The Catholic University Cheer Team Prepares for the NCA Bootcamp -

By Jonathan Norman

Next month, the Catholic University of America Cheerleading Team will take on the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) Bootcamp. This two-day camp, on November 5 and 6, will have the team quickly learn new choreography, stunts, and cheers. A strong showing at this camp will also allow the team to qualify for the College Nations in Florida, so the stakes are high for this upcoming camp.

This is the first time in years that the Cardinals have attended this camp. They attended in the fall of 2016 and 2017 and went to NCA Nationals in 2018. Prior to 2016, the Cardinals had attended the camp every year, so the team hopes that this year marks the continuation of a once great tradition.

Sixteen members of the team will attend this Bootcamp next month. This camp is at home for the Cardinals, which allows the instruction to be tailored to the current skill level of the team. The instructors for the weekend are sent by the NCA and are typically retired all-star or D1 cheerleaders. They will help the team with things from sign work, stunts, poms, jumps, and tumbling. As for the team’s cheer material, the NCA coaches will review the Cardinals existing material and either build on these cheers or create a new one.

Both a physically demanding and mentally exhausting weekend for the Cardinals, the camp will run all Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will involve the team working on cheers, stunts, and dancing. They will also have to take a close note of the corrections given by the NCA staff as they will be expected to make the proper adjustments by the next day. On Sunday, the Cardinals will continue to hone their skills, concluding with their eventual evaluation.

The NCA camp is not only a time for the Cardinals to display some of their best-rehearsed material but also their overall potential. Aside from showing the NCA staff the material that the team has continually practiced, they will also attempt some new skills.

The pressure will definitely be on the Cardinals during that weekend, as on the second day of the camp, the team will receive an evaluation from the NCA staff. This evaluation decides whether the team will get a bid for nationals and what level of the bid they will receive.

To help lead the team in this crucial time, coach Megan Brizzell will make sure the team is successful during this weekend by overseeing the entire camp. Brizell and the rest of the team will need to work very hard between now and the camp in hopes of punching their ticket to the College Nationals for the first time in years.