Former NFL cheerleader Ware a positive influence as LU Dance’s first head coach
5/30/2023 1:05:00 AM | Dance
After being rebranded from the Flamettes to an official Club Sports program this past fall, the Liberty University Dance team has flourished under the direction of Kristan Ware since she was hired as the program’s first official head coach in November.
The former cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins, who was ostracized for her faith and moral purity in the secular and hyper-sexualized culture of professional cheerleading, has instilled in her team members a passion for executing spirit-filled dance routines as well as taking bold stands for Christ wherever they go.
“The NFL tried to take my freedoms away,” said Ware, who grew up in a military family in South Carolina and was baptized in her NFL cheerleading uniform during her third season with the Dolphins in 2017. “This world will try to manipulate and take many things from you, but the one thing no one is powerful enough to take is your faith in Jesus Christ. I had fame at my fingertips … and suddenly was faced with the choice between being an NFL cheerleader or a Christ-follower. This was a convicting moment in my life and ultimately, I gave up my professional dance career for my faith.”
A former national championship dance team member as a freshman at Lander (S.C.) University, Ware graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in marine science with a biological emphasis in December 2014 before beginning her NFL cheerleading career in 2015. She said she had invested so much of her time, money, hopes and dreams into cheerleading that it became an idol in her life.
“It was extremely taxing being in an industry where I was making a profit off the deception of perfection, while I, myself, was deceived and a slave trying to reach the always changing and unattainable beauty standards in our culture,” Ware said. “When you live for the world, you begin to look like the world and God has called us to be set apart. It wasn’t until I gave up my NFL uniform that I realized no amount of make-up, spray tans, or hours in the gym could do what only Jesus can do. He is the only one who makes us beautiful. It’s about His light, His grace, His testimony, and I am so thankful for His love and the lifelong journey of sanctification. It’s not about me, it’s about Jesus.”
She is humbled to be working at one of the world’s largest Christian universities, with a team of young women who know that their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and who desire to use them to glorify God as they represent the Lord at various athletic competitions and other events around Liberty.
“Starting here is such a blessing and I’m thankful for the opportunity that they are willing to trust in me,” said Ware, who also serves as a mentoring specialist on the Club Sports academic support staff. “There’s a dark culture surrounding the sports of dance and cheer and I want to make a radiant difference in that, but I can't do it alone. It takes a team, and it takes discipline, keeping God as the priority.”
Her bold faith has rubbed off on her team members, who raise the banner for their Christian faith whenever they perform.
“My heart for this dance team at Liberty is that they never question who they are without their uniform, like I once did,” she said. “Their identity is in Christ alone and no one can take that from them.”
Ware is protective of her student-athletes and fights for their safety and health. She spent the first six months on the job implementing new fitness and agility standards and inspiring her student-athletes to balance their academic workloads while staying socially active and spiritually focused.
“Christ comes first,” she said. “They’re here for their academics and then they’re competitive athletes. They’re on board and they’re excited now. They have fought hard to be a team and now they are an official competitive dance team. With that comes responsibility, and it also comes with sacrifice.”
That includes plenty of early-morning practices and strength and conditioning sessions.
“They’ve got a lot coming at them, but if they’re going to be a competitive team, they’re going to have to train hard with grit,” Ware said. “They’re adults and are capable of being self-disciplined. I desire to uphold accountability and structure. When they know they have a coach who will stick to her word, that's what helps build trust. They know what’s expected of them, and they know that it’s all for the betterment of the team.”
A total of 60 girls tried out for the 2023-24 LU Dance team on April 29, when Ware brought in NFL judges to help her select a team of 27 members that will start their summer workouts in less than two weeks. She realizes it will take tremendous work ethic as well as discipline for the team to achieve its goals of contending for a national championship against other NCAA Division I programs in the National Dance Alliance (NDA) National Championships in Florida next spring, but she is looking forward to the journey ahead.
“Trophies will never be a sign of true success to me,” Ware said. “Guiding young women to the truth of Christ is. God has blessed me with these young women that I can pour into now (and) I will challenge them and continue to raise the athletic standard on this team. However, as a new coach, my No. 1 priority is to focus on the foundation and culture of the team, and make sure they know that they are more than just dancers, more than just athletes. They are daughters of the one and only true God. I have also been working to build rapport and an emotional connection with each girl. I don’t believe in correcting athletes without connecting with them first.”
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
