Aug 26 – Ashley Sherman doesn’t hesitate when asked why she returned as head coach of the Norfolk County Cheerleading Camp.
“The kids,” says the Delhi native. “They love doing it and it makes me happy to see them having fun with it and learning.”
A group of 14 youngsters ages 7-13 attended Simcoe Composite School each morning from Aug. 19-23 for the second camp in as many years. With Sherman once again at the helm, much of the group are returnees from 2018.
“There’s quite a few of them, which is good, it’s a lot of fun,” said Sherman. “They enjoy it and I like to see they have just as much of a passion for cheerleading as I did as a kid and now as an adult.”
Not only did the campers spend their week working towards building a routine to display for family members, but they also made uniforms with the slogan “we don’t sweat, we sparkle”.
“Everyone has come really far,” said Riley Kichler (9) of Delhi. “And it’s getting more and more fun from the time we started.”
Norah Bouw (8) of Delhi, had never tried cheerleading before the camp but soon became a fan.
“It was hard at the start and now it’s getting easier,” she said.
Sherman is no stranger to coaching. A Holy Trinity grad, she returns to the school each year to lead the Titans squad and looks to instill similar traits into summer campers.
“I want them to learn what it’s like to work as a team and as an individual,” she explained. “They’ve been exercising with a lot of muscles they haven’t used before so they definitely come away with some strength they didn’t have before.”
The camp has become so popular that Norfolk has added a six-week cheerleading program priced at $50 that will run throughout the school year. Sessions last from Sept. 9-Oct. 28, Nov. 4-Dec. 16, Jan. 6-Feb. 24 and Mar. 2-Apr. 20. The program will take place at Delhi Public School and focus on the fundamentals of the sport – stunts, dance, jumps, etc.
“I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while because Norfolk County doesn’t really have anything like that for cheerleading,” said Sherman. “It’s kind of cool to have a weekly program running and hopefully it will grow into something bigger.”
Residents can register online at nora.norfolkcounty.ca, in person at the Simcoe Recreation Centre or by calling 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK Ext. 2233.
