Vaqueros get in form

Spirit Program’s drill team debut set Dec. 2

Although UTRGV will launch a drill team through the Spirit Program in 2025, the group will make its debut performance Dec. 2 at the McAllen Holiday Parade.

The team will promote Vaquero spirit at football games, parades and community events. 

“These dance teams perform precision routines during halftime that have gained popularity due to their high-kick lines, showcasing intricate formation changes and visual effects on the football field,” according to UTRGV’s Spirit Program webpage.

The official name of the drill team has not been announced.

Sel Gomez, head coach of the Spirit Program, described the team’s primary purpose and mission.

“The drill team is to help encourage school spirit and to promote … and be an ambassador for the university, to help encourage the crowd to get excited at athletic events, community events and campus events, and give overall support to other departments like athletics and organizations for UTRGV … and to promote halftime entertainment at football games,” Gomez said.

Rudy Mata, program coordinator and cheer coach, talked about what inspired the formation of the drill team.

“The seed had already been planted for the expansion,” Mata said. “They played with some ideas and landed on a drill team. Based on the [November 2021 Athletics Fee] referendum that was approved, voted on by the students, it was to also promote student involvement on both campuses, primarily to expand the Spirit Program into the Brownsville area.”

Dean of Students Rebecca Gadson said the university looked at different opportunities to expand the program.

 “And, our development occurred last academic year to narrow down opportunities for expansion and to propose different options for consideration,” Gadson said. “About last spring, about January or February, we started moving forward and making a plan for how we would roll out the program, recruitment, advertising, tryouts to build up towards the full team in 2025.”

To join the drill team, students must be in good academic standing, have a minimum term and institutional GPA of 2.25, and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester credit hours (undergraduate) or at least nine semester credit hours (graduate students), according to the Spirit Program webpage.

“You do have to have dance experience and or previous drill team experience because it is a specific style and technique,” Gomez said.

Men and women can join the drill team.

The head coach said there is no specific number of members on the drill team yet.

“We’re hoping to start with about 15 to 20 and grow gradually as each tryout comes along,” Gomez said. “There isn’t really a set number. We’re not defining it by a number; we’re just hoping to get as much talent to the university as we can.”

She described the role of line leaders in the drill team.

“There will be a line of leaders within that leadership role you will normally see in a drill team,” Gomez said. “Each leader will have a line or a section that they are assigned, so, to communicate more effectively and just to be more responsible for a smaller group within a larger group. There will be line members, officers or captains.” 

The head coach also described what audiences can expect in terms of the performance format and style.

“For the halftime shows, we are going to try to keep the drill team style traditional, but maybe with a modern twist here and there,” Gomez said. “And, hopefully, we can incorporate some cultural elements of the [Rio Grande] Valley, but we do want to maintain the traditional boots and hats for that kind of style of performance. We also hope to incorporate kick lines and precision type of movement.”

Gomez said during tryouts students will learn a routine that includes intermediate and advanced techniques, such as calypsos, surprise leaps, turning disks and a kickline sequence.

“They will have to learn a number of choreographies,” she said. “It will consist of straight kicks, fan kicks and just specialized types of kicks that you will do in a line that we would do on the field. There’s a technique section, which will also incorporate the types of skills that they will do in the actual routine, and the standline routines that they will do.”

Gadson said she is excited about the opportunity and learning the history of the different types of drill team programs across Texas.

“And, now I’ve been paying more attention to our local community and the talent that we have,” she said. “I’m actually really excited about this addition to our university experience for students.”

Current and future Vaqueros interested in joining the drill team may attend a workshop from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Student Union PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus.