PHOTOS: Routines highlight final day of Richmond cheer camp

ROCKINGHAM — Hundreds of people packed the Richmond Senior High School gymnasium Thursday to root on the current and future members of Raider cheerleading.

The Richmond cheerleading program concluded its annual four-day summer camp with a nearly two-hour showcase of all the campers’ talent.

With around 115 campers in attendance this year, the different age groups performed group routines and competed in a series of challenges.

Each group — the baby Raiders, kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, fourth and fifth grade, and middle schoolers — was paired with members of the Richmond varsity and junior varsity programs throughout the week.

Members of the 2024-25 varsity cheerleading team are seniors Nevaeh Harris, Kylie Hood, Riley Howell, James Lewis, Trinity Lockhart, Mattie Moss, Addison O’Neal, Bailey Rheault, juniors Makayla Brown, Maddy Burnett, Laney Dawkins, Emma Williams, and sophomores Camden Nolan and Anna Stogner.

Group themes this summer consisted of Barbie, Taylor Swift, coconuts and a variety of school pride wear.

Meredith Hood, Richmond’s head cheerleading coach, said the camp went really well. More importantly, she said the summertime tradition was a way to incorporate the high school program with the community.

“Most of our cheerleaders grew up going to Raider cheer camp and looked up to the Raider cheerleaders,” Hood shared. “And now it’s their turn to give back to the younger girls.

“The youngest girls are precious and excited about everything involved with cheer. They have the most fun in every rotation. The older elementary girls are fun to watch and most of them have been coming to camp for a few years and you can see the growth.

“They’re not only learning cheers and dances, but they’re also stunting and tumbling a little more independently,” Hood continued. “Some of these girls have lots of talent and potential to be great cheerleaders.”

Hood noted that the county’s four middle school teams — Cordova, Ellerbe, Hamlet and Rockingham — “learned a lot this year. The squads started with the basics and ended with some very creative routines.”

Harris got the showcase started with the spirit stick competition, which was awarded to Cordova for being the loudest cheering team.

Campers then competed in best jump, best tumble and best dance routines. Winners were selected by the varsity team. Hamlet won the team stunt competition, holding its stunt long enough to surpass Cordova.

Kylie Hood, a four-year varsity cheerleader, acted as the emcee of the event. She noted that the varsity and JV teams helping as coaches does a lot for the program’s growth.

“Cheer camp helps the cheer team in many ways,” Kylie explained. “As my mom says, we get a taste of our own medicine when it comes to coaching kids who just want to talk, but more importantly it brings not only varsity but JV closer as well since we are staying later in the day to practice.

“Eating lunch before practice with everyone really brings out the personalities of the new members on both teams and it’s always fun to get to know everyone.

“My favorite part of cheer camp was definitely the competition portion of the showcase,” Kylie added. “Hearing everyone cheer on other groups and friends they have made throughout the week gives me chills knowing that they are all supporting one another.

“The excitement the little ones get when the older kids go out and even our teams is surreal. It’s nice to be a part of something that so many kids love just as much as I do.”

Richmond cheerleading’s annual cheer night will be held during the school’s first home football game Friday, Aug. 30 against Butler High School.

“The type of cheerleading we do at Richmond is hard,” Meredith Hood closed. “We’re throwing girls around instead of footballs or basketballs. I hope the girls who came to camp realize that it takes a lot of hard work to be a cheerleader, but that it’s also fun and worth the work.

“I hope we made a positive impact on every child that walked through the doors every day this week.”

Below are photos from Thursday’s routines, taken by sports editor Kyle Pillar.