EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Department of Athletics and Director of Athletics Myra Sims are pleased to announce the hiring of Kandee Wallace as Head Cheer & Dance Coach. A Southwest Virginia native, Wallace will begin her duties on Monday, April 17.
In March, the College declared its intention to add competitive cheerleading and dance as non-NCAA varsity sports beginning in the 2017-18 academic year. Both programs will be coed and will enhance E&H's current sideline cheerleading squad and the student-led dance team. The addition of cheer & dance is part of the College's larger initiative which seeks to increase enrollment through the recruitment efforts of coaches.
"We have hired a bright and capable young coach in Kandee Wallace," commented Sims. "While we had a great pool of candidates, many of them had experience in cheer or dance, not both. Kandee emerged in the process because she has the ability to direct all three teams herself. She demonstrated a well-developed plan for how and where she might recruit, how she would manage the three separate teams and already had a list of competitions that she thought were well-suited to new programs. I am extremely excited to welcome Kandee to our staff and I am confident that she will be a great mentor to the student-athletes in these programs."
Wallace has served as a cheer, dance and gymnastics instructor at multiple gyms since she was an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia's College at Wise where she was also a member of the Highland Cavaliers' cheerleading squad. She most recently held the position of Head Tumbling Coach at Jessica's Little Feet Dance Studio in St. Paul, Virginia. Wallace has also coached at Highlands Dance Academy, Dynamic Gymnastics & Cheer All-Stars and Villa Sport Athletic Club & Spa.
"I am so pleased and honored to be the head coach for the Wasps' cheerleading and dance teams," said Wallace. "I am very excited to be a part of the Emory & Henry family, and to make them and our community proud while giving them the best support we know how. Starting these teams anew will be a challenge, but I plan to work tirelessly to make them a huge success and uphold excellence within the programs. I look forward to a very successful year and being a part of this."
A 2014 graduate of UVA-Wise, Wallace holds a National Youth Cheerleading Certification and is also certified by the United States All Star Federation. She has also been highly involved in community service in her native Russell County.
With the addition of competitive cheerleading and dance, E&H increases its varsity sport offering to 22 with nine NCAA men's sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field), nine NCAA women's sports (basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball), competitive cheerleading & dance, and the Intermont Equestrian IDA and IHSA teams.
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