Titans Cheerleader Travona focuses her doctoral research on the sidelines

Fans may view Travona of the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders as a beautiful, talented bundle of personality and dance energy, which she is; but Travona is taking a look at cheerleading and focusing from an academic perspective. “The focus and topic of my doctoral research is Academic and Psychological Aspects of Collegiate Cheerleading,” Travona shares. “As an avid cheerleader and with cheerleading and dance being extremely mainstream, I was very surprised to find that there is limited scholarly research on this target population, collegiate cheerleaders. Numerous studies have been conducted on other student athletes, but very few on cheerleading. Cheerleaders are usually in the forefront of the university as school ambassadors and yet cheerleaders are stereotyped and not respected. Therefore, my research aims to educate those who are simply uneducated or unaware on the various dynamics and dimensions of cheerleading and cheerleaders. Collegiate cheerleaders are required to cheer for football, basketball, some schools even cheer for volleyball and soccer, and have their own competitive season all while being required to maintain a minimum 2.6 GPA; or 3.0 minimum at some schools. Many times these students miss classes and volunteer in the community and are ambassadors for their respective college/university, yet they are not considered athletes and are preconceived to be mindless, empty shells of beauty and muscle. It is my educated hypothesis that the individuals who participate and love this rigorous and highly athletic activity are academically and psychologically affected; therefore I am conducting research to provide insight one way or the other to hopefully provide reputable and scholarly research to the world of cheerleading.”

Far from being an empty vessel, Travona’s full life includes working all over the world, extensive educational pursuits, and a childhood pet pig. Travona shared with UltimateCheerleaders how she went from tomboy girl from the country, who thought her legs were too scratched up to be a cheerleader, to an NFL pro dancer and cheer coach. As Travona says, “Remember the quote from the movie Forrest Gump, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get’? Well, I think that has been my life; so far.” So jump on board and hold on tight, because the Travona’s life is a delicious journey that will encounter interesting tales from all over the world!

Being in a constant state of movement is true about many dimensions of Travona’s life. “Compared to some of my friends, I never had long term roots or a true place I could really call home,” Travona shares. “To help ease the transition, my mom always told me that, ‘Home is where you hang your hat.’ Up until I graduated college, I had never lived anywhere for more than four years. My family is from Trinidad, but I was born in America. I’m a Bostonian and after three amazing years of life, my family moved south to South Carolina.” During that time, Travona lived in the South Carolina cities of Columbia (“It was there that I had my first TV appearance at the age of five on the Mr. Knozit Show, a television program for children”), then her mom’s home town of Holly Hill (“There is a sign as you enter the city limits calling it the ‘Biggest little town in South Carolina’; when I first read that sign, I thought it was the funniest thing I had ever read”), then Orangeburg (“It was there that I performed my first musical number, as a flower singing while swaying back and forth in the school’s production of ‘Under the Sea’). Then it was on to North Carolina, Durham for middle school and Raleigh for high school, and then for Travona, “It was time to spread my wings.”

“After completing high school, I moved off to college to Greensboro, North Carolina,” Travona’s journey continues. “Upon completing college, I moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina, while working in Charlotte for the Charlotte Bobcats. After Rock Hill, I moved to Gallatin, Tennessee, right outside of Nashville. After my brief stint in Nashville an amazing opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t say no. I was offered a chance to see another part of the world, so I did the unthinkable and moved to Daejeon, South Korea! I spent two years in Korea and then I moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I spent one year in Saudi and decided that I wanted to return stateside to begin my doctorate. After returning stateside I commuted between Nashville, Boston, and Raleigh, until finally relocating and settling where I currently live in LaVergne, Tennessee! Whew, that’s a lot. Yikes.”

