Cheerleading Camp Traditions

[p-tcheer]

I am taking my varsity cheerleaders to camp for the first time this summer.  We are going to an NCA camp.  I would like some ideas for traditions that other squads have for camp.  Also what are some ideas for the 2nd day of camp?  I think that is the day that the squads dress up?  Thank you for any of your ideas.

[Stunt Double 4U]

Door decorations are HUGE--just like RA's do in college, our coaches always made door decorations with our names, school names and colors so people knew where we were from.

Cheering to and from rotations -- the girls LOVE doing school cheers and chants as we're walking to and from different instruction stations.  Fun, old stuff like "One, we are the ____________, two, a little bit louder, three we still can't hear you, four more more more..." or "Everywhere we go, people want to know, who we are, so we tell them, we're the ________, the mighty mighty__________, and everywhere we go, people wannna know........."  You get it.  =0)

I personally hold an end of the night meeting in my room after every day.  I let them take their showers and then we get together to go over how we feel things went that particular day.  I usually give out some goofy personal awards, like cheerleader with the best hair that day or person most likely to fall asleep in their cornflakes tomorrow....stuff like that.

Have fun!  It's always a blast!

[coolcoach]

I do the nightly meeting thing too! I collect their cell phones during the day, and we usually have the meeting right after they have showered and before I give them their phones for the evening.

We have our own Spirit Stick. I give the Spirit Stick to the girl I see working the hardest during the day. A new girl gets it every night. I also have a Star Stunt Group award every night for the stunt group I see working the hardest.

[CheerHounds]

Well, my team doesn't have any traditions yet since this summer will be their first time at camp in a long time (and the first time with me as coach). One thing that I do (that they don't know about yet!) is I always have a birthday party for everyone on the first night. Its really fun, we have cake and I decorate my room with party decorations and give everyone a birthday present (usually a goody bag filled with snacks, fun little cheapy toys and usually 1 nice thing, like a cheer bracelet or embroidered pom bag or t-shirt). Its alot of fun, and it cuts down on the "my birthday is in a week, etc." stuff. Just have everyone's birthday at once!

We also do the chants walking to the field in the morning. We also make signs and decorate our hallway, and they are free to decorate their rooms with whatever.

If you go to the Camp company's website and look in the camp information stuff, it will usually tell you what to dress up as for the spirit day, like UCA is sports themed this year. It will definitely be in the booklet they send you once you register!

[coachamie]

Our traditions seem pretty typical. We do nightly meetings, gifts, decorations, chants on the way to places, I also have the girls parents write them a letter that I give to them on the last night (they're in middle school, high school girls might not enjoy that as much). We did do room competitions once to see who had the best decorated room, but the girls would go all out that it got a little overboard on how much they were bringing with them just to decorate with!

On our nightly meetings we also watch video from the day. I have my video camera I take with me and I usually take my laptop so they can watch and see what they need to improve on.

We go to UCA not NCA so spirit days might be a little different, I don't know. For the spirit day we have 2 outfits, the one that goes with the spirit day for the morning and then for the afternoon we change into another practice outfit. Since that is the long day the girls get pretty hot and sweaty and it just feels better to put on clean clothes. Also the majority of the squads we go to camp with do this as well, though I don't know if its something that people do outside of our region.

I also select captains during camp and announce them when we arrive back at the school before we all break for the 2 dead weeks. I'm changing my process of selection this year, but at least 2 of the nights at camp I will be doing some captain stuff too.

I always have a birthday party for everyone on the first night. Its really fun, we have cake and I decorate my room with party decorations and give everyone a birthday present (usually a goody bag filled with snacks, fun little cheapy toys and usually 1 nice thing, like a cheer bracelet or embroidered pom bag or t-shirt). Its alot of fun, and it cuts down on the "my birthday is in a week, etc." stuff. Just have everyone's birthday at once!

The birthday idea sounds really cute, I might use that!

[CoachJen83]

This is a great topic, keep adding ideas. I am always looking for new things to do for my team at camp. I really like the daily spirit stick and stunt awards during the nightly meeting.

[hsharp]

I really like the parent letters on the last night of camp. Do you have any parents who have not written a letter? If so, what do you do?
Just like everyone elses traditions from above. We have funny gifts, meetings each night, say chants everywhere, decorate. I would really like to have the parents get more involved and send a gift each night for the girls to have from their parents but i know that is expensive.
I like the birthday idea,too!! Thanks for sharing.

