Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, ETSU Spirit Coordinator Van VanEaton did not know Johnson City existed until he met his wife.
He moved to Johnson City in 1994, got his master’s degree in counseling, worked in behavioral health for years and now works in pharmaceutical sales. But through all of this, his passion has stayed the same.
He cheered in college and began his coaching career in 1986. He admits that he never expected to end up at ETSU. The position of spirit coordinator fell into his lap after another coach had quit and he had been asked to consult for a year. The woman he consulted with then quit the following year. That is exactly why he feels like everything happens for a reason.
He has now been coaching ETSU’s dance and cheer teams for six years, which he says it has not been easy.
“It’s hard here,” said VanEaton. “Cheerleading is not taken as seriously. In West Tennessee, people start cheering in the first grade. There are skills you just have to learn.”
Despite this struggle, VanEaton says the competition is growing in this region, especially the competition for the limited number of openings on his teams.
“This past year, 50 individuals tried out for the 24 spots on the cheer team,” said VanEaton. “On the dance team, there is one girl all the way from Florida. Every year, individuals turn out for tryouts, yet there are hardly any scholarships.”
To VanEaton, that shows dedication.
During his time here, the ETSU cheer team made history at the 2019 College National Championships by making it to finals for the first time in the university’s history and placing fourth in the nation.
“Our goal now is to improve on that,” said VanEaton. “I told the girls, ‘You’re only a surprise once. You’ve lost your element of surprise. Now they are watching for us.’”
VanEaton’s constant determination is reflected not only in the form of competition placements, but in the fond words of those he coaches.
“As a coach, Van is always trying to push us to be better dancers, teammates and people,” said Kate Trabalka, a member of the dance team. “He pushes us in practice to dance to the best and fullest of our abilities, so that with each game we can improve and perform bigger and better than the time before.
“This year, he has motivated us by saying, ‘This is the best team we have ever had.’ This phrase gives us faith in our abilities, but it also pushes us to work even harder because we want to prove that we have improved since last year. We want to build the reputation of being a good dance team and leave a legacy for the people after us.”
