Summer Willis celebrates 25 years with WSU’s Spirit Squad

When you ask Summer Willis what it means to lead a team to seven national titles, she’ll tell you it’s not about the trophies; it’s about the people.

Twenty-five years after becoming head coach of WSU’s Spirit Squad, Willis has placed those trophies in the corner of the room, facing away from the door and largely out of sight. What takes up most of the space is a collection of memories: photos, gifts and newspaper clippings from past and current students, most of whom she still talks to today.

“It might be the one you lost or the one who found their purpose in life,” Willis said when talking about how the people she meets keep her motivated year after year. “For me, it’s just so important that we don’t lose sight of who we are.” Before Willis coached the Spirit Squad, she worked as Weber State’s assistant marketing director of athletics. By the end of that same year, Willis was working as head coach for the team.

“I didn’t know how much I was going to fall in love with coaching,” Willis said. It was through this experience her passion for the sport and her students came to fruition.

Through her leadership, Weber State has risen to international acclaim with students seeking out opportunities with the Spirit Squad from Venezuela to Germany.

“There are so many people who would love to be here,” she said. “I think it’s so important to realize what an opportunity we have to represent.”