If moving away from home and starting college isn’t intimidating enough, try joining the LSU cheerleading squad at the same time. Fortunately, 18-year-old Maddy Joseph doesn’t have to do it alone.
“I’m going to be adjusting to so many different things in life, but it’s so comforting to know that I have a piece of home with me,” Maddy says.
Maddy and her older sister Caroline always dreamed of making history in cheerleading one day, and now they have: They’re the first pair of sisters to cheer together at LSU.
The sisters grew up in Lafayette with an older brother, a rotating schedule of gymnastics and dance classes and a deep-rooted love of LSU. Their parents brought them along to every football game in TigerStadium, but Caroline and Maddy were always much more interested in watching the cheerleaders on the sidelines than keeping up with the game.
For both, the LSU cheerleaders always seemed like celebrities.
But when Caroline made the team in 2012, the idea suddenly became much more attainable for Maddy as well. Two seasons later, Caroline has made a new home for herself on the squad, and Maddy’s moving in.
“It’s like having your best friend there all the time,” Caroline says.
LSU cheerleading tryouts take candidates through a series of nerve-wracking cuts that narrow the pool down each round until only the best remain. All of the Josephs were on edge throughout the process this year.
“We had a good feeling before the last cut, but of course Maddy hadn’t been through tryouts before, so she had to see her name on the list before she could get excited,” Caroline says. “So we’re at lunch before we go to see the final list, and my mom’s crying, Maddy’s crying, and my dad’s like, Caroline, calm them down!'”
Two proud parents went back to Lafayette with season tickets and LSU Cheerleading T-shirts in tow. The Josephs’ father wears his as much as possible. He likes to tell people how he has two daughters on the squad, both of them thrilling the fans and cheering for the Tigers in Death Valley.
Cheerleading has cemented a bond between the Joseph sisters since Caroline first started cheering in junior high school.
Now, both young women look forward to making plenty of new game-day memories together.
“I’m excited for everything,” Maddy says. “And to have someone to tell me what to expect and introduce me to people and be there for me, it’s even better. I don’t know how Caroline did it by herself.”
