Three cheers for camp
Roseville High cheerleaders offer youth program
By Brad D. Bates
C & G Sports Writer
After taking back-to-back Macomb Area Conference championships, the Roseville High cheerleading team is looking to give a little back.
For the fourth year, the Panthers and coach Monica Gabriel will run a three-day camp July 13-15 at the Roseville Recreation Center.
“Every year, we get more and more girls, and from what I’ve seen, it’s had a direct impact on the high school and junior high programs,” Gabriel said.
“The girls come into school excited about cheerleading, and the camp gives younger girls an opportunity to work with and know some of the high school girls.”
The camp is for girls going into grades three through six and runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The cost is $25 for residents and $30 for non-residents.
Campers can register for the camp before July 10 at the Roseville Recreation Center.
Gabriel says the highlight for campers is the personal relationships they form with the high school instructors.
“Every camper gets a buddy from the high school team, and seeing how excited they are when I tell them to go find their buddy is amazing,” Gabriel said. “It’s a nice opportunity for my girls too, because they get to be role models.”
Along with being role models, the Panthers high school cheerleaders get to share their enthusiasm for the sport.
“They do it for 10 months of the year, so they obviously love cheerleading,” Gabriel said of her varsity girls. “They have a great passion for the sport, and the chance to pass that along to younger girls is special.”
Campers learn basic techniques, and will put those skills on display in the fall when they are invited back to cheer with the Panthers at a varsity football game.
“We teach basic skills and some sideline chants,” Gabriel said. “One of the biggest benefits is that anyone in the camp gets to cheer with us at halftime of a varsity football game.
“They’ll be with us the entire first half on the sidelines, and then they’ll do a routine with us on the field at halftime.”
You can reach sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1029.
|