Hill's spirit leads the way
Mike Shroyer / SPPSFrank Beamer's football team plays in front of more than 66,000 screaming fans every time it takes to Worsham field for a half-dozen home games each season.
Seth Greenberg's men's basketball team plays in front of a raucous crowd of 10,000 in Cassell Coliseum throughout the winter.
But only Rickey Hill's cheerleaders and HighTechs take to each of those playing surfaces — and his teams do it more frequently than either of Tech's two rainmaker sports.
Just as Beamer and Greenberg likely have specific reasons why they were drawn to their respective sports, Hill certainly has his.
"I went to a football game when I was in the sixth grade, a high school football game, and I saw a cheerleader do a back handspring," Hill said. "It just fascinated me and I just stood there and watched him. Then I would go to football games and watch (the cheerleaders) … and I got really into gymnastics. And that's just where it came from."
One of the perks of Hill's job is that he isn't limited to one sport. He and his spirit teams are able to perform at all sorts of Tech athletic events, with Lane Stadium being perhaps the grandest venue at which they take center stage.
"It's a big deal," Hill said of football. "Especially during pregame, with 'Enter Sandman' and all that."
But Hill and his varsity athletes don't just waltz on in a few minutes before the game to occupy their prime piece of real estate on the field — they give their Hokies a higher level of commitment.
"There's also a flip side of (football)," Hill said. "Football takes up your entire day. If the game starts at 1 p.m., (we're) here early in the morning with various appearances, and they're usually the last ones to leave after the game."
One thing that sets Hill apart from other coaches is that he doesn't separate himself from his athletes. He doesn't sit up in a climate-controlled box or enjoy the game in the comforts of a Canali suit. He endures the same conditions his teams do.
An aspect of quality coaching is instilling in a team a sense of unity and making its members think of it not as a number of individuals, but as a unit. One of the ways in which Hill does this is through uniformity. He dresses in a fashion similar to his athletes.
Hill says that he braves cold and precipitation just as his cheerleaders and dancers do. That is, he doesn't wear any extra layers or waterproof clothing that could make him more comfortable.Hill's message of team and unity is only a small part of what he imparts on those under his command. He attempts to leave his spirit squad members with far more than just a higher level of cheering or dancing talent.
"I try to teach people more about life than I do about cheerleading," Hill said. "That's always been my goal when I coach."
Another of the ways Hill's athletes leave him better than they found him is through education. Almost all HighTechs and cheerleaders leave Blacksburg with a degree — something that can't be said for all athletes. Furthermore, many of Hill's dancers and cheerleaders go on to fulfilling lives away from Tech.
"I've been coaching since 1991, and I always get e-mails and phone calls and pictures from kids that I've coached," Hill said. "Like when they're getting married, when they're having babies — anything major that happens in their lives."
Former cheerleaders and dancers don't just keep Hill up-to-date with the happenings in their lives; they thank him for all that he's done to get them there.
"They all talk about the old days, about things that I used to do," Hill said. "They say, 'You know, you really taught me more about life, and I've prepared myself for the future, than you did about … cheering at a game. And thank you for guiding me in the right direction, and because of your positive influence, this is what I've been able to accomplish.'"
While many spirit coaches may be able to graduate athletes who go on to lead successful lives, not all of them can get them to perform as well in competition — but Hill can, and his teams' results show it.
He coached James Madison University to the 1996 Division I NCA national championship and second place in the Grand Championships. His cheerleaders and HighTechs also regularly compete, and place, in national competitions.
Unfortunately for him, this year was not as kind to his teams. The HighTechs only made it to preliminaries, while the cheerleaders qualified for finals. What added to the disappointment was the number of people, from coaches to other judges, who were mystified at the HighTechs' score.
"It's very frustrating," Hill said. "What's even more frustrating is when you have numerous people that have watched (your routine) … say, 'I'm still in shock. Rickey, I cannot believe your girls didn't make it in the finals.'"
Despite not having the ideal year, Hill's athletes still appear to think pretty highly of him as a coach.
"I think … he can be strict at times," said HighTech Jenny Nakamura. "He'll tell you how it is, but he always has our best interests (in mind). He pushes us and he wants us to excel. So, I think ... he coaches us well … He teaches us how we can succeed."
Regardless of how Hill's teams finished in national competitions earlier this month, Nakamura said they'll all be winners down the road, thanks in part to the work of their coach, Rickey Hill.
