Private Cheerleading Camps in Iowa

Summer cheerleading camps offer scholastic and all-star squads an opportunity to practice fundamentals and learn new routines for the upcoming season. Squads typically travel to a central location to participate in camps with dozens of other teams, but many cheer instructors also offer one-on-one camps -- also called "home camps" -- at an individual squad's gym or school. The options for private instruction in Iowa range from small all-star gyms to national traveling boot camps, and even include private instruction at overnight resort camps.

  1. Varsity Cheerleading Camps

    • Varsity is the premiere organization for all things cheerleading -- most national cheerleading organizations such as the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and American Cheer Power (ACP) have unified under the Varsity banner, making Varsity the largest cheer camp operator in the world. Because of this diversity, Varsity can be a one-stop shop for booking the right private camp to meet your squad's needs.

      UCA holds about 10 destination camps in Iowa each summer, including a resort camp in Okoboji, Iowa, which feature private coaching sessions and home fight song and dance evaluations. For totally private camps, UCA instructors can travel to any school or gym in Iowa. These home camps offer both traditional and coach-created camp schedules. UCA camps start at $75 per participant for one-day traditional camps and run up to $209 per participant for four-day, build-your-own camps. Other organizations under the Varsity banner also offer private camps at similar rates.

    All-Star Cheer Camps

    • Private cheer gyms primarily instruct competition skills for all-star teams of varying ages and levels, but many all-star gyms also host private cheer camps for other squads. These camps are often less expensive than the Varsity brand camps.

      Iowa All Stars cheer gym in Ankeny, Iowa, hosts private camps at its facility. Visiting squads can take advantage of the gym's cheer floor and gymnastic equipment, which have heightened instruction and safety compared to squads that practice on hardwood floors. Iowa All Stars also sends coaches and equipment to teach home camps. Either way, camps run from $55 per person for one day to $145 per person for three days. For more information, call 515-964-1340

      More All-Star Cheer Camps:

      Iowa Elite Cheer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 319-210-3793

      Iowa Twisters/Twister Xtreme in Hiawatha, Iowa, 319-393-5818

      inMotion Center/Inferno AllStars in Newton, Iowa, 641-792-4649

    Preparing for Camp

    • Athletes should stretch and condition ahead of time to be in the best shape for camp.

      Cheer camps, particularly those that focus on stunting, can be rigorous. Private camps are especially intense, as instructor time is focused solely on one squad and can cover more material than in a large group. Therefore, squads should meet for conditioning and practice for one to two weeks prior to camp. Alternate between cardio and strength-training sessions, and fundamentals and stunting sessions. Following a pre-camp practice schedule will get squad members into shape and refresh basic skills, preparing them for more advanced skills at camp. Preparing for camp also gives new teammates an opportunity to get to know and trust each other -- advanced cheer skills such as partner and group stunting can be dangerous, so that bond is essential.

    Planning Camp Sessions

    • Most private camps have a preset schedule of lessons to be covered each day, but many allow coaches to tweak these plans depending on their squads' needs. Assess which skills your squad should develop and have the camp instructors focus on those. Camps are also an opportunity to learn new choreography and cheers, so alternate these lower-impact activities with the demanding stunting and tumbling sessions.