[cubscheercoach]

To get our parents more involved, they are all invited to the final day of camp.  We are far enough from home, but not too far, so they make the trip and take their kids home afterward.  Most of the parents come up the night before, but we don't see them (more of a parent tradition).  It's their night to go out and have fun.  They come in the next morning and watch all the performances, to video and take pictures.  They get to see what the kids are working on and how much the coaches are running around trying to keep up with 3 squads.  As coaches, we get to tell the parents how hard everyone has worked, and how much fun we have had.

I love to give the kids awards, especially the ones that get beat up during stunting, or the kids that really keep everyone else positive when they are tired.  We do that at night,  recap our day, and plan the next one.  The last night, we just meet and laugh and enjoy ourselves.  It is a great bonding time.

The one thing we do at our first summer practice is to set 3 goals for camp. The squads make a poster and decorate it, along with their door decorations   Each squad has the goals posted on the captain's door, so they see them everytime they come and go.

[SoCalCheerCoach2]

The camp traditions when I was in HS was all of the upperclassmen would get a secret sister underclassmen.  Throughout camp they would support their secret sisters (while still supporting everyone else so it was hard to tell who had who), giving positive feedback, and spending time with them.  On the last night of camp we would have a candlelit ceremony where the upperclassmen would light a candle and pass it on to their secret sisters giving them advice for future cheer years.  After that, everyone would pass their candles to the Seniors and say something nice about them.  We also did door decorations and had our camp instructors judge them, our advisor would give us a prize for the winning doors.  Parents came on the last day and brought us treats, took pictures, etc.  We had meetings every night and would go over our goals for that day to see if we accomplished them.  Finally we would practice with anyone that didn't quite grasp the material for that day.  Bringing home superior ribbons for everything and always getting the spirit stick was a huge thing for us.  It sort of had to be though because our coaches were always staff from camp (they were never allowed to be our instructors at camp though).  Our coaches wanted to "show us off" and make them proud. Ha Ha.

[coachamie]

I really like the parent letters on the last night of camp. Do you have any parents who have not written a letter? If so, what do you do?

Luckily I have parents that are totally into that type of thing, so I have never had to worry about someone's parents not writing them a letter. I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. Possibly write them a letter from myself, I don't know I hope I never have that problem!

All these ideas have me ready for camp and we haven't even had tryouts yet!

[CoachJen83]

I am with you coachamie, I am totally ready for camp and haven't even had tryouts yet! I just love the whole atmosphere there, even being a coach now I still enjoy it as much as when I was as cheerleader.

[freshmancheercoach1217]

Does anyone have any ideas for the sports rally at the uca camp this year?  I am going to be a first time coach at camp and really want this to be the best camp that my squad could have.

[hherring]

What kind of gifts did yall give them?

[CheerHounds]

Does anyone have any ideas for the sports rally at the uca camp this year?  I am going to be a first time coach at camp and really want this to be the best camp that my squad could have.

I usually try to have them do an outfit that they can still practice in. This year we are getting camp shirts that look like football jerseys and then they are going to wear knee-high socks and maybe put some of that black stuff under their eyes...kinda looks like football I guess!<br>

What kind of gifts did yall give them?

First rule...don't spend too much money if you are paying out of your own pocket! I always try to give them something that will bring back memories of that year...like a t-shirt or tote bag with a cheer design, the year, and their name. I also give them snacks and drinks and then some silly little things from the dollar store that they can mess around with. A good end of the year gift is a mini photo album with pictures from the year in it!

[xo-Cheerleadahh-xo]

"Each squad has the goals posted on the captain's door, so they see them everytime they come and go."

Is there really "the captains door" or like a special thing or room for the captains at camp??

[coachamie]

"Each squad has the goals posted on the captain's door, so they see them everytime they come and go."

Is there really "the captains door" or like a special thing or room for the captains at camp??

I think what she means is whatever room the captains stay in is the captain room.

[FalconCheer08]

The best gift bag my coach ever put together for us had Icy Hot, extra hair things, disposable cameras, colored athletic tape, sunscreen, aloe vera, WATER BALLOONS, AND WATER GUNS!! We ended up having water gun fights after long hot practices outside and they were a great way to cool down. But everything else was something we needed but didn't think to bring it. Icy Hot came in handy by the end of the first day and a lot of people had forgotten cameras and athletic tape and wished they had it for their wrists and ankles. It doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to be something useful and something that they'll have fun with.

As for traditions, we have a candle ceremony on the last night of camp before evaluations; it includes a big sis/lil sis reveal (they'd been giving presents to their lil sis through out pre-camp and camp), goal setting, captain announcement, and singing the alma mater, the girls know it's a serious time and they understand that it's the way we truly welcome girls into our family. I have the first candle lit and then I light the captains candles, then they light the seniors and the seniors light the juniors and then they all light their lil sis' candles one at a time. This is a tradition that started when my school's dance team started and I've been through 6 candle ceremonies as a student and now 3 as a coach. I decorate the candles a bit, I put the year and where we were at camp that year, the girls keep their candles and the goal sheets that we write out.

