For the second year in a row, former Yorkton Regional High School and Saskatchewan Roughrider cheerleader Brittany Theis brought her cheerleading camp back to where she got her start.
About 90 kids, both boys and girls, came out for the camp, she said while at the podium to address the crowd at the Football Night in Saskatchewan fundraiser banquet this past Saturday at the St. Mary's Ukrainian Cultural Centre.
The banquet was meant to raise money for the numerous young football players both in Yorkton and its surrounding area; her cheerleading clinic went hand-in-hand with it.
It helped out the many youngsters involved with the Kinsmen Yorkton Minor Football Association.
Some of her former 'cheer' mates were also on hand as the Rider cheer squad made a bus tour around Yorkton, stopping in at several nursing/retirement homes before dropping in at Theis' cheer camp at MC Knoll School.
Theis was a little out of breath while at the microphone after holding her camp for the second year in a row at the MC Knoll School gymnasium, saying how busy she's been after holding her camp.
The camp was open to boys and girls ages 7-10 and was meant to give the kids a course on the fundamentals of the sport, she said.
The cheer squad also put on a show at the Football Night in Saskatchewan banquet to help get things started.
Theis said that when she was a member of both the YRHS squad and the Riders pro squad, she was in the best shape of her life. The practices they go through in the pros is heavy and the conditioning is possibly the biggest factor.
"There are at least two practices a week going three hours each time."
She said that in the pros, there is also a lot of travelling involved and that can take its toll."
Of all the aspects of the sport, Theis said her favourite part has always been the support they got both on home turf at Taylor Field and on bus tours in which they do promotions.
"The best part of it is meeting with the fans," she told a reporter at the Football Night in Saskatchewan banquet. Theis was all smiles, seemingly ready to break out her pompoms again.
"Practices are at least twice a week. Then there's promotions. It's a workout."Theis said that professional cheerleaders usually get started on the season as early as April, a lot of girls get cut too, she adds.
"It's so competitive."
