Getting to know Bristol - Francesca Jones, Captain of the University of Bristol Jets Cheerleading Club
Posted on: 28 Oct 2015The Bristol Jets are the cheerleading club representing the University of Bristol. They compete on a number of fronts and sport over 200 members - a mammoth amount for any club or society at university.
The Jets regularly compete, with great success, at national competitions sporting several squads alongside supporting the University of Bristol American football and basketball teams. They're also in demand around the city and have helped promote various sporting events throughout the years.
As anyone who has been part of a club or society at university knows however, being part of a team is so much more than just the performance or the games - it's a huge commitment that shapes your time at university and yourself as a person. As cheerleading continues to grow in the public eye we had to find out more. Who better to speak to than the Captain of the University of Bristol Jets, Francesca Jones...
(L-R) Vice-Captain Molly Hill and Captain Francesca Jones of the UoB Jets Cheerleading Club
When were the Bristol Jets founded?
A good few years ago, in a different form as a society. The initial plans were laid out around 2005 and we started as a true squad around 2007. The club has existed in its current form as a recognised UoB sports club since the academic year 2012/3.
Are you from Bristol?
No, I am originally from near Bournemouth. I am currently studying for my MA in History at the University of Bristol, having done my undergraduate degree here too. One of my main reasons for staying on at UoB was the Jets and the sports community as a whole at Bristol.
How are you finding the number of members?
The club is growing…very, very quickly! We are now approaching 220 members, having been a small club of just 80 a few years ago. In fact, we are growing far more quickly than I think the founders and previous club captains ever expected. It was only a few years ago we transitioned from a society to a sports club, and since then the club has expanded hugely. As a result, the Jets are going through a significant period of transition on every level, from our financial structure, to sourcing training spaces that can accommodate our teams and also our needs. We have four teams: three competitive teams and one all-inclusive team, which at the start of this year had almost 150 members. In total, the club has well over 200 members.
Tell us a little more about the Bristol Jets.
We are an entirely all-inclusive, co-ed club. Yes, we have male cheerleaders! Our unique selling point is that every person who is brave enough to come to tryouts is guaranteed a spot on a team. Whilst this causes significant challenges for the club both on an infrastructural and practical level, it remains the most important value at the heart of the club. The stereotypes associated with cheerleading could not be further from the truth at Jets: we are determined to find a space for every individual athlete of all abilities. Arguably, the key issues facing UoB sport are largely to do with the balance between inclusivity and our competitive performance versus other universities. The Jets has successfully found a way to balance these issues. Our biggest team is our ‘Gameday squad’, who regularly support both the UoB Barracuda American Football Team and UoB Basketball Club at games and cheer at several UoB vs. UWE events throughout the year. However, we also have three competitive teams, who compete at (and win) national level competitions.
Ironically, Jets is both one of the most visible sports clubs at UoB and also one of most underestimated. Last year, our Pom team won University Nationals. Our Level 2 All-Girl team placed Third at University Nationals against almost thirty other university teams. Our Level 3 All-Girl team placed first in their Regional division category. All whilst our Gameday team supported other UoB teams on a weekly basis throughout the winter and spring terms. And by the way, all of that was achieved with just one and a half hours of professional coaching per week.
When compared to some of the other better known and well supported teams at UoB, the Jets have been able to both out-perform our fellow clubs, as well as include a vast number of UoB students.
How do you find running a university club in Bristol?
Frankly, I spend more time running the club than I do working towards my degree! (Don’t tell my parents.) I’ve been known to use the Jets as an example of a small business in job interviews: I view my role as that of a CEO growing a small business. My aim is to leave the Jets with infrastructural tracks to run on for years to come, as well as a solid financial foundation. Between June and September this year, we have managed to quadruple our sponsorship: ensuring that financial stability is a big step in the right direction.
As Club Captain, there isn’t much I don’t do. Whether it’s working with our Treasurer to write a three-year financial plan for the club, or with our Vice-President to smooth out logistical issues concerning training spaces, or with our Social Secretaries negotiating sponsorship deals. However, with no hint of false modesty, I truly cannot take any credit for the running of the club: I have a great partner in crime in our Vice-President, Molly (pictured above). The Jets have a superbly dedicated committee who work together as a unit to achieve all that we do. The success of our club does not happen in isolation from our members, who view each training session and social as a new opportunity to grow closer as a club.
We know that our members invest both their time and money into our club and we fully understand the responsibility that brings. Whilst the Jets may be ‘just a university sports club’, this is not reflected in our commitment to the club and our work to ensure its future.