[cubscheercoach]

Sorry, the captain's room is the room where the captain of each squad is staying for camp.  All the girls meet in that room before we leave for workout. Plus, they have their door decorations posted.  I know I can go straght to the captains room before it's time to get on the bus and get an accurate head count before we leave. 

[xo-Cheerleadahh-xo]

ohh i see..well thats cool.
but i think..i dont know..i think it would be better if like the whole team is in the same room, because my team, really needs bonding skills...theres like 5 different cliques on our team, and just seperating the rooms, wouldn't help the cliques at all, lol. but hey..thats just my opinion.

[coolcoach]

ohh i see..well thats cool.
but i think..i dont know..i think it would be better if like the whole team is in the same room, because my team, really needs bonding skills...theres like 5 different cliques on our team, and just seperating the rooms, wouldn't help the cliques at all, lol. but hey..thats just my opinion.

The logistics of most camps don't allow for all the girls to be in the same room. Most camps are held on college campuses and girls are housed in dorms. I randomly assign girls roommates at camp, and don't allow them to decide before hand who they want to room with.

[cubscheercoach]

We make our girls draw numbers for roommates.  If there are cliques, you need to assign them to rooms so that there isn't bickering at camp.  We tell our girls there is absolutely no arguing.  If there is a problem they need to bring it to the coaches. 
By the way, I have stayed in a room with all of my varsity and mascots one year at camp.  Never again!  We never got enough rest, and the showers were not too great, either.  We have also done the resort camp.  Great rooms, bad food.  That's why when we found thecamp that was right fit for our kids, we have stuck with it!

[Coach C]

We have also done the resort camp.  Great rooms, bad food. 

Oh no!  We decided to try a resort camp this summer!  Do we need to bring "back up food"  Now I'm worried!    

[Kong]

Which one?  I did two resort camps last summer and the food was VERY good.

Kong

[Coach C]

Which one?  I did two resort camps last summer and the food was VERY good.

Kong

Phew!  That makes me feel a little better!  My assistant coach read the same post and emailed me right away!  I guess the food at the last camp they went to (not associated with Varsity.com) was so bad that one of the girls asked if they were being punished!  Ha!  I'm going to look up local pizza places, just in case...   

[cubscheercoach]

No, it was in Corpus Christi, and they either ran out of food, or it was cold, not done, etc.  We ordered a lot of pizza.  We do not have that problem at all at the UCA camp we attend.  That's one of the main reasons the kids are so happy going to Austin.  They love the food.

[CheeryCoach]

Our camp is held at a hotel (like a resort camp) - sorry different company not affiliated with Varsity - but the food is EXCELLENT!!

I really think it depends on the quality of the catering department at the hotel where you attend.  Let's face it, that's who makes the food when you are not in a college campus situation.

[cobwebbedroses]

When you complain about food, just remember that you may not know the situation in which the caterers are in...

I go to a large university that has many camps for all different sports during the summer held here.  I also have an aunt who is a boss in the housekeeping department for the dorms where all these students and guests stay.

Our university is notorious for scheduling conferences and camps at the last minute, and expecting the housekeeping and dining services people to provide food, clean rooms, linens, etc for an often unknown number of rooms or guests.  Which means all those people preparing food and cleaning rooms are forced to work overtime, often into the night or long weekends, to get things ready, all because the scheduling people want to fit as many of these events into the summer as possible, since the university gets lots of money from them. (cause it's all about the money) Sometimes they only have 2 or 3 days to turn around one or two hundred rooms for the next event.

So if anyone has had a large group over at their house to eat dinner, they know how it can get stressful to cook all that food. (like all thanksgivings! )  So think about that stress distributed between about 20 caterers and the food load multiplied by 200! And that going continuous through the summer. I can see how they would be a little grumpy and start not to care, they just want to get it done.

It shouldn't be an excuse for bad work performance on their part, they applied for the job...but just something to think about.

[fvcheergirl]

I have the girls do the secret sister thing too.It really helps the underclassmen feel more confident as their "Big sis" cheers on her "Lil sis" all through the week.Another fun thing I do is have the girls bring slippers.You read the cheer story (which is like the christmas story) it says left and right and every time a direction is said the girls switch slippers.We ask the girls to tape the gift receipt to the bottom so sizes are not an issue. The Big sisters and little sisters also exchange a gift. All big sisters blind fold any little sister and walk them to their big sisters room and sit them on the bed.The little sisters gift will be on the bed.There will be a card which is signed by the big sister. Girls get nosey so we trick them by taking them to another girls room but the gift is still from their big sister.Its cute!

