp every year and competing. This year we weren't able to cheer at any games, go to cheerleading camp or compete. It was disappointing; however, they were still able to bond and have fun during different things.
How did the team bond?
The team bonded in several ways. First, we started the school year off with a drive-by making the team surprise. The coaches met the cheerleaders in a parking lot and gave them a gift for making the team. We also made a YouTube video and posted it on our Bowie State Cheerleaders YouTube page.
We also bonded by having zoom cheerleading practices once a week. We worked out via zoom, and we also learned cheers and dances on zoom. We also posted a lot of videos on social media. We have a Bowie State Hwy Cheers Instagram page. Also, we encourage the team to go to tumbling off-campus to keep up their tumbling skills. This helped to keep them in shape and motivated during the pandemic.
Lastly, once things started to open up, we had in-person practices. This was a big morale booster, and motivation up lifter for the team. They were able to attend practices with masks and, of course, 6 feet apart. Plus, the University offering Covid testing was a huge plus for the athletic teams and the University.
Did the team have any positive takeaways during the pandemic?
Yes, the team had several positive takeaways. The pandemic allowed us to find various ways of interacting with one another, whether it was zoom or FaceTime or being active in our group me chat. The team made it a point to connect with one another. In addition, we did a few Instagram challenges and team challenges to keep everyone engaged and in shape. The dance challenges were exciting on social media, and the workout challenges were exciting for the team.
We also did a few community service events that helped us bond and give back to the community. We collected items for a shelter and donated them. We also did a special zoom for a middle school in New York. These community service activities allow the cheerleaders to have a sense of community during the pandemic.
What do you want your legacy to be at Bowie State?
Ooh, that's a good one. I would love my legacy at Bowie State to be a staff member that was hardworking, energetic, motivating, and loved to help others.
