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Cheer day camps in PdC the start to cheerleading, stunt programs locally

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A new cheerleading offering is starting in Prairie du Chien, with day camps July 11, 24, Aug. 1 and 8. Youth ages 6-18 from any community are invited.

By Correne Martin

 

Cheerleading is not an in-demand sport in the region. Although, if a new resident to the area has anything to say about that, girls and boys here will be cheering like all-stars real soon. 

Rivers Athletics’ Lee Trudell has competed, taught, judged and trained in cheerleading for over 30 years. He’s traveled to places around the world to share his experiences and spread the spirit of the sport. He’s hosted camps through the Universal Cheerleaders Association. A Wisconsin native, Trudell is moving back to Bagley and bringing his successes with him. 

Rivers Athletics will offer four Cheer camps on Sundays, July 11, 24, Aug. 1 and 8, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the TNT Gymnastics facility in Prairie du Chien, for youth ages 6 to 18. No experience is necessary for these day camps, open to girls and boys from all communities. Sign up for one, two or all four days for a per-day fee. Groups will be broken down into ages 6-15 or 10-18.

The cheer day camps aim to provide an athleticism opportunity for future school and college cheerleaders, teach a culture of self-confidence and responsibility; train youth for their schools’ cheerleading game days, and offer a chance for competitive success in a team setting. 

“The plan is to eventually offer recreational and competitive classes,” he stated. “As the athletes gain momentum, I’ll add in more training.”

In the fall, Trudell hopes to form teams, which will practice every Sunday from fall to the spring. An important aspect of these teams will be that they support area schools’ cheerleading programs as well. 

“I want to work hand in hand with the schools and teach the teams to be how the schools want them to be on their sidelines,” Trudell stated. “A lot of schools struggle with numbers and to build athleticism. This will improve that and be something girls and boys can add to their other sports commitments.”

An additional program, called stunt or All Star Cheer, is a discipline Trudell is also certified to instruct. This involves athletes performing a routine composed of tumbling, stunting, pyramids, dance and cheer segments. He noted that it doesn’t involve the “skirts or the makeup.” It differs from traditional school cheerleading in that its primary purpose is competition, while school cheer involves crowd leading and an option to compete.

Looking for a life change from the pace of Chicago and planning his move to Bagley, Trudell researched cheer offerings in the region and noticed there are no real, long-term community cheer programs in the area. 

“I thought this might be where I can step in and help out the communities,” he said. 

To sign up for the day camps, email Trudell at riverscheer@gmail.com or call (608) 207-1100. He will send out a Google form through which people can sign up their children. 

Trudell is on the board for USA Cheer and is an educational contributor for the International Cheer Union. He’s been to Japan, Jamaica, Costa Rica, London and beyond to choreograph and teach cheer and stunt programs. He also has a non-profit, Para Cheer Spirit, through which he’s worked with the Special Olympics to produce a cheer demo in Abu Dhabi.

For more information on the camps or Trudell’s endeavors, visit riversathletics.org, or find Rivers Athletics on Facebook. 

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