Youth cheer camp at Lenape Valley

BYRAM — The Lenape Valley Regional High School Cheerleaders hosted this year's summer camp for the Patriot youth program at NJ Fitness and Dance studio in Byram. The LVRahs, as they are called, instructed 57 young girls on the latest sideline cheers, basic stunting and jumps, as well as choreographed and taught the little Patriots a dance routine that they performed for their parents on the final day of camp.
Throughout the three days of instruction, the girls also worked on crafts and played games, including a few too many rounds of Duck, Duck, Goose. "The purpose of the camp is to allow the girls to come together and have fun as well as experience the camaraderie and teamwork that successful cheer squads need," said Lenape Valley senior Amanda Nunn. Nunn, along with fellow seniors Taylor Stewart and Christina Dimitriou, know all about teamwork as they have been operating without a head cheer coach since late June of this year.
The three young ladies have taken it upon themselves to hold practices and organize and oversee the youth camp, as well as schedule their own Universal Cheerleaders Association camp at [Lenape Valley Regional] next week for the 27 varsity and junior varsity high school squad members.
"[Universal Cheerleaders Association] camp is the backbone of our summer preparation for nationals" said Nunn. She is referring to the National Cheer competition that is hosted by Universal Cheerleaders Association and held at Walt Disney World in February. The Lenape Valley Regional High School varsity squad has qualified for nationals every year going back to the 1990s.
The three seniors are committed to keeping that tradition going this year but they also said they first have to prepare for the fall football season.
They are all hopeful that the school will hire a varsity and junior varsity coach in the very near future.