By Sofia Santelices
Fans at the varsity football game on Sept. 20 got a special halftime performance from the varsity cheerleaders and their mini counterparts. The mini cheerleading squad, made up of Oak Hall kindergartners through fifth graders, practiced for one hour every day leading up to the game, to ensure they knew their routines.
The tradition of Mini Cheer Camp launched eight years ago, four years before Kelley Thorp began coaching the cheerleading squads. “I am in my fourth year coaching here… I’ve never known a situation where they didn’t have it,” clarified Thorp.
The camp is an experience that both the varsity cheer squad and the mini campers love. “It’s so much fun to teach new little girls, and bring some spirit to the Oak Hall community,” said varsity cheer captain Mason Johnson. Thorp expressed that the older cheerleaders love it due to the fact that when the team was younger, they admired the older girls as well. In addition to learning routines, the students bond by taking pictures together and playing games, amongst other activities. The camp’s primary intention is to enhance the relationship between the cheerleaders and the Lower School.
