UCA camp is a cheer camp that is known around the world, otherwise known as Universal Cheer Association. This summer, senior cheerleader Nevaeh McQuay and junior cheerleader, Isaac Perez both attended camp at Western Illinois University in Macomb. This year, the team took home lots of hardware; such as the Leadership Award, First Overall, multiple blue and gold ribbons, and won Top Banana. Top Banana is a blown up banana that is rewarded to a team who demonstrates leadership, hard work, and spirit.
Being at UCA Camp not only inspired cheerleaders, but encouraged them to take on a leadership role that comes along with being a part of the staff. Isaac Perez states, “At camp, I really looked up to the UCA Staff. I look up to them because one day, I possibly would like to be on staff”. To be a part of UCA Staff, cheerleaders have to go through the tryout process. To help achieve Perez’s goal of becoming a staff member one day,” she explains. “I definitely would like to work on my jumps and kicks. To help me do that, I plan on stretching and practicing often.” Similarly, Nevaeh McQuay states, “I would like to become a UCA staff member because I would enjoy helping people grow and get better.” To help McQuay practice and improve, she explains, “I like to practice at home in front of my mirror because I can see myself, and see the way my motions look, then I can fix them if needed”.
The days at UCA camp are long and tiring, so one tactic McQuay does to help stay stress-free is, “Practicing more in my dorm on my own time, so when I go back for another session, I am prepared and not stressed.” Though the days are draining and sometimes tough, Perez says, “It really pays off in the end and is very rewarding when we get our evaluations.”
Both McQuay and Perez like the last day of camp because they can show their family and friends what they learned in one weekend. Perez and McQuay both made lots of memories during camp, but their favorites were, “Walking back with my team on a late night, and getting to the dorm to relax and talk about our day” and, “Getting my name announced for making All-American”.
