The Athletics Department officially has more spirit.
In August, the Sharkettes dance team, which performs at sports games, became part of the Athletics Department.
Director of Athletics Michael Mominey said he is excited to have the Sharkettes be part of the department.
“They showed a commitment to not only the university but to the athletic program,” Mominey said, “and it only made sense to me that they would become part of the intercollegiate athletic program.”
Rachel Salveson, junior chemistry major and co-captain of the Sharkettes, was the team’s president when it was a student organization. She said that being a part of Athletics had always been the Sharkettes’ goal.
“This was like a dream, but we thought it was far off,” Salveson said. “We really amped up our commitment to athletics, which means we went to all the home basketball games — as many as we could — and then through that commitment, [Mominey] saw that it was worth it to bring us into Athletics.”
As a student organization under the Office of Student Activities, the Sharkettes used to perform not only at athletic games but also at different events where students requested them. They performed in the Out of the Darkness Walk, Relay for Life, Sharkapalooza and orientation and competed in NSU’s Got Talent.
Elizabeth DiBiase, assistant director for Business Operations, Membership and Marketing at the Office of Campus Recreation, was the Sharkettes’ adviser when the group was a student organization and is now the team’s coach. She wrote a proposal for the Sharkettes to become part of Athletics in May and met with Mominey in August to discuss it.
Vice President of Student Affairs Brad Williams met with Mominey to discuss the Sharkettes’ transition. Williams said joining Athletics was a compliment to
the Sharkettes.
“We’ve had dance teams in the past that were clubs,” Williams said, “but we’ve never had one that was as good and professional and really represented the university as well as the Sharkettes.”
DiBiase said students are more likely to attend an event knowing that there’s going to be entertainment.
“I think that a lot of the student body looks forward to seeing them dance,” DiBiase said.
Mominey said that while the cheerleaders do cheers and get the crowd going, the Sharkettes perform and add entertainment value and spirit to sports games and events.
“I think the Sharkettes add to what we’re trying to build for students and fans who attend the game,” Mominey said. “Outside of having a team that’s very competitive and has a chance to win, we want to draw as many students and fans and faculty and staff to the games. So, the more we can have going on at the games, the better it is for everyone.”
DiBiase said that during basketball games, the Sharkettes perform during the games on one side of the court, while the cheerleaders perform on the other side of the court. However, Salveson said the dance team is different from cheerleading because, unlike the cheerleaders, the Sharkettes’ dance routines do not include stunts
like backflips.
As a student organization under Student Activities, the Sharkettes had executive positions such as a treasurer, a secretary and a board. Now, DiBiase said, they just have two captains and a coach.
“Now we get to do more with the sports teams and less with meetings and paperwork,” said Malischa Oge, senior communications studies major and Sharkette. “We had meetings to attend all the time and those were part of being in an organization.”
Mominey said the Sharkettes will be treated like other student athletes and must abide by the rules of the department.
Additionally, the department controls their budget. They are also able to have scheduled practice in the Don Taft University Center Arena. DiBiase said the Sharkettes now have an assigned athletic trainer who takes care of them before and
after games.
“I think it’s the biggest thing for us dancers because our bodies hurt all the time,” Salveson said.
Oge said she is looking forward to being more active under athletics.
“We help the audience know, ‘Hey, this is your school and your team, let’s get hyped,” she said.
“They provide spirit and participation,” DiBiase said. “I think having someone in uniform with a smile on their face that loves NSU is going to bring camaraderie to the student body.”
Salveson said DiBiase hope that the Sharkettes can represent the school in competitions in the future. They also have plans to work with the cheerleading team.
Mominey said that because the Sharkettes are so new, details of their management are still being worked out.
“As we work over the years, we’ll consider such things as academic requirements and scholarships,” Mominey said.
Salveson said that now the Sharkettes’ first priority is supporting the athletic program.
“We’re trying to bring more Shark pride to the games, and recruit people to come out and watch us and the basketball games,” Salveson said. “That’s the biggest thing I think we’ve done for the school and, hopefully, we continue to do that.”
Williams said the Sharkettes’ move makes them a permanent NSU fixture.
“Institutionalizing the Sharkettes the way Athletics has done really says, ‘We’re going to make sure the Sharkettes are here to stay,” he said.
