STEPPERS' HISTORY: Step's Speech

This was supposed to be up a longg time ago! It's Step's speech for Homecoming. For those of you who don't know, Step is the founder of Steppers. Shiqi was kind enough to forward her speech to the squad (past and present). Everyone should read this, because all of us should all know how far Steppers has come, and how we can't take what we have for granted. Crash mats, uniforms, mats... Please treat them properly! Don't eat on mats, don't go jogging in your cheer shoes if you know the ground is dirty/muddy etc. People in hall often tell me how lucky we are to have Yod as a coach, and really, what would we do without him(: We're so fortunate now, but let's not forget our humble beginnings! The team wasn't made overnight, it took loads of courage, tears, hope and faith. Don't take anything for granted ohkay(:

Step's speech:

"I still remember how i watched Bring It On for like the 20th time and came up with the crazy idea to become a cheerleader. I have been dancing since the age of 4, and my passion for dance with my desire to do gymnastic stunts inspired me to take up cheerleading. 

I'd often support NTU Inter-hall Cheerleading competitions, and it hit me one day, "why can't we do the same here in NUS? why not start an inter-hall cheerleading competition too!?" And that's how it all began. To have a cheer competition, you need squads to compete! And apart from Temasek Hall's cheer dance group, there was no other. "KR, being a culture hall, should have enough talented individuals to make this work" i thought to myself. 

After approaching close friends in the JCRC, without much planning at all, actually, I started printing posters to call for cheer try-outs, and publicizing the establishment of a 1st-ever cheerleading squad in KR. Apart from a couple of good friends, no one believed it would work. Even some close hall mates would tell me, "Oh Step, Master is never going to see this through. You need too much, too many resources, which our hall won't give." I obviously didn't care, and went ahead to collecting names of interested people from each block.

I roped in my dance buddies to form the panel. We had a turnout of 40 people at our first try-outs. I cannot even begin to put down in writing how much fun that was for us. Yes, it was sort-of like Bring It On the movie. Of course, to my expectation, it was impossible to find anyone with gymnastics or cheer-stunts background and expertise at that time, so i had to make do with who i had.

Knowing we needed good coaches, so i used whatever contacts I had with the best cheer team at that time (Magnum Force from Ngee Ann Poly), and got our new-born squad 2 of the best local coaches we could find.

We had more problems than I had ever dealt with in my life. From 40, the numbers quickly dropped to 25. And we only had enough funding for our coaches who to come once a week to teach whatever they could within 3 hours of intense training.

After only a few months of learning the basics, Hall residents started asking, “so when are we going to see the cheerleaders perform and cheer”, “are you all going to cheer at every match during IHG?”, “when will you be ready to cheer for the hall?” WOW. We were far from ready.

Despite the low morale circumstances, we persevered to try and prove ourselves to the Hall. And that is exactly what we did. Our debut at IHG 05/06 won us every hall’s standing ovation and roaring cheers, other hall masters’ good commendations, and the hearts of our Hall friends, JCRC & SCRC members, and Master himself. I will never forget how Lewis came up to me and told me, “go ahead to claim what you need to; your mats, costumes, coaches, just let me know what you need.” – I cried.

When the next batch came in, and we had almost enough training to take part in the National Cheerobics Competition in 2007, I knew we had to prove ourselves to the hall again that this will work, and we are here to stay for long. It was the first time any hall was represented in a Nationwide event, and I knew that our participation alone would bring much honour to KR. People asked me if we were sure it wouldn’t be an embarrassment, I replied them with the much-loved phrase, “Just whack la.”

I had absolutely no expectations from the squad. Only that they do their best, and had no regrets after all we had been through. Our whole hall, including our Master, was there supporting us. When the Emcee announced us as the winners for Best Sunshine and Best Team Spirit, I was more than pleased with the results. When the next announcement came, “and the winner for 1^st Runner-up….. the KR Steppers from NUS Kent Ridge Hall!!!” – this time, we ALL cried.

Before we owned our high quality, clean, blue and yellow mats, we trained on hard floor, on grass, on sofa cushions, and for the IHG performance, we rented a lorry and went to every NTU hall to borrow mats to use and return.

Before we grew a creative brain on designing our cheer uniforms, we found the cheapest, lousiest tailor, and did the most basic set we could get, paying out of our own pocket.

Before we printed large banners and bought expensive pompoms, we made ours from raffia, and cut and pasted our signs together.

We started with nothing, and boy, look where we are now.

Moments I will always, always remember (apart from winning and being thrown up in the air)…

·       Hearing Eusoff Hall scream and chant our name longer than our own hall did.

·       The Temasek Hall guys exclaiming our cheer girls were HOT STUFF.

·       Being the only captain to receive a medal and a huge bouquet of flowers with a speech at our IHG awards ceremony.

·       Making our mascot bear “Steppie”, and making the first Spirit Stick to pass on.

My squad, sitting around me, voting for our team to be named after my name – The KR Steppers

My squad, shedding blood, sweat, and tears, with me, with no complaints.

My squad, always being there for each other, come what may.

We truly learnt, and I am sure we have passed on the same values of our motto to the next generations:

Blame No One : our success or failure would be judged only by our own efforts

Expect Nothing : we will earn the support, respect, and awe, and appreciate it

Do Something : “Just whack la”, you will never know what you can achieve without making the   

  first step to try.

Besides, cheerleaders are meant to rule. So who cares what the rest think, so long as you Bring It.

To name those who have been with me throughout this journey, is too many too dear.

But these boys, I have to mention:

Jianping (A-blk) – thank you for diving into this blindly with me

ChongYunn (B-blk) – thank you for trusting my instincts

Siyong (D-blk) – thank you for keeping our spirit there all these years"
To ____, thankyou for doubting me, i had to prove you wrong.

-Step