When Travona is on the field with the Titans, the sidelines are awash with her high energy. Was Travona a high energy child, like her personal geographic trek, always on the move? “Yes, I have always been active,” answers Travona. “However, I was not an active dancer or cheerleader. I was a tomboy, I climbed trees, jumped ditches and played with our animals. I was literally raised on a farm in South Carolina. My favorite childhood memory was right after we moved away from the farm; my mom surprised me and brought one of the piglets from the farm with us when we moved to Orangeburg. I had my first pet, my very own pig whose name was Tire, pronounced ‘Teer.’ Don’t ask me, I was young, named him, and clearly couldn’t spell very well. But, that’s what I wanted so that’s what it was. Tire was the best first pet ever; he lived in the house until he got too big. Yes, I had a real life Charlotte’s Web situation going on he actually lived in the house with us for a short period of time. I really thought we were like the Ziffel family from the show ‘Green Acres,’ my pig was the same color as Arnold and almost as smart. Once he got too big, we spent time together outside. I would feed him and as he ate, I would rub his tummy and he would lean against the fence letting me know that he still enjoyed our time together. I felt horrible leaving him outside alone especially at night. So we ended up getting more pigs to help keep him company and the next thing you know we had a pig farm! Little piggies everywhere; I loved it!”

And Travona’s life of a tomboy in the country actually made her not consider cheerleading in school. “Even though I have a strong solid foundation in cheerleading, I didn’t start at an early age,” reports Travona. “I played volleyball, soccer, and ran track all before becoming a cheerleader. I started cheerleading when I was about twelve years old in seventh grade. I’ll never forget helping my math teacher carry boxes to her car after school one day, and she said ‘Travona, you should try-out for the cheerleading team; you’re very strong.’ I said I can’t be a cheerleader; I’m a tomboy and my legs are ugly from cuts and scars while living in the country. She said, ‘Trust me, you’re going to have even more scars after cheerleading, it’s not all glitter and glam like people think it is.’”

“My interest was piqued so I went home talked with my mom and I tried out for the team, and we made it,” Travona continues. “I say ‘we’ because my mom is the ultimate cheer mom! I instantly fell in love with cheerleading, so ultimately I had to give up volleyball and track. Luckily for me soccer, which is my heart and soul, season was opposite football and basketball. I cheered in high school; I did all-stars, competed individually, and cheered in college. After my first semester of college I was invited to audition for a semi-pro arena football dance team and thus my journey began with dance. I have danced for semi-pro basketball, football, baseball, and hockey. I have also had the amazing privilege to cheer/dance in the NBA (Charlotte Bobcats), WNBA (Charlotte Sting), NFL (Carolina Panthers), and NHL (Nashville Predators). I must say I still have a small goal to dance/cheer for a soccer, rugby, and lacrosse team. Those are the only sports that also have cheerleaders/dancers that I don’t have on my resume. Not sure if it will ever happen but it does not hurt to imagine; maybe one day!”

Cheering for so many teams and working for the Bobcats, why such a strong connection between Travona and both cheer and sports? “As a tomboy, I have always loved sports and have centered my life and education on sports and entertainment,” Travona responds. “It is because of my love and enjoyment of sports that I figured, if I do something I love, I’ll never have to work a day in my life; every day will be fun.”

And eventually coaching cheer, including being head cheer coach for a university, took Travona even to a greater degree into her passion. “Having the opportunity to touch someone else’s life as my life has been touched through sports is a driving force,” Travona says. “Academically, I was not always at my best, but I strived to excel athletically as many young athletes do, especially with the education system being what it is; sorry to say. With this being the case, I had to find a niche, and sports were mine. Two years after being introduced to the world of cheerleading, I was entrusted with my first coaching job at the early age of 14. I was the captain of my middle school, high school, and all- star cheerleading teams. I was able to master the art of followership, all the while being a leader in my own right.”

