1. April Fabrizio
Alderson Broaddus Acrobatics and Tumbling
101 College Hill Drive, Philippi WV 26416
01/30/14
To whom it may concern,
I, April Fabrizio, am writing to you on behalf of the inaugural Acrobatics and
Tumbling team at Alderson Broaddus University. We are a first year program
comprised of twenty-three female athletes that come from all different backgrounds
including gymnastics, competitive cheerleading, and trampoline. However, the one
thing we all have is common is our goal, and that is to represent our University in all
aspects on and off the mat.
Let me begin by telling you a little about myself, and how I ended up at Alderson
Broaddus to play Acrobatics and Tumbling. Ever since I was toddler, my mom has
thrown me into all sorts of gymnastics, dance, and ballet classes. It was not until 6th
grade when I realized I wanted to be on a team, rather than perform a gymnastics
routine solo. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to competitive cheerleading, and I
instantly became passionate with the athletic aspects of the sport. I continued to
thrive on all my all-star teams for seven years, but then I got to the point of what’s
next? I was a junior in high school when I started to look into potential colleges I
was interested in academically. However, I knew something was missing. I had
always wanted to play a sport in college, but I knew that in the world outside of
competitive cheerleading, it was not considered a collegiate sport. I had no idea
what I was going to do. I was not interested in sideline cheer, because they have a
different purpose at the University, and that is to promote school spirit. I had never
cheered on the sidelines a day in my life, and I was not about to start now because I
was so over all the hair, make-up, glitter, and bows… All I wanted was to be
recognized as an athlete.
One day, by word of mouth, I heard of this new program called Acrobatics and
Tumbling at the University of Oregon. All I knew at the time was that it was NOT
cheerleading, but that it had some of the athletic aspects of competitive
cheerleading integrated into it. I thought, this is just what I was looking for, a chance
to be recognized for all my strength, talent, and skill. So I flew out to the very next
summer clinic at the University of Oregon, and was being recruited in November of
my senior year. When I arrived in Oregon for my freshman year, it hit me that I was
not only creating history in the world of female sports, but I was providing future
opportunities for women all around the country. I honestly believe that this sport is
just going to keep growing, and one day will be so big that we will have conferences
and be televised on ESPN. How cool will it be to say that Alderson Broaddus was one
of the first ten teams to ever have Acrobatics and Tumbling? Think about that. We
need to keep maintaining this program at Alderson Broaddus, and keep getting
stronger and bigger, so we can continue to be a role model to other first year

2. programs. That is one of the main reasons why I transferred. I saw potential in this
team to be one of the best first programs out there, and I wanted to be able to say
that I was apart of the very beginning of something great, because not everyone can.
Due to the fact that we are a growing sport, we are going to have to travel outside
our conference. To be able to do this, we have fundraised in multiple ways including
working WVU football games, hosting tumbling clinics, and selling t-shirts. However,
once teams start adding variously around the country, it is going to be a lot more
difficult to be able to travel to compete against these new teams. Therefore, we are
kindly asking that you help us be apart of something that is so much bigger than
ourselves. The Acrobatics and Tumbling team at Alderson Broaddus has already
gained so much recognition from the surrounding community, and our school
officials, that President Creehan wants us to be the new face of the University. We
naturally bring innovation, character, and uniqueness to the heart of this campus,
and we want to continue making big strides.
A donation from you would go directly towards the future of our program.
Traveling, uniforms, fees, etc. We are an exceptional group of women that want to
get our University’s name out there, and have the opportunity to represent Alderson
Broaddus in the best manner possible. On behalf of our team, I thank you for taking
the time to read this letter. I hope that you have learned a little more about my team
and what we are trying to accomplish, and will consider investing in us. Your
donation could make the difference in the history of this sport at Alderson
Broaddus. Thank you!
If you have any questions about me, or my team, please do not hesitate to contact
me at fabrizioam@battlers.ab.edu
Sincerely,
April Fabrizio