Cheerleaders attend summer camps
By Chelsea Reid
September 05, 2008
Over the summer, the high school cheerleaders were busy hosting the local little girls' camp and traveling to their own camp at McPherson College.
Shelby Brokaw, junior cheerleader, shared her high and low moments of the McPherson camp.
"My favorite part of going to cheer camp was getting to bond with all of the girls for four days and getting to know them better. My least favorite part was getting up early to go cheer and trying to put a smile on your face," she said.
The United Cheerleaders Association and the cheerleaders of McPherson hosted the camp.
The Silver Lake squad learned new cheers and stunts that they will perform at the games.
"At camp, we learned how to perfect our moves and also new cheers and chants for next year. We also learned a couple dances that we will be able to perform," she said.
The Silver Lake squad was nominated for team and individual awards throughout the camp. Brokaw said the squad won the leadership award and received first on the cheer that the camp leaders taught them. Also, Britney Workman, senior; Whitney White, freshman; and Brokaw tried out for the all-stars and won. They had to perform the dance they learned at camp, a chant, and a jump to win this award.
Brokaw said the girls had fun at the camp and liked spending time together. She said they always make new memories that will be with them forever.
"My most memorable moment was when we got to perform cheers that the extreme routine taught us at the camp. We had been practicing it the whole camp, and we finally got to perform it at the end," she explained.
The high school cheerleaders also got the chance to work with some Silver Lake girls in first grade through eighth grade. Brokaw said each cheerleader and the coach picked a chant or jump that they wanted to teach the little girls. They showed the little girls cheers, jumps, stunts, and a few dances.
"We got to work with the little girls for four days for a couple hours. Usually the camp was in the old gym but, because of all the construction, we had to have the camp in the new gym this year," she said.
The little girls performed Friday at the soda scrimmage toward the end of the game.
"The little girls seemed to enjoy the camp because some of them who went to camp last year came again this year, and they always had a smile on their face. They seemed excited to be there working with us and watching us," Brokaw concluded.
