The Flippin’ Birds log an impressive number of service hours each year, contributing time and energy in Cedar City and their respective hometowns.

“These athletes are only here for four years, and during that time, I think it is so important to help them use their platform for good.” Said Head Coach Scotty Bauman. He added, “The choices these gymnasts make daily define who they are and help build them into the kind of people we (SUU) and Cedar City can be proud of. They all work hard on the mat, but they make just as big an impact in their everyday lives.”

With such a commitment to making a difference, it’s no surprise that Southern Utah hosts an annual gymnastics meet dedicated to honoring special causes.

“We started with an annual “Pink” meet for breast cancer awareness, but over time, we realized that each one of our athletes had a cause that was dear to them, so we expanded to give our athletes a chance to represent causes that are a bit more personal,” said Bauman.

In 2023, the Thunderbirds extended their support to longtime Boise State Coach Tina Bird and a cause deeply personal to her. Coach Bird’s grandson, Baker, was born with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). During the meet, Southern Utah honored Baker by including a donation link on the video board to help support the family and raise awareness of the disease.

For the 2025 edition of the “My Cause” meet, one ribbon stood out—bright orange and black, affixed in the hair of senior gymnast Ellie Cacciola. This ribbon carried profound significance beyond the friendly confines of the America First Event Center.

Just before Thanksgiving break, Cacciola’s mother, Kimberly Coppedge, and her mother’s boyfriend, Howard, were involved in a devastating motorcycle accident. Tragically, Howard did not survive the accident. Kimberly also sustained severe injuries in the crash.

Law enforcement officers contacted Cacciola by phone to tell her that her mother had been involved in an accident but only provided the details that she had been transported to the hospital. Reacting quickly, Cacciola boarded a flight for Oklahoma soon after alerting the coaches about her mother’s accident.

Cacciola said of her mother’s recovery, “Physically, she has come a long way… it was really bad at the beginning, but unfortunately, that is the easier part.” Cacciola went on to describe how her mother has been dealing with the loss and heartache, “She finally found someone who brought her all the joys in life that she was looking for. She really loved him.”

Cacciola has had the chance to get to know Howard more now through the efforts made to help her mother deal with his loss. “I feel like I have really gotten to know him through this process. When she (Kimberly) was struggling, I would ask her questions about him and let her talk and express her love for him, which has really brought her comfort.”

Cacciola set the tone for the Flippin’ Birds at the “My Cause” meet, leading off on vault with a team-high 9.875. Her signature double high bun, now a staple of Southern Utah gymnastics meets, prominently displayed the orange ribbons.

“The orange ribbon is for motorcycle awareness, and we added the black to make it Harley Davidson colors, which is what he (Howard) drove and all his friends drive.” Cacciola added, “It meant so much to honor something so recent and something that had such an impact on my mom’s life and my life.”

In Oklahoma, near Cacciola’s hometown, there is a rowdy group of Flippin’ Birds fans at a “biker bar” where Kimberly and Howard spent a lot of their time together.

“They spent a lot of their time there and the people there really support my mom, and through her, they support me. So they’ll turn on the meets at the bar every single time, and all sit there and watch it; they have turned into big SUU fans!”

Despite the emotional toll of the accident, Cacciola had to return to Cedar City soon after the break to prepare for competition in early January.

“I was able to be with my mom for two weeks, and it was hard to know that I wouldn’t be able to be there in person to help her in her physical recovery, but I needed to get back to school and the gym to be ready for the season.” Cacciola added, “The good thing was that being here in Cedar, I was able to separate the emotional recovery from the important things I have going on here.”

Through it all, her Southern Utah teammates and coaches rallied around her, providing support as she coped with the near loss of her mother and the loss of someone who had become a large part of her mother’s life.

“It was great to come back to teammates who had my back through everything and coaches who supported me.” Cacciola added, “When I called Scott before booking the flight home, he did not hesitate to tell me to go. That means a lot, considering we were in the heat of preseason. All of them also checked in with me almost daily while I was home with my mom.”

Among the sea of colored ribbons symbolizing various causes, the orange and black ribbon was also worn by Assistant Coach Jeff Richards, an avid motorcycle rider himself. Richards had his own brush with danger over the Thanksgiving break, suffering broken ribs and scrapes in a motorcycle accident that, fortunately, wasn’t more severe.

“I was only about two blocks from the house when I hit a patch of gravel and went down… I was fortunate to have all my protective gear on when it happened, or it could have been much worse.” Richards added, “It was great to wear the orange ribbon to help people be more aware of motorcycles and for them to be on the lookout for those who ride.”

Cacciola said of Richards’ accident, “I am grateful that Jeff was wearing his helmet that day. Maybe in some small part, my mom’s accident made him think about putting it on, and it helped save, if not his life, at least it minimized his damages.”

As the Flippin’ Birds secured a spectacular home victory against in-state rival Utah State, the orange ribbons worn by Cacciola and Richards stood as a powerful reminder to stay aware of motorcyclists on the road and, for those who ride, to always wear a helmet.

Motorcycle Safety

For more information on Motorcycle safety, please click here.