Staff Report
Parents gathered at Woodland High on Thursday watched as their young tumblers and future cheerleaders put on a show during the final day of the Wildcat Cheer Camp.
Fifty campers -- ranging in age from rising pre-K to eighth-grade students -- demonstrated the cheers and chants learned since Monday, all to the delight of their parents.
"The kids did great. We had a lot of showmanship. There's a lot of talent out there. The parents told us they loved it," Woodland coach Kathi Shedd said. "We had no complaints. ... They loved it. They thought it was inspirational."
Shedd and her team of 20 instructors -- students at the high school -- seemed to have the same approval rating with the campers, who looked engaged throughout the morning as they practiced their routine in preparation for "Presentation Day."
"We taught 'em [jumps], motion techniques, tumbling, dance, cheer and stunts," the Woodland coach added.
Due to the various age groups, each group of campers is catered to and able to learn at its specific level.
"We teach them at their own level," Shedd said. "Some of them were working on back handsprings, and some of them were working on cartwheels."
Along with learning cheers, chants and stunts, the camp also featured a play area with a giant inflatable, and Wednesday, known as "Crazy Day," allowed campers to dress in their craziest outfits.
The purpose of the week-long cheerleading camp was "to introduce the kids to the sport and just try to get 'em started and encouraged and loving it at a young age," Shedd said.
The camp also provides a leg up for those hoping to make cheerleading squads down the line.
"There's so much gymnastics now that they really need to start young. You have to have standard tumbling now to make middle and high school teams," Shedd said.
With the conclusion of Wildcat Cheer Camp, the Woodland High cheerleaders shift from instructors back into students as they get ready for their own camp.
"We have choreography camp next week," Shedd said.