Gregory Spencer is the Isidore Newman School Cheer Coach and Young Alumni Coordinator, but he is also a professional Saints Krewe Cheerleader. The Saints Krewe is the official cheerleading team of the New Orleans Saints. Student journalist Georgia Biever interviewed him on his daily experiences regarding the two jobs and the relationships between them.
After the initial greetings, the interview commences. Coach Greg Spencer is first asked what the everyday Saints Krewe practice looks like. “That’s a great question,” Spencer remarked. “So, get to practice, warm up myself, and then we typically warm up as a team,” he explains. “And after we warm up as a team, they give us the rundown of what’s going to happen today. And then, we either A) go over all of our performances for the week or B) learn new performances. So those performances include champion square performance, pre-game performance, and quarter break performance.”
Coach Spencer was then asked about his favorite aspect of cheering at a professional level. “Performing,” he stated immediately, “I’m a performer at heart, so when I’m performing those…particularly pre-game. Pre-game is like the performance that I’m probably always the most excited about.” Spencer explains. “And I also like the fan engagement too. Like being with parents and engaging with people.”
When asked specifically about his favorite part of being a Saints cheerleader, he said “Saints runs deep in my blood. Since the eighties, my family has been a Saints fan, so I have a cousin who played back in the eighties and when I first moved to New Orleans I lived with him and his wife. And it’s just a part of our family.”
Coach Spencer was then posed the question of whether he prefers coaching or cheerleading. “Coaching,” he states matter-of-factly. “I think at the age where I am now, I’m running the shots as a coach and running the shots in everything that I do. Versus when I’m playing the athlete, I’m not always running the shots, so I can’t just maneuver things in my favor.”
Spencer was then posed the question of whether or not he thinks being a professional cheerleader has affected how he coaches the cheerleaders at Newman. “Yes, one hundred percent.” he declares enthusiastically. “I look at practices differently now with my team than I did prior, and it’s without a doubt for the best. ‘Cause as an athlete, […] I have a better understand[ing] [of] how other athletes’ minds work. […] I think for coaches, the best thing in the world is to have a coach who is also an athlete, ‘cause they understand both perspectives. And I wish that more coaches were also professional athletes because it would definitely change your practice, your game day for the better.”
Coach Spencer is a role model for all students at Newman because of his dedication to what he does. He teaches his cheerleaders the importance of using hard work to achieve their goals. Coach Spencer truly shows all that he meets that through hard work and a genuine passion for what you do, you can accomplish your dreams.
