Cheer Camp

Should You Go to Cheer Camp?

There are many reasons why your squad should go to cheer camp. However, a camp experience might not be right for all squads. Consider carefully the ability of your squad, your funds and your goals for the upcoming school year.

Advantages

Cheer camp offers many advantages to cheer squads. Among them are:

• A chance for new squad members to bond
• An opportunity to practice together and build trust
• The chance to learn new skills and hone old skills
• The chance for inexperienced coaches to get their feet wet before the year begins
• The opportunity to receive safety training in stunting and tumbling
• An opportunity to practice for competition

Disadvantages

There are few disadvantages to cheer camp. However, there are some things to consider before going:

• Camps are expensive and some squad members may not be able to afford it. You definitely don’t want just half your squad to attend!
• Cheer camps generally require a high level of athleticism, and they also require your squad to be in good shape. It’s important to consider your squad’s skill level before signing up for camp.
• Camp can be competitive. If your squad is especially new or not even close to being ready for competition, it might be better to wait a year.

What to Expect at Camp

If you’re new the squad, it can be a little intimidating going to camp for the first time. You are, after all, the newbie in a sea full of experienced pros. However, camp is all about building the team and having fun!

Teamwork

The most important goal at camp is to learn to trust your fellow cheerleaders and to work as a team. Without great teamwork everything else, including stunts, jumps, cheers and routines, falls by the wayside. Expect to spend time getting to know your squad.

Sore Muscles

It’s highly recommended that you work out, and work out hard before camp, or you will be in a world of pain the first few days. Most cheerleading camps will spend several hours a day cheering, learning routines, practicing stunts and learning new tumbling. Many camps will have a morning warm-up/work out time that consists of aerobic exercise. Being in good shape before you go will ensure that you’re not in misery during the down times. On that note, don’t lose your flexibility either.

Competition

Competition is helpful to sharpen your skills. Competition lets you know where you stand, and it lets you know where you can improve. However, sometimes competition can bring out the worst in us. Keep your attitude in check, and you will quickly become known as the girl that keeps her cool, even under pressure.

Fun

Above all, cheer camp is fun. It can be a place where you make great friends, and you have fun doing a sport that you love to do. It will help you and your squad get psyched for the new school year and hopefully, you’ll even find a little inspiration for your routines during your week at camp.

A Listing of Cheer Camps and Clinics

There are a variety of camps available to squads. Some are week long sleep away camps, and others are clinic-type day camps held on your local campus. Some organizations even can come to you to help your squad be the best it can be.

East

• American Cheer or ACE camps offer two and three day camps for your high school squad. They also offer camps for "future cheerleaders" ages 7 to 13. ACE instructors generally come to your school, but they do offer an overnight camp as well.
• Coastal Camps also offers safety training for coaches in addition to choreography camp.

South

• American All-Star is based in Louisiana, and hosts camps throughout the South. They also offer privately customized camps and will come to your school to work with your team.
• Cheer Power offers a variety of camps that cater to your specific needs: choreography, stunting, general cheer and the very popular cheer boot camp in which squads participate to learn team work and to get into shape.
• The American Cheerleading Association holds camps in Oklahoma and Texas every summer. They will also put on private cheerleading camps.
• Cheer Ltd. will come to you and put on a customized clinic or you can sign up for one of their camps. Camps are designed for all different ability levels.

Central

• Americheer offers residential (sleep away) camps in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. They also offer commuter camps and private camps.
• Champion Cheerleading offers camps for different levels from Basic camp to a Varsity squad only, "Beast" camp. Their "Beast Camp" has the reputation of training competitive teams that place well in state and national competitions.
• Cheer Michigan offers cheerleading camp experiences for squads that are in or near Michigan.

West

• Cheerleaders of America offers camps in California as well as elsewhere in the United States.