Juan Villa / The Collegian

Very few college programs last all year long, but one dedicated team that endures nearly an entire year of practices and appearances is the Fresno State Spirit Squad.

The season for the Spirit Squad runs from August to June. The team cheers not only for football and home basketball games but also home volleyball games. The squad makes appearances at community events, too.

“We participated in the Wellness Challenge in the Free Speech Area, we go to elementary schools and participate in the rallies and we make appearances during homecoming too,� Cortnie Gressman, a squad member, said.

Cheer members have to make time for practices, games and appearances.

“We are able to support and be there for all of our athletes,� Gressman said. “It is a lot of fun cheering for your school.�

One additional activity the squad hopes to start is a competitive team that would compete in either the Universal Cheerleaders Association or the United Spirit Association.

“We are hoping that we can compete this year to get Fresno State’s name out there in the cheerleading world of competition,� Davide Ghilarducci, a member of the squad, said.

Aside from adding a new competitive side to the spirit squad, the team is looking to expand its members in the program and get more active representation.

“We are trying to recruit more guys so there are more visual things than just the regular stuff [fans] saw this year,� Ghilarducci said. “You can expect us to be 10 times better than the last couple of years.�

Try outs, a two-day affair, will be held this month.

The first day is devoted to learning the material, which includes a cheer, dance and tumbling session.

The second day is the actual tryout where members seeking to join the squad will perform in front of judges. They will show their tumbling abilities, jumps and all the material learned from the previous day.

Students who make it to the next step will be judged on their ability to perform stunts.

“The requirements are on the Web site that they need to have to be at the level needed,� Chelley Uyeno, head coach of the Spirit Squad, said.

Some advice that members of the Fresno State spirit squad offer to potential members include making sure to know the commitment they are making to the team before they tryout.

“This is not a high school cheer team. It is very time consuming, if you’re not going to take it seriously then you might want to consider not trying out,� Ghilarducci said. “It is very, very intense as far as practicing and all of the stuff you have to do, but there will be lots of rewards too. If you stick it out you will be fine, you make a lot of friends and you get to travel a lot.�

Tryouts for the 2007-2008 seasons will be held Friday April 27 from 4-7 p.m. and April 28 at 9 a.m. in the North Gym at Fresno State.

All participants trying out are encouraged to bring a physical form to the first practice.

For more information on tryouts and the Spirit Squad go to www.gobulldogs.com or contact head coach Chelley Uyeno at (916) 803-2099.