tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698252811507584577.post-1253807690621767922008-07-22T12:53:00.004-06:002008-07-22T13:28:13.528-06:00<div align="left">One of my childhood/teenage dreams was to be a cheerleader. My preteen best friend was a cheerleader and she taught me all of her cheers; we would practice all day long in the yard. But I was either too involved in other activities or at one school it was something we just couldn't afford at the time or there was no way I could get to and from practices and games. By the time I had my own vehicle, I had to work to keep it full of gas and insurance, not to mention the payment. So my dream was never fulfilled.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The dream never left me, and as soon as I could I signed Shelby and Ch'ree up for cheering on our school's elementary squad. A couple years later I found myself being the sponsor for that squad. And now I'm going on my 5th year in that role. Cheering with the girls in the stands is probably the closest I will get to being a cheerleader without actually having to don those skirts. Which, I'll admit, probably wouldn't look as good on me now as it would have in high school when I was a size 1. LOL!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">This year our school's varsity coach cleared it with our principle to allow willing 6th grade cheerleaders be on our junior high squad (which only consisted of 3 members before). The condition is that they only cheer at home games. We did some fundraising and got to go to cheer camp. The varsity squad had so many girls make that squad that it was going to take two coach/sponsors to take them to their camp in Artesia, which happened to be the same days as the UCA cheer camp here in Portales. So I got to go to cheer camp with the junior high squad held at Eastern New Mexico University's Greyhound Arena.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914811995705042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1Vt0ztI/AAAAAAAAAkc/XuadcMOC6OI/s400/UCAcheercamp08-040.JPG" border="0" /></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">We had so much fun and I think we learned alot. There were 13 squads there, most of them Varsity squads from around New Mexico. Here they were learning some sideline cheers.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1O_l6OI/AAAAAAAAAkM/nzkjs0B_naw/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914810191177954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1O_l6OI/AAAAAAAAAkM/nzkjs0B_naw/s400/UCAcheercamp08-020.JPG" border="0" /></a> The camp lasted three days. We not only learned sidelines and cheers, but alot about stunting, two dances (Extreme Routine and HipHop), jumps, etc. Here was our private coaching lesson with UCA coach Tyrell.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1Eu7vlI/AAAAAAAAAkU/pkkgjnDyPkQ/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914807436951122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1Eu7vlI/AAAAAAAAAkU/pkkgjnDyPkQ/s400/UCAcheercamp08-026.JPG" border="0" /></a> We came so far in our stunting during camp. When we got there a thigh stand was about as difficult as we could do. By the end of the third day we could do a half extension (shown above) and working on a full extension (same as above but the base girls holding the top girl ABOVE their heads). We learned several other stunts in between those, too. Like going from a handstand to a shoulder straddle (I'll have to get some pictures of that one).<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1qPVOmI/AAAAAAAAAkk/H_9qG7jP9uQ/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914817504950882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt1qPVOmI/AAAAAAAAAkk/H_9qG7jP9uQ/s400/UCAcheercamp08-044.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here was UCA coach Kimmie doing a motion class (learning how to really stick those movements and what they are called).</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt159goQI/AAAAAAAAAks/tN637jTEee4/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914821725167874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYt159goQI/AAAAAAAAAks/tN637jTEee4/s400/UCAcheercamp08-047.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kimmie also helped us a bit on our stunting.</p><p align="center"> </p><p><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtcTRbWII/AAAAAAAAAjk/GXhGPaaNcU0/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-054.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914381842995330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtcTRbWII/AAAAAAAAAjk/GXhGPaaNcU0/s400/UCAcheercamp08-054.JPG" border="0" /></a> Shelby was the only girl in our group brave enough to try out for AllStars. Winners would get to participate in parades in Houston (9th grade and younger) or London (10th and older). Shelby, being the youngest at the entire camp, didn't make allstars, but I was so pround of her for trying out (the girls on her right were Clovis Varsity cheerleaders).</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtcoe-QwI/AAAAAAAAAjs/8XTRNWqN3ls/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-057.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914387536954114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtcoe-QwI/AAAAAAAAAjs/8XTRNWqN3ls/s400/UCAcheercamp08-057.JPG" border="0" /></a> "Bring it on in, bring it on in, bring it on in...HEY, BRING. IT. ON. IN!!" This is what they would chat when it was time for the UCA instructors to talk to everyone. Cheer camp is very peppy. LOL!</p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtct_MJHI/AAAAAAAAAj0/J0tDzNs7G8s/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914389014258802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtct_MJHI/AAAAAAAAAj0/J0tDzNs7G8s/s400/UCAcheercamp08-073.JPG" border="0" /></a>By the last day we could really stick our half. Oh, and to get the girl down we learned to toss her up a little and catch her in what's called a cradle. </p><p align="center"><br /></p><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtc_t9doI/AAAAAAAAAj8/BfHjMlpxTzU/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-100.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914393773831810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtc_t9doI/AAAAAAAAAj8/BfHjMlpxTzU/s400/UCAcheercamp08-100.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Group cheer last day of camp. </p><p align="center"><br /> </p><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtdLsNDPI/AAAAAAAAAkE/vZKB9YRX9S8/s1600-h/UCAcheercamp08-111.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225914396987690226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_AfApIaDjZWA/SIYtdLsNDPI/AAAAAAAAAkE/vZKB9YRX9S8/s400/UCAcheercamp08-111.JPG" border="0" /></a> We won most improved squad (the Spirit Stick on the right shows that). I was so proud of these kids. They worked hard for three days from 9-4. They were real troopers, and have bruises to show it. The girl on top of the stunts from the few tumbles she took, the "road rash" girls on the bottom of the stunts from the top girl standing on their shoulders. The boy for putting up with us girls (it's our first year having a boy cheerleader).Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10967546226890745086noreply@blogger.com