Outside the Lines: Preparation that Leads to Greatness

The Bayou Classic is perhaps one of the biggest showcases of HBCU talent in the nation.
For years, the Classic has been a pillar in the Baton Rouge community, and as such, has garnered much excitement from a nationally televised audience every year.
What many may not know, however, is that the classic is about much more than the actual game.
The Classic, at its roots, represents a celebration of black excellence on a scale not seen anywhere else.
Whether you’re a spectator or a performer, you know one thing is assured; all eyes will be on you and how you represent your school, and to a bigger degree, your people.
When having such a collection of young, black talent in one place, it is expected that everyone will have just a little more focus on showing just how much better you are than the opposition.
The competition is at its fiercest, however, when the football teams go into the locker room for halftime.
That is when the cheerleaders and the best band in the land square off against the opposition in what many believe to be the highlight of the entire event.
But what goes into the greatness we see on the field at halftime? What makes the Classic different than other games for our band and our cheerleaders? What goes into being the best?
In speaking with individuals who see that preparation first-hand, we have found out just that.
Coach James Smith, who presides over the iconic SU cheerleading squad, and his emphasis on greatness is perhaps the one thing that stands out the most when it comes to preparation.
The passion he holds for his squad and their performance is evident in everything that he says.
One point that was emphasized by Coach Smith was giving the people a good show, regardless of how the game is going.
When asked why this matters so much, Coach Smith had this to say; “We do have a fanbase as well, whether it is alumni, cheerleaders, little boys or little girls who want to potentially be cheerleaders in the future.”
This is to say that there is a great opportunity during the Classic to give the people watching who look up to our cheerleaders a reason to hold them in such a high regard.
Similarly, when asked if his squad works any harder during the Classic than normal, he gave a confident smirk and said of his squad, “They work hard all year.”
This repeats the age old saying that if you’re already ready, then you don’t have to get ready.
One thing for certain is that regardless of the outcome of the actual game, Coach Smith and his squad are ready to show not only Grambling, but the entire nation just how dominant our Southern cheerleaders truly are.
The band’s perspective on preparation for the classic is a different, but welcome distinction from that of the cheerleading squad. It is an old saying that true champions focus on themselves, not the competition or the moment.
In speaking with DiVonte Irby, a member of Southern University’s Human Jukebox, he echoes this sentiment.
When asked about their mentality going into the Classic, he gave a confident, yet humble reply. “We aren’t there to beat Grambling. We’re here to be Southern.”
This is a mentality that only the truest of champions maintain, and that is why the Southern University Human Jukebox is, and will for the foreseeable future, be the greatest band in college sports.
In Baton Rouge, there are few events that can match the Bayou Classic in star-power. For those three hours that the game is on, all eyes are on the two biggest names in HBCU sports. In that moment, all that matters is, in fact, the moment.
As the band takes the field, and the cheerleaders form their pyramids, there is only that moment. And in that moment, greatness can be seized and rules can be toppled.
The reign of the Southern University Jaguars, however, is not being toppled anytime soon. Win or lose, the commitment to greatness that our cheerleaders, band, and students bring is what will forever set the Southern University Jaguars apart.