[coolcoach]

I have the girls do the secret sister thing too.It really helps the underclassmen feel more confident as their "Big sis" cheers on her "Lil sis" all through the week.Another fun thing I do is have the girls bring slippers.You read the cheer story (which is like the christmas story) it says left and right and every time a direction is said the girls switch slippers.We ask the girls to tape the gift receipt to the bottom so sizes are not an issue. The Big sisters and little sisters also exchange a gift. All big sisters blind fold any little sister and walk them to their big sisters room and sit them on the bed.The little sisters gift will be on the bed.There will be a card which is signed by the big sister. Girls get nosey so we trick them by taking them to another girls room but the gift is still from their big sister.Its cute!

 Just for curiousity, are you a cheerleader or a coach?

[fvcheergirl]

I am a coach and former cheerleader.

[FalconCheer08]

In previous years, our dance team went to dance camp at Rollins in Orlando about a week before we did so we always knew what to expect in terms of food quality, where we'd be staying, etc. This year our dance team went to camp at USF and had a bad experience all around (bad food, cold and damp dorms, bad weather, the dorms were very far from the gym they were in, they got lost, instruction was still great but there weren't as many teams so there weren't as many routines offered) so I'm almost certain they'll be coming back to Rollins next year.

If their experience had only been negative because of the food, I'd tell them to go back and deal with it, during your camp experience take notes on all the different aspects (I also have my girls fill out a little survey because after all, I'm there for them) and at the end decide if you'll go back the next year, if the only negative thing you can come up with is the food or the dorms, then by all means consider going back the next year, no camp experience is going to be perfect but if the instruction is quality (after all that's why you're there) then you can compensate for poor food or freezing dorms.

Just in case this year, have the girls bring cash so they can all chip in for pizza if need be, bring extra sheets and a fan, good directions, and UMBRELLAS!!

[hsharp]

I really like the idea of the candlelight ceremony on the last of camp. But can you have candles in the dorms? What else could you do for the same significance? Any ideas? Thanks!

[funinthesun4681]

decorate our dorms.. its been a tradition with my school for years... and the yarn bonding activity at camp i think will be a new tradition... i love my team so much and the girls are amazzingg...

[SoCalCheerCoach2]

hsharp,

I should have specified.  We weren't in the actual dorm rooms doing the candlelight ceremony.  We were actually in the large "common room".  At that time, yes, we were allowed to use candles.  But, that was years ago so things may have changed and candles may not be allowed anymore.  If that is the case you could use the fake candles.  They look just like a candle but are made of plastic and have a battery in the bottom that makes the top light up like a candle.  If you really wanted to use candles, maybe you could do it outside somewhere after they are dismissed for the evening.

[TCW123]

I coach a JV squad where drama is everyone's middle name.  What I did this year, instead of having captains, I have no captains.  Everybody will have a chance to be a captain, such as, I have 12 girls, I gave them all a number 1-12.  This is their number for the year.  1 & 2 will be captains at the first game, then 3 & 4 second game, 5 & 6 etc.  This cuts down on the bickering, big head, and being too bossy to the underclassmen.  I feel like they all feel equal this way. 

[cubscheercoach]

We do that at camp with captains for our freshmen.  Each day by alphabetical order, we have 2 captains.  We watch how they handle situations all day.  It helps us to choose captains later in the summer.  We can also see how the other cheerleaders react to those captains.  If someone chooses to give captains of the day a hard time, they need to keep in mind their time is coming.  By the end of camp, the true leaders start to stand out.  It is very helpful for us in making that decision.

We have also had no captains for a squad before.  For certain situations, it works remarkably well.  For other squads, the faster we pick captains, the better. 

[snow_mnstr]

Where can I get a copy of this "Cheer Story"?  TYTY

[ilov2cheer96]

Ya, definitally do the dorm decorations! Our coach has already said that she wants us to make lots of posters to decorate our hallways with! I can't wait!!!

[duchess08]

Would like to get a copy of the cheer story as well.  Need ideas for my cheer group who is having our own camp at our school this year.   We are having a high school cheerleader come in and teach cheers and dances.   This has saved us a ton of money and junior high girls learn just as much.  Plus it gives them something to look forward to in high school.   Love all the ideas you have shared. 

[CheerMom71]

I would like a copy of the "Cheer Story" as well.  I've searched and cannot find it.  Can someone please direct me to where I can find it?  Thanks!