BUFFALO, N.Y. — Acrobatics and tumbling is still considered an NCAA emerging sport, but teams are popping up across the country — and that includes a new women's team at Buffalo State.
Head coach Alia Stark is busy recruiting.
"Right now they don't necessarily know that this sport and this opportunity exists on Buffalo State's campus, so that's a lot of this recruiting year, educating the community about the sport," Stark said.
"It's an incredible opportunity to stay close to home if you are from Western New York, to get an affordable education, and to be a student-athlete under the NCAA model."
Stark is reunited with Melanie Goulding, her college teammate turned assistant coach. Goulding left Western New York to compete in college, but now she's back and excited at the idea of finding young talent here and keeping them here.
"The opportunity that it provides local young women to be able to compete, to be known, to be seen for their athletic value, it's just an awesome opportunity to be able to share that," Goulding said.
The pair is looking for 20 to 25 women to start the Buffalo State team.
"When it comes to skill set, we are definitely looking for gymnastics-style tumbling, stunting when it comes to cheer. Strong bases. Strong backs. The beauty of the sport is that you can come from any type of athletic background, and for the most part, be a really good fit for the sport," Goulding said.
Once chosen, the team will start practicing next fall and begin competitions in early 2024.