The first-year program will teach basics, and provide children the opportunity to try out the recreational sport before making the commitment.
By Krista Cerminaro
While the Braves cheerleading program is no stranger to Monroe Township, a newly-implemented free cheer camp will now give children the opportunity to give the sport a trial run before signing up.
Registration is underway for the Monroe Township Braves free two-week cheer camp, which will run from April 30 through May 3, and May 7 through May 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
“I felt the need to put it out there for parents of children who are just unsure,” director of cheerleading Nichole Powers said. “Things cost a lot of money these days, and $150 can go to so many other things other than a cheerleading registration — especially if your child doesn’t like it. So, I figured we would give the opportunity to start a camp, and give them the two-week basic trial — hand motions, jumps, little small stunts, tumbling, things like that — just to get them interested. And, for parents to be reassured that they’re not going to waste their money if that’s the sport your child decides to go into.”
The camp is open to kids ranging from age 5 through 14, and for both new and returning cheerleaders.
Powers said because competitive cheerleading has become such a popular sport, smaller recreational teams for cheerleading, which go along with football, sometimes get lost in the background — and parents often automatically associate the sport with travel, costly expenses or competitive cheer.
“They don’t realize football and cheerleading still exist — it’s still there for them. I’ve received emails that said, ‘my daughter thought about cheering — is this a good idea for me? What should I expect?’” Powers said. “This two-week trial will give you the knowledge to know whether or not she’s going to be interested.”
Powers said the camp has around six to 10 volunteers to help with the program, and try to make it as fun possible.
“My child did go through the Braves program,” Powers said. “If it wasn’t for the Braves, she would’ve never caught that interest and pushed herself to the level she’s at now.”
Powers also added this gives cheerleaders the opportunities to learn the basic skills and stepping stones needed before further pursuing the sport, and can help direct them to resources — such as tumbling clinics — that will help develop skills even further.
“What we plan on doing is the basic skills of cheerleading,” Powers said. “Hand motions — your hands in a high V, in a low V — jumps, how to do a toe-touch, how to do Herkies, we’ll also go over some light football chants — the cheers they do on the sideline.”
The camp, according to Powers, will also teach some light stunting and tumbling to get the cheerleaders used to the feel, and ease any nerves or fears they may have of doing stunts.
“Can they do a cartwheel? Can they do a backbend or a back handspring? We may be able to give them the skills, or the where-to-go-to if they wanted to pursue it on their own,” Powers said.
Parents can register their children until April 27 for the cheer camp, and registration is open online for the regular cheer season until June 30. Parents can also pay a late registration fee to register in July.
To sign up for the camp, email nikkipowers@mtbraves.com.