What challenges do you face as a university club?
The issue of balancing inclusivity and competition success is a big challenge. However, we are lucky to have the support of both the UoB Students Union and Sports, Exercise and Health, the center of UoB Sport, who help us to meet this challenge. We are lucky enough to have maintained our ‘Kick Start’ sport status as a growing sports club at UoB, and with that comes the support of the team at SEH, who are as committed as we are to see the Jets grow into the club it could be. (Shout out to Matt Paine!)
One of our biggest challenges is finding appropriate training space. Without stating the obvious, cheerleading is an unusual sport and we need specialized facilities, such as a sprung floor, to train safely. Unsurprisingly, the university does not have a full sprung gymnastics floor within its facilities, so we frequently travel all over Bristol for training. It is in this respect particularly that we are lucky to have such loyal members who put up with travelling by bus, car and on foot to training several times a week.
On a more general level, as a cheerleading club the Jets encounter a huge amount of stereotyping. From well-versed opinions on cheerleading’s sport status, to the classification of our members as the well-known cheerleader stereotype, the attention Jets receives is not always positive. What people do not know is that the first cheerleading team was founded not only at the academically rigorous Princeton University, but that it was in fact, an all male club.
Our outgoing committee are going on to run the world in jobs in banking, engineering and law, not to mention a postgraduate degree at Cambridge! Partaking in team sports demonstrates that you are ambitious, organised and can work productively in a team environment. 'Working as a team' has never been more literal than working with your stunt group to hold your flyer in the air and help her perform intricate movements 7 feet up. Juggling hours of training each week with your studies is no mean feat and employers are consistently impressed to hear about our unusual sport.
Anyone in the club can run for a position on our committee and the level of responsibility is very real. Jets receives support from both SEH and the Bristol SU, however, the running of the club is entirely down to its members and committee.
Where do you like to eat out in Bristol?
Personally, the Cow Shed is one of my favourite restaurants. It is always a good place to take the parents for a meal in the depressing weeks at the end of the autumn term. However, GBK is frequented by Jets for team meals, so I would isolate there as the overall club favourite!
What's your favourite place to drink in Bristol?
Greenhouse at the bottom of Park Street. Greenhouse is our current sponsor and the lengths the staff go to support the Jets is truly fantastic. The management there never fail to get excited about our ideas for socials and are understanding and flexible when we need them to be. My favourite memory at Greenhouse was the Superbowl Party there last year (Go Patriots!) and all the Sunday evenings we spend watching the NFL with the Bristol Barracuda. Many a Jets – Cuda romance has blossomed in that hallowed hall.
Where do you see the Bristol Jets in 5 years time?
I see us as having further diversified our teams, building on our current co-ed status until men are better represented in the club. I also see us as a Performance Sport (the highest level of sport at UoB), continuing to grow with the support of SHE and the SU. In an ideal world, I would like to see our talent shine at competitions: if we can access the training space we need, there is no limit on how highly we can perform at national competitions. In my wildest dreams, I dream of Grand Champions jackets…
What advice would you give to any other university sports teams or societies groups looking to establish themselves?
Use the processes in place at the SU and SEH to get the support you need. One of the best features about the SU is the grants you can apply for to help your club and its members. Furthermore, use their expertise when applying for external grants, as well as their contacts with the UoB Alumni Fund. Bristol SU doesn’t always get good press, but everyone there is working to rectify this. The support system is there for a reason: use it and you will be surprised by how keen the SU staff are to help. (Shout out to Ben Wraith!)
How can the people of Bristol get involved? Students and general public?
Contact the Jets! Follow us on Facebook- The Bristol Jets Cheerleading Squad, on Twitter @bristoljets and on Instagram bristoljets for updates on our city-wide activities.
We have attended charity events in the past and are always open to come and represent UoB at city-wide events. Last year, we were proud to be involved in the IGNIT10N challenge, where we held a flyer in the air for 10 hours and helped UoB Sport raise over £20,000 for Bristol-based hospitals.
If you were Mayor of Bristol for a day which one thing would you change?
I would hold an annual city-wide Sports Day, inviting local businesses, sports teams (schools, universities and private), gyms and well known figures to get involved in trying a new sport. I would use well-known city spaces, from College Green to Brandon Hill and the Downs to bring the city together to broaden their horizons. As a cheerleading club, the Jets encounter a huge amount of stereotyping and this is something all sports fall victim to. Let’s change that.