Thinking about attending cheer camp? Here’s a brief on what it’s all about.

Check out the Complete Guide to Cheer Camp: How To Prepare And Be Successful

Cheerleading camp is a summer tradition dating back to the late 1940s. As the weather gets hot and a new football, basketball and competition season approaches, cheerleaders gather together at a cheer program to learn from professionals, other squads and each other.

What exactly is camp?
Camp is just what it implies – an away-from-home overnight experience! For cheerleaders, camp is a time to attend ‘workshops’ that teach techniques in motion, cheers, chants, stunting and tumbling. Camps will typically employ former and current cheerleaders as instructors.

Camp is a great place for teams to work on unity and perfect their skills. Since the days will be filled with routines and practices, camp also serves as a precursor to the season and can help get everyone back into the swing of the physical demands they can expect during the season. If your team has members that are new, it’s a great way to get them ready for performances.

Camp schedules will include stunting and tumbling drills based on performance level, learning routines, team building activities and getting the scoop on the importance of safety.

Who attends?
Your team, and other local and regional teams, will attend camp together and interact to maximize the experience for everyone.

Coaches, and possibly assistant coaches and choreographers, will attend to lead their team and manage schedules.

Cheer parents and cheer siblings don’t attend, but typically there is a final show or competition on the last day of camp that they is performed for them. Some cheerleading teams offer their own camps for their community as a fundraising technique; those are the camps that cheer siblings would be able to attend.

Where is camp?
Many times, cheer camps will be held on college campuses, which will have the facilities to accommodate all the attendees for housing and practice. If this is the case, teams may have to travel to get to camp.

Other times, coaches may hire professionals to come to their school for a local camp. In this case, the team may stay at the school or go home after the day’s activities. It is best for teams to go to a camp that they stay at the whole time, because it helps facilitate bonding among team members (especially those newbies!).

When does camp take place?
Cheerleading camp takes place in the summer, and can run anytime during the months of June, July and August.