During those four days, the girls were introduced to sideline cheers, dances, half time cheers, new stunts, and pep rally ideas. Each day, the girls would follow a schedule where they learned new material, practiced new material, attended private coaching with the UCA staff, and performed for evaluations.
On the first day, the girls were escorted by their amazing parents who decorated their room, fed them, encouraged them, and loved on them before camp even began. The girls had a wonderful time that first day learning the ins and outs of cheer camp life. That night we had our first team meeting where we went over the camp’s full day schedule.The first full day (day two) was an adjustment for the cheerleaders. They were introduced to A LOT of new material with only a short amount of time to practice. There was frustration. There was disappointment. There were frowns and even a few tears. After encouraging the girls and reminding them of their talents, they quickly bounced back that evening and the next day.
Day two also resulted in a lot of hard work from these girls. Every time we made them practice, they never complained. We could tell they only wanted to get better. And better they were getting. We told them what to correct, and they corrected it. We could see the transformation of this young, green squad slowly changing into a squad of confidence and ability.
Day three brought tiredness and sleepy eyes, but it did not stop these girls. They continued to work hard; they were determined to improve and win. Their dedication and determination were inspirational to us. They let loose and had fun at the UCA Space Jam-themed pep rally. The girls enjoyed dressing Mrs. Griffin up in her “space gear”, and we all had a good laugh watching her be paraded around in her silly getup! We practiced one last time that night, and the girls were competition ready. We were determined to go to bed early that night, but a fire alarm sent us outside the dorms for a 20-minute wait. After receiving the all clear, we headed back up to get some sleep.
Day four was competition day. The girls were super tired from the last three days, and they were extremely nervous. We were set to go second in each of the four competitions: rally routine, sideline cheer, band dance, and half time cheer. As we were warming up and practicing, we could see the anxiety in their faces.
But when it was time to perform, they nailed it! All their hard work had paid off, and they knew it. We racked up several awards during our days at camp.
Red ribbon in sideline
Gold ribbon in rally routine (best you can get)
Gold ribbon in half time cheer (best you can get)
Pin it Forward recipient Kamryn Bonds for showing positivity and sportsmanship
Day two spirit stick
Day three spirit stick
1st place trophy for rally routine
2nd place trophy for sideline
2nd place trophy for cheer
2nd place trophy for game day overall routine (band dance, sideline, and cheer)
Let me say this...this is a HUGE accomplishment. These girls brought home ALL of these awards when some schools went home with just 3 ribbons. These ribbons, trophies, and recognitions speak volumes about how talented, dedicated, and determined these girls are.
Lastly, I can’t say enough of how extremely proud Mrs. Griffin and I are of these girls. Six of them walked in knowing very little about middle school cheerleading, but they walked out looking like a veteran squad. Our four returners were excellent leaders in helping to guide and encourage their fellow squad members in learning the routines and cheers. Our four returners battled anxiety to tryout for All-American Cheerleader, and they were amazing. This camp brought these 10 girls together in a way that will only help them to be successful during this cheer season.
Before I stop writing, I must give a HUGE thank you to our principal Mr. Manning and our wonderful, supportive parents. We truly couldn’t have done all of this without your trust, love, and support. We appreciate it more than you could know.
Although we are not coaching them this season, we are excited to see what they will accomplish. We are always going to be there to encourage them and “cheer” them on!
Mrs. Little
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