Siblings journey to becoming Auburn Cheerleaders
It is great to be an Auburn Tiger, but possibly even greater to be an Auburn Cheerleader. But what is it like when your sibling joins the team? The Musselwhite family has come to know this all too well as sophomore Mary Carlton “MC” and her big brother, Fuller, were chosen to cheer on the Tigers for the 2021 season.
MC wanted to be an Auburn Cheerleader her whole life, going as far as to dress up as one for almost ten years on Halloween. When her brother agreed to train with her, her passion only grew stronger. “When I would come visit him during the school year or summer, I would go to open gyms or just stunt with [him]. As a freshman, Fuller and I stunted most nights each week during first semester. Second semester, we were practicing ever single night unless we had church,” MC explained. Fuller’s dream came a little later than his sisters, saying that, during their practices, “My main goal stunting was to do my best to help prepare MC for her dream of becoming an Auburn Cheerleader. It was not until a month or two before tryouts that [the] dream became mine as well.” The pair spent countless hours stunting, dancing, and all-around practicing. To the duo’s excitement, they both heard their names at callouts on Cater Lawn. However, the work had only just begun. Summer conditioning sessions grew longer and more frequent as the school year approached. Official practices were held four times a week with an additional two to three weight training sessions per week. Regardless of the extensive practice schedule, the siblings took no time off, “Fuller and I stunt together all the time and I love every second of it. The best part is even on holiday breaks and summer, I still have someone to stunt with,” MC said.
Despite spending the entirety of game day together, they have still taken a picture every week and have ended the day by rolling Toomer's Corner. MC described her time on the team with her brother as a dream, stating, “From experiencing your first game day, to talking to a precious family, to practice, to appearances, and everything in between, there’s nothing like experiencing it yourself and then looking to your right and your built-in best friend is there, too.”
Lessons come from anything and everything. Both siblings expressed their gratitude to their team and coaches, saying that they’ve learned so many valuable life lessons. Humility, leadership and glory to God were the top expressions for the two. However, they received unique lessons from cheering alongside each other. Fuller told of his gratitude to his sister for teaching him to, “focus on the task at hand. Complacency can get people hurt, but being intentional each and every stunt yields great improvement.”
The power duo has lived the dream of many Auburn students and fans, but neither sibling lost their humility. Fuller has written “By His Grace, For His Glory” on his tape every game. MC could not express her joy of her position without exclaiming, “It’s a privilege to wear the uniform and the Lord deserves all the glory for it!” These siblings have displayed a love like no other — not only for their school, but for the bond they share with each other that is only strengthened by their place on the team.