ROCKINGHAM – Richmond Senior High School’s gymnasium was transformed into one giant sprawling cheerleading mat Thursday morning, as hundreds of parents and family members watched from the stands as the Lady Raiders’ annual cheer camp drew to a close.
The four-day camp, which welcomes in girls between the ages four to ninth grade, invites new girls to the sport, while also helping develop Richmond County’s middle school and high school cheer squads. The final day of camp allows for the different age groups to perform group cheer and dance routines, while also competing in a handful of different individual competitions.
RSHS head varsity cheer coach Meredith Hood, who will be entering her seventh season at the helm of the program, observed that this year’s group of 130 campers was “one of the best” she’s seen during her tenure.
“The girls participated in several rotations throughout the first three days of camp to prepare themselves for their end-of-the-week routine,” Hood said, saying campers worked on stunts, jumps, tumbling, pyramids and chants. “There was a lot of progression this week, and a lot of the teams came a long way. Some couldn’t do a half (stunt) on Monday, but they were able to do it in their routine today.”Â
Campers were split up into six age groups, and were coached and assisted by the Richmond junior varsity and varsity cheer teams. This year’s camp featured the “Baby Raiders” (four and five year olds), the “Unicorns” (first and second graders) the “Turtles” (second and third graders, the “Tigers” (fourth and fifth graders), cheer teams from Ellerbe, Hamlet and Rockingham middle schools, as well as Ninth Grade Academy.
Hood, along with her assistant coach Morgan McInnis, facilitated the camp, but allowed the RSHS varsity and junior varsity teams take the lead in teaching the cheers, stunts and techniques to the younger campers. Each age group was assigned a handful of Lady Raider cheerleaders, as the middle school and ninth grade squads received more technical training since their seasons are underway.
Campers showed off their newly acquired moves in a skills competition, done by age group, as winners were announced for best toe-touches, hurkies and tumbling moves. Rockingham Middle’s cheer squad just outlasted Ellerbe Middle in the full-stunt competition, where one flyer is held up by a base of four girls, and the Lady Rockets maintained their form for just over three minutes. Hood’s daughters, Cayden (eighth grade) and Kylie (sixth grade) cheer for Rockingham.
Members of the “Tigers” group perform their routine during Thursday’s final day of camp.
And for Hood, McInnis and the rest of the Richmond cheer team, the camp extends far off the mat and allows them to give back to the community.
“Our junior varsity and varsity girls did such a great job on preparing the routines and teaching the girls,” Hood commented. “They worked really hard all week and did a good job of managing all the campers — who all seemed to enjoy it.
“This camp is more about letting girls come to Richmond and cheer with the Raider cheerleaders,” she continued. “Since I moved here, I’ve learned that everyone wants to become a (Richmond) football player or cheerleader. This community really revolves around this school, and so if we can give back to the little ones and they can come to cheer camp, we’re happy to do that. It helps them get better and allows our girls a turn to give back.”
The annual cheer camp also serves as the Lady Raiders’ biggest fundraiser, as Hood explained the funds received from this year’s camp will go toward “new uniforms and hopefully new cheer mats.” She also said that as the camp and program continue to grow, she’d like to see future proceeds go to benefitting her squad by paying for cheer camps and other team necessities.
Hood and McInnis were also impressed by the way all of the Richmond girls stepped up throughout the week to make the camp a success. Rising senior Emily Faw, who is a back spot, acted as Thursday’s emcee for the second straight year.
“Emily and Candace Little have especially shown to be leaders on our team,” Hood said. “But all girls did an amazing job — no one did better than the other. I was impressed with our rising freshmen, who jumped in and helped out.
“Ally Murray, Macy Faw and Hannah Hinshaw are all sophomores and they worked really well with Hamlet’s team,” she added. “And Carley Batson, Caroline Freeman and Makayla Russell have done great things helping Ellerbe grow. I think all of the (Richmond) girls continue to grow and become better leaders.”
As the Raiders football season officially gets underway next week, the Lady Raiders cheer team is right there with with them. The cheer squad will attend a cheer camp at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Aug. 6-8, and will cheer two nights later at Richmond’s scrimmage against East Forsyth High School. Hood said it’ll be cool for her girls to “cheer in a college stadium,” as the game will be played at Wake Forest University.
“I really enjoying being able to teach all the kids and lead them,” Faw said of cheer camp. “It’s good to see them grow and get better at cheer because it gives them a chance to do what they love to do.
“Camp really humbles us (as RSHS cheerleaders),” she added. “It also prepares us because we go to UNC camp and we get to see perspective of being teachers, which then lets us be better campers there, too.”
The same cheerleading groups that attended this year’s camp will get the opportunity to cheer on the sidelines of Richmond’s season opener on Friday, Aug. 17. The Raiders will welcome in Ronald Reagan High School, and the groups will get their own time to perform cheers in front of the home crowd.
“We want people out there cheering with us during the games and supporting our girls and the football team,” Hood concluded. She added that anyone wanting to donate funds to the RSHS cheerleading squad can contact her at (910) 206-0254.
A full photo gallery of Thursday’s competition can be found by clicking here.
