Callaway hosts cheerleading camp
Published 9:31 am Monday, June 11, 2018
By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY
Daily News
The smiles were wide, the cheers were loud, and the enthusiasm was infections.
A youth cheerleading camp was held in the Callaway High gym over the weekend, and it concluded on Saturday morning with the campers showing off what they’d learned.
Led by the Callaway cheerleaders, who served as the instructors during the camp, the girls stepped onto the gym’s floor to perform a routine for their proud family members, most of whom had the phones out to capture the moment on video.
It was the second straight year Callaway hosted the camp, and cheerleading coach Tricia Turner said it’s an outstanding way to connect with the community.
“Our athletics director Pete Wiggins really loves to show that we are involved in our community, and that we really love the community that we’re a part of and that we represent,” Turner said. “So part of doing that is pulling in the younger group and including them in this type of thing. So we love reaching out to the future Cavaliers, and help them to grow that spirit of Callaway pride.”
Turner put the teaching in the hands of her cheerleaders, and they embraced the task.
Callaway’s cheerleaders led the campers during training sessions on Friday evening and Saturday morning, leading up to the exhibition.
“I enjoyed it,” said Lily Thompson, a junior cheerleader who has helped with the camp the past two years. “It was fun seeing them to get to learn the different motions, and the different counts. They’re just so cute.”
Another one of the Callaway cheerleaders, Merideth Baswell, said “it was really fun” to be a part of the camp.
“As I get older, I hope to get into the teaching profession,” Baswell said. “So this gives me a jump-start on that, and excites me even more to pursue that dream.”
Cheerleader Jada Rhodes, who like Baswell hopes to go into education down the road, had a good time as well.
“I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I want to be a coach, so I really liked it. It’s really fun.”
The camp was a new venture last summer, and Thompson said things went a lot more smoothly this year
“We knew what to expect this year,” Thompson said. “Last year, it wasn’t hard, but we didn’t know what to expect. This year was a lot easier, and it was way more organized than it was last year.”
Fifty-three girls participated in the camp, and Turner said her cheerleaders put a great deal of time and effort into making sure it was a great experience for each of them.
“It really is a lot of work,” Turner said. “They have to put in a lot of time and consideration for this. I think doing this is great for them because it really goes beyond their duties as a cheerleader. It really opens their eyes to how much of a role model they are to these little girls. That’s the big part of it.”
OF NOTE: For more photos, check out Facebook.com/LDNSports
