May 19, 2004
Schuch has something to cheer about
West graduate earns national ranking at Florida cheerleading competition
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Ranking 12th in the nation, David Schuch is heading for the top of the cheerleading pyramid.
With partner Melissa Williams, Schuch competed in the Partner Stunt Competition at the 2004 College Cheerleading and Dance Team Competition, held in January in Orlando, Fla. Pitted against cheerleader pairs from colleges across the country, Schuch and Williams achieved 12th place.
"Stunting, for sure, is my favorite," said Schuch, a 2001 graduate of West High School. "We had to send in a video tape and they decided how many pairs they wanted to come."
A defensive end with the Titan football team, Schuch began cheering his senior year at school. Under the tutelage of then-coach Lori Tulgetski, he gained the confidence and skills to try out for the Central Michigan University team. When he made it, he retooled plans that had called for two years at Northwestern Michigan College and headed for Mt. Pleasant his freshman year.
"The training at West definitely helped me get my foot in the door," Schuch said. "Once I got to Central, I learned everything then and I'm still learning, there's always more to do."
Along the way Schuch discovered the male side of this wildly popular sport. Since his first cheerleading days at West, when Tulgetski encouraged him and a friend to give it a try, he batted aside joshing that 'manly men' are not cheerleaders. Tulgetski told them they should just come to one practice and hang out with all the girls.
From this, a new passion was born.
"Male cheerleading has no dance but it definitely has gymnastics and stunting - putting girls in the air," said Schuch, who also played baseball in high school and was a member of the West power lifting team. "It's not as physically challenging as football because you're not getting hit a lot, but it definitely takes a toll on your body - like your back - holding girls up."
Schuch noted that cheerleading teams with men are able to perform more daring stunts.
"With the guys, the girls get thrown much higher, with three or four guys throwing she can go 40 feet in the air," said Schuch, who is co-captain of the Chippewa gold team, which features ten male and ten female cheerleaders.
"The envelope gets pushed every year and new rules get made up about stunts and the crazier stunts you can do," he added.
Schuch will be a senior next year at Central Michigan University. He is double majoring in special education and physical education; with plans to pursue a master's degree, Schuch is considering a career coaching cheerleading at the college level. Another option is teaching special education or physical education at the high school level.
Being a male cheerleader requires strength and flexibility as well as precision timing and teamwork. Schuch noted that cheerleading is a year-round sport, going from tryouts in April to March Madness. The cheerleaders are athletes who must stay in peak physical condition to complete the two-and-a-half-minute routines safely.
"You have to train all the time," said Schuch, whose stunt partner next year will be Elyse Packard, his team co-captain.
Schuch has worked for Universal Cheerleading Association for the past three summers, traveling around the country to conduct cheerleading camps. The physically demanding schedule has him and fellow coaches on their feet from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day during a camp, but he thrives on it.
"We're a really close staff and we support each other," noted Schuch, who is based in Memphis for this job.
From both his team cheerleading and the summer job with UCA, Schuch said he has gained leadership skills that will serve him his whole life.
"It has taught me a ton about leadership," he said. "I used to have a temper and this has taught me how to calm down. I've learned from the best people in the country and I can take that with me."