Who in Travona’s life influenced such a love of sports and cheer? “I have been blessed with people throughout my life who have believed in me and gave me opportunities to be the best ‘me’ that I can be,” Travona responds. “Outside of my two best friends (Mom and Dad) I think that absolutely throughout my life there have been people who were monumental in my journey. I have to give credit to my first cheerleading coach (Ms. A. Cline), the amazing woman who introduced me to all- stars (A.M. McDuffie), my first boss (C. Buckey), my first coaching mentor (M. Farland), and my first dance team coach (D. Zimmerman). Without these key people entering my life when they did and helping to mold me, I probably would not be where I am today. I owe them so much, and attribute my drive and motivation to the time they spent with me as I grew into myself.”

But her cheer resume is just part of Travona’s extensive curriculum vita as she advances towards her doctorate. “My family jokes all the time about my continuous educational escapades; they call me a ‘career student,’ Travona says. “Although, it does feel sometimes as if I have been in school forever. I have a Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutritional Science/Dietetics from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, which is an HBCU located in Greensboro. Aggie Pride! We have the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE)! I have a Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Sports Administration from Wingate University located in Mathews, North Carolina. And I am currently working toward a doctorate in Education, Leadership and Professional Practice at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.”

In addition, Travona is an ESL (English as a second language) instructor. English is such a challenging language to learn and teach. As an ESL instructor, what are the keys as an instructor and for a student to learn to learn English? Is there a synergy that occurs between student and teacher to be successful? “I always strive to have a good rapport or to establish an equal playing field between the students and myself,” Travona shares. “I don’t like the idea of ‘I’m the teacher, you’re the student, and it’s your job to learn from me.’ I believe that my students can teach me just as much, if not more, than what I can teach them; especially my ESL students. I have literally taught students who were in grade school that spoke multiple languages, have travelled worldwide, and the only thing holding them back is their age. Synergy in a classroom is most definitely needed especially when teaching ESL students, but even more so to students who may not see a need to be educated, or those students who have no desire to learn. I think my approach works for me; especially since I tend to take the role of friend or big sister in my classes. I rule with an iron fist but I earn the students’ trust and I definitely attempt to find a common ground between myself and the students. I’m extremely laid back and find that if you earn a person’s respect they will trust and treat you accordingly. I rarely have discipline problems or issues in my classes because I will honestly get crazy right along with them, and my students usually know that Ms. T. is a little ‘cray cray’; so when she gets that look on her face, we should be quiet. I also allow my students to police themselves. There are a variety of strategies that I have used based on the students I have, but all in all, I think it’s a level of respect, trust, and good rapport that makes for a successful classroom environment.”

Does Travona speak other languages herself? “Fluently the only language I speak is English,” Travona reports. “I have a limited yet functional Korean. I have visited Korea every year since I lived there so I always acquire more language and understanding with every visit. I know random functional words in Arabic and I dabble in Portuguese from time to time. I currently work for a Taiwanese company and have been entertaining the idea of learning Mandarin, which is extremely hard, so stay tuned. Anything is possible! “

While in Nashville, has the world traveler Travona picked up any local Nashville phraseology? “The one thing that stands out in my mind about Nashville is the concept of Nashville’s ‘Hot Chicken.’ When I first heard this phrase I was very confused because I wanted to know, why would you not eat your chicken while it’s hot? Are people eating cold, uncooked chicken? Isn’t that dangerous and/or deadly or had there been a new breakthrough that I don’t know about? But apparently ‘hot’ means ‘spicy.’” Travona adds, “Another term that was mind blowing was the ‘square,’ like in a smaller city or town, like Lebanon, Smyrna, and Murfreesboro, the square is actually a circle. Who knew?”

Travona is in a doctoral program, she works, and has myriad of interests and activities. So with so much on her plate, why add Tennessee Titans Cheerleader to such an ambitious schedule? “Being a member of TTC is a dream come true,” Travona replies. “This was a personal accomplishment that I wanted and have been working toward for a long time; ten years to be exact. Life happens, and many times we make decisions that we think are in our best interest, to find out later what we thought we wanted isn’t what we want at all, so I sought out and studied Stacie and TTC. TTC has exceeded my expectations and I am blessed and honored to have the privilege of being a member of such a prestigious organization and to be amongst such great women who are all exemplary individuals. The Titans organization is very committed to service in the community and I love that. I have had the opportunity to do what I love and give back to the local community weekly.”

