Aisha Johns

Growing up, Aisha cheered on all kinds of teams, from little league to all stars to middle school and high school, so it came as no surprised when she made the cheer team at Angelo State University and was captain for two of the four years she cheered there.

After Aisha graduated from high school, she spent her summers teaching Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) camps. This summer will be her seventh year of teaching camps and she still loves every minute of it!

With her many years of experience being on the UCA staff, UCA wanted to know:

Why is it important for cheerleaders to go to camp?

Aisha: It is important for squads to attend camp for a few reasons. First, esteem building and team building begin at camp and really set the precedent for improvement throughout the school year. Second, camp gives cheerleaders the opportunity to meet other squads and be exposed to cheerleading outside of their own school. Third, the material taken away from camp gives cheerleaders material for the entire school year. And of course, it’s FUN!

What is your favorite part of camp?

Aisha: The team loyalty ceremony is one of my favorites; I can honestly say that I've cried during squad loyalty ceremonies. Some of the squads and I have made such good friendships, and we have maintained contact once camp was over.

What is the most important thing cheerleaders should take home from camp?

Aisha: Aside from the immense amount of material that cheerleaders take from camp, there is a greater sense of accomplishment and esteem building from cheer camp as well. Cheerleaders of all levels leave camp having learned something new. This type of esteem building has the potential to carry on throughout the school year and translate into other areas in the lives of these cheerleaders.