Youngsters flock to cheerleading camp

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June 7, 2007

By DANIELLE RUSH The Kokomo Tribune Thu Jun 07, 2007, 10:53 PM EDT

There’s just something about being a cheerleader.

Maybe it’s the sassy little skirt, the light brush of glitter on the face. Or maybe it’s the music keeping the beat to your dance. Or the adrenaline rush from standing in front of an excited football or basketball crowd, leading them in cheers for the home team.

Whatever it is, about 100 young girls experienced it this week at Kokomo High School’s Kitty Camp, a cheerleading camp for girls in kindergarten through eighth grade. Taylor High School cheerleaders also hosted a camp this week.

Early in the week, the old gym at Kokomo High School vibrated to the beat of the song “Ice Cream Pie,” which some of the littlest girls danced to with their varsity cheerleader coaches. At the back of the gym, the middle-school aged campers worked on a chant, “Big G, little O, Go! Go! and K-H-S!” ending with screams and jumps.

Cheerleading coach Susie Wells said Kokomo’s 18 varsity cheerleaders run the camp, and use it as a fundraiser to pay for their own trip to cheerleading camp at Purdue University. After leading the Kitty Camp, the girls will practice three times each week, at 6 a.m., to prepare for camp competitions.

Wells said they want the little campers to have fun, but also to learn cheerleading skills, as some of them could be future varsity team members.

Maddie Matlock and Kaitlyn Canady are both Kitty Camp products who are now varsity cheerleaders. Maddie attended for one year, after moving from Northwestern schools, while Kaitlyn was a Kitty Camper from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Matlock remembers most that “I really looked up to the cheerleaders. Since I was little, I always wanted to be a varsity cheerleader ... Cheerleaders in the movies are always the popular ones everyone likes.”

Canady said she also admired cheerleaders when she was young, because “they’re smiling and happy ... They always seem to be having fun.”

Now, they are the ones being admired by their little campers, which Canady said feels strange at first.

“I still feel like I should be coming to camp, not leading it.”

Canady worked with the same group at the 2006 camp, and saw them at football and basketball games during the year.

“I’d see them at games, and they remembered me. It was cute, they were always excited to see me.”

Canady also baby sits for some of her campers, and entertains them by teaching cheers.

Matlock said she gets hugs from little girls from camp when she is cheering at games.

Canady said the girls are learning more than a few cheers and chants.

“I think they learn confidence. They learn to be loud and spirited. It’s a good athletic activity.”

Natalie Marden, a fifth-grader from Wallace Elementary, hopes going to Kitty Camp leads to being a Wildkats cheerleader someday. She thinks she’s making a good start, with three years of attending the camp.

“They teach you really good cheers and chants,” she said.

Maple Crest seventh-grader Stephanie Helmer hopes to try out for her school’s cheerleading squad this year, after attending camp every year since kindergarten. She enjoys performing in front of people. At camp, she likes meeting the varsity cheerleaders.

“Just to be able to be one would be amazing.”

Danielle Rush may be reached at (765) 454-8585 or via e-mail at danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com

Another camp available:

Western High School’s cheerleaders will host their annual Mega Cheer camp starting at 8 a.m. Monday in Western’s south gym. The camp is for kindergarten through eighth grade. Cost is $35. Camp is from 8 to 10:30 a.m. daily through June 15.

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