Training A Future Generation Of Pirate Cheerleaders

By JENNA RHUDE

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley High School cheerleaders hosted their annual junior cheer camp last week on Wednesday and Thursday. There were 30 girls that attended the two-day camp that taught the youth various skills.

One of the skills taught was tumbling. The little ones were taught cartwheels. More advanced kids were shown walkovers, round-offs and other simple skills. The girls were also given the chance to try stunting.
All the students seemed to love learning to do stunts with the high school cheer squad. Each girl spent time on top of the pyramid as they were hoisted into the air by the teens.

The groups were split into age levels with the kindergarten and first grade girls learning a dance to the LAVA song. This group found themselves dancing the hula and waving to the crowd.
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and and 5th grades danced to Shake It Off. The girls jumped and cheered to the music as they entertained the crowd.
“It was really fun,” kindergartener Mae Warburton said.

The high school cheerleaders, under the direction of coaches Desi Stastny and Cindy Grahm, showed great leadership skills as they taught the youngsters the skills they would need in the future to one day become Pirate cheerleaders themselves.

The camp proved successful as a fundraiser for the high school team. They plan on using the money to help pay for new uniforms.