Have confidence in yourself

Victoria Lukyanov

The Chemnitz NINERS basketball team is currently fighting for a place in the first Bundesliga play-offs. They are not only cheered on by the crowd. The Clovers cheerleaders are also loyal supporters. Victoria Lukjanow has been with the Clovers for ten years now and is now head of the 99ers' cheerleading department. Today she tells us what makes her sport so special.

How did you become interested in cheerleading and the Clovers?
Victoria Lukjanow: I actually started cheerleading quite late. Not until I was twenty, much later than many of our Cloverinies. Back then, I saw a report about a championship and then researched where I could do something like that here. And after some searching, I finally discovered the Clovers for myself.

What sporting experience did you bring with you?
I've always been interested in sport. I've tried a lot of things: Figure skating, volleyball, dancing, basketball, handball, rhythmic gymnastics. But none of the sports really fascinated me. Either it was too one-sided for me or I lacked the motivation for individual sports. I found a great mix in cheerleading: Floor gymnastics, dance, acrobatic lifts - it's all there. And the team spirit is also very strong. As soon as you don't turn up to training, you know that the whole team is suffering. That spurs you on and welds you together.

Cheerleading comes from the USA and involves dance, gymnastics and acrobatics to cheer on your team at a competition. The word is made up of the English word "cheer" and the verb "to lead". The cheerleaders want to lead the audience to applause. There are currently around 20,000 active cheerleaders in Germany. The name of the Chemnitz cheerleaders, "Clovers", is also English and means "shamrocks".

What is special about cheerleading for you?
I didn't think I could do it all at the beginning. I learnt an incredible amount. Without much previous experience, I was able to improve quickly. I was shown and taught things that I didn't think were possible before.

Should cheerleaders like the sport they cheer for?
Oh, I don't even know. I didn't really like basketball at first. But the interest comes automatically as soon as you start attending the games. We also connect with the club. And now I'm a big fan. Even if I'm not actively involved with the Clovers, I go to the home games. I'm also in the crowd. That has developed over the years.

Victoria Lukyanov is just called "Vicky" by everyone. She was born in Karl-Marx-Stadt, grew up here, went to school in Chemnitz, studied at Chemnitz University of Technology and now works for an automotive company in Chemnitz. She also sees her future in the city. "I've been involved with the club for ten years now, it's not something you give up easily."

How did you become the Clovers' coach?
I had to take a break for a while due to injury. And so that I didn't lose touch completely, I asked the coaches in the youth team if I could help out. I realised that I really enjoyed it. It's great to get people to do something that they don't think they can do themselves. That's what got me going back then. Now I try to pass that on. And it's great when people develop in this way because they can now do something they never thought they could before.

Two years after Victoria Lukyanov took her first steps as a trainer, her own trainer stopped. She was asked if she would take over and be responsible for training the seniors and managing the department. At that time, the department comprised three teams with a total of 57 members. There are now two teams for each age group, a total of six groups and over 120 members. Victoria also has to manage the dual role of coach and team member in one of the teams. "That's sometimes difficult," she admits. "There are lots of different personalities in a team like this, but you still have to find a common denominator and work together in harmony."

Is cheerleading just for girls?
(Very firmly) No! We have mixed teams for adults. As soon as men are involved, we can of course work on completely different elements. Higher and more complicated lifts with more spins, for example.
In the children's section, there are only girls. But even they quickly learn that they are only strong if they pull together.

How dangerous is training like this?
It's no more dangerous than any other sport. Of course, injuries do happen. It's no different with football and jogging. But as coaches, we look at what people can do and what they are capable of doing.

Is there anything you are proud of?
I am personally delighted that our team has grown so much and that over 120 people are now taking part.
We have developed well in recent years, have better training conditions in the hall, have been able to purchase our own equipment and have received financial support from sponsors. However, finding sponsors is anything but easy for us. After six years, we managed to send two teams to a German championship last season.

How do you develop your choreographies?
We develop a new performance for every game. That's because the same people aren't involved in every performance. This means that what we can build and show changes every time. We then meet for a two-hour training session before each performance and rehearse the new choreography. Of course, we also continue to develop during the season and always want to show the audience something new.

Can you also be seen outside of Niners games?
We have a lot of requests at the moment. For example, we accompany the KKH Alliance Run, the Fichtelberg Marathon, Running Against Cancer, the Chemlympics or the Chemnitz City Festival. We took part in a major MDR show "Schlager des Sommers" at Klaffenbach moated castle and were asked to take part again this year. Performing in a television production was something special.

Where do you like to be in Chemnitz?
At home and training in the gym (laughs). I like to be at the castle pond. In summer on the beach.

What do you like about the city?
Chemnitz has a bit of everything. It's the right size. You can do a lot. It might be more difficult for an outsider. But if you know the places where there's something going on, then it fits.

What do you want and what do the Clovers want to have achieved by 2025?
My wish for the Clovers is that we are perceived more as a sport. That we are not only important to the NINERS, but that we are also associated with the city of Chemnitz. We would like to step out of this fringe sport cliché.