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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU Welcomes Payton Young as Head Cheerleading Coach
7/31/2023 12:00:00 PM | Cheerleading
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Director of Athletes Jeff Bourne announced the hiring of Payton Young as the head cheerleading coach on Monday afternoon.
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"We're excited to add Payton to our staff and look forward to the energy and passion that she will bring to our cheer program," Bourne said. "As a former cheer student-athlete in the Sun Belt, she understands the expectations and is extremely motivated to maximize the cheer program's role as a critical piece of the game day experience. The fact that she also recently joined the Varsity ranks as an all-star judge has further helped her to be connected within the cheer industry and to further grow as a coach in preparation for an opportunity like JMU. Payton is athlete-focused and cares about helping our student-athletes to maximize their collegiate experience and to prepare for a bright future after college."
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Young comes to JMU after spending the previous two seasons as the head cheer coach at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. She also worked as an administrative assistant in the athletic department during her time with the Eagles.
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"I am so excited to be back in an atmosphere that feels like home. Getting to personally train and perform in the Division I cheer world, especially in the Sun Belt Conference, I can't wait to use my knowledge and experience to train the next Division I collegiate cheerleaders and pass those traditions on to them."
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In addition to working in college athletics, Young served as a coach at Armory Athletics, Extreme Athletic, and ACE of the River Region where she taught gymnastics, cheer, tumbling, and more to different age groups.
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Young attended Troy, participating in cheer as well as a multitude of clubs. In 2018, she became a marketing/social media coordinator & recruiting intern for the Trojans' football team. The role saw her interact with coaches, donors, board members, and faculty to highlight and promote the program via visual and written content. The following year, she took on the same role with the school's cheerleading squad.
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She received a bachelor's degree in secondary history education from Troy in Fall 2020 before earning a master's degree in sports psychology from Faulkner in Spring 2023.
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The James Madison cheerleading is coming off a year that saw the program compete at the Division I level at the UCA College Cheer Nationals. In 2020, the Dukes' All-Girl team placed fifth, while the Coed squad placed 13th out of 24 teams at the Orlando-based competition.
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"We're excited to add Payton to our staff and look forward to the energy and passion that she will bring to our cheer program," Bourne said. "As a former cheer student-athlete in the Sun Belt, she understands the expectations and is extremely motivated to maximize the cheer program's role as a critical piece of the game day experience. The fact that she also recently joined the Varsity ranks as an all-star judge has further helped her to be connected within the cheer industry and to further grow as a coach in preparation for an opportunity like JMU. Payton is athlete-focused and cares about helping our student-athletes to maximize their collegiate experience and to prepare for a bright future after college."
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Young comes to JMU after spending the previous two seasons as the head cheer coach at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. She also worked as an administrative assistant in the athletic department during her time with the Eagles.
Â
"I am so excited to be back in an atmosphere that feels like home. Getting to personally train and perform in the Division I cheer world, especially in the Sun Belt Conference, I can't wait to use my knowledge and experience to train the next Division I collegiate cheerleaders and pass those traditions on to them."
Â
In addition to working in college athletics, Young served as a coach at Armory Athletics, Extreme Athletic, and ACE of the River Region where she taught gymnastics, cheer, tumbling, and more to different age groups.
Â
Young attended Troy, participating in cheer as well as a multitude of clubs. In 2018, she became a marketing/social media coordinator & recruiting intern for the Trojans' football team. The role saw her interact with coaches, donors, board members, and faculty to highlight and promote the program via visual and written content. The following year, she took on the same role with the school's cheerleading squad.
Â
She received a bachelor's degree in secondary history education from Troy in Fall 2020 before earning a master's degree in sports psychology from Faulkner in Spring 2023.
Â
The James Madison cheerleading is coming off a year that saw the program compete at the Division I level at the UCA College Cheer Nationals. In 2020, the Dukes' All-Girl team placed fifth, while the Coed squad placed 13th out of 24 teams at the Orlando-based competition.
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