With such a wide variety of previous residences, what strikes Travona as special about her latest address, Nashville? “Nashville is a unique city. Out of all the cities I’ve lived and visited I honestly don’t know of another like it. I enjoy traveling and have been to many places and I always say that some places remind me of other places. However, Nashville does not fit in that category; Nashville is extremely diverse. There is always something going on in the city and not to mention it is Music City. There are so many talented people in Nashville, it’s nothing to go out and catch some amazing live music.”

But Tennessee is just the just the most recent of Travona’s homes. Does she have any places left on her travel wishlist? “I have a gypsy spirit,” Travona says. “There is not one place on this planet where I don’t want to go. I am a nomad, and I will and want to touch every continent. It would be ideal to see every country in each continent but that may be a bit of an extreme goal. But, I will try. I find a sense of peace and freedom in traveling. Maybe my dream job should be a professional traveler. Not sure if that’s a job but I would totally create an industry for it. All travelers welcomed! I am a member of an elite group of people (Nomad-ness Tribe) from around the world who also share my passion for travel. There is no better lesson learned than the lesson of life, people, and cultures. I plan to be a student in this class forever.”

This explains a bit of surprise of her response when I asked Travona about her dream job. “My dream job, honestly, a flight attendant. I think having the opportunity, being a frequent traveler myself, to briefly touch the life of a person while they are traveling to a new or familiar destination is remarkable. Many people don’t think about the customer service that goes into travel, but it is very important. My belief is that the traveler as well as the attendant should have a pleasant and memorable experience. Cheerleader on the ground and in the air!”

“My career goals are to simply be the best at what I am doing while hopefully leaving a legacy,” Travesha continues. “My parents and I own a deli in Boston so I will ultimately take over and operate the family business full time. Ironically, I will have a career in food service falling back on my bachelor’s degree, where it all began. Food service is a vital industry and after I am done teaching and traveling, I will eat and help other people eat well.”

As Travona progresses towards her doctorate, how important have mentors been for her life? “As I progress through my course of study, my mentors are key contributors to my success,” Travona answers. “My parents are permanent fixtures in my life; they have truly guided me while inadvertently making me believe that I made the decision on my own. I can name several people who have mentored me on a regular basis: my great grandmother (R. Randolph), TTC Director (S. Kinder), friends J. Moore-Sherrill, R. Pomales-Stringfellow, S. Bennett, B.J. Evans, C. Bailey, and S. Karan. All of these people keep me grounded. I’m a Gemini so if you know anything about Geminis we’re usually all over the place; these people are in my life for various and numerous reasons and I appreciate them dearly.”

So, research-wise, we cannot attribute causally Travona’s success to the high quality and quantity of her mentors, or whether Travona’s innate desire to achieve makes her make the most of the people around her. But we can scientifically conclude that Travona is no cheerleading empty shell, and in fact we can definitively say she breaks that stereotypic shell into tiny pieces. The personality and energy we fans see from the sidelines is a young woman bursting with enthusiasm, life experiences, and intelligence, and on the sidelines we see the sum product of that. By studying cheerleading for her doctorate, Travona will help us understand the impact of cheerleading on cheerleaders and the impact of cheerleaders on society. With an “ultimate cheer mom,” it is no doubt Travona is an UltimateCheerleader.

And for a travel gypsy, looking to fill her cheer resume with rugby? Personally, I think for Travona, a move to Australia to cheer for the Manly Sea Eagles would fit the bill. Think about it Travona!

Thanks so much for Travona’s time and insights to allow us to learn about her amazing life. Special thanks to Stacie Kinder, Director of Cheerleading for the Tennessee Titans for all of her assistance!

More photos of Travona are at this link.