The RCHS Varsity cheer team hosted a program during the football season called Little ‘Cats. This program allowed kindergarten through fifth grade students to cheer at a varsity football game with the members of the cheer team. This year, the Little ‘Cats performed at the football game against Christiansburg High School on Sept. 20. A camp took place after the game on Sept. 19. During the practice, the cheer team taught the kids some of their cheers, dances, and games. 

Sophomore Madison Workman is a cheerleader on the team and has taught the program before. 

“The kids get to make new friends and get to explore if they want to be a cheerleader or not when they get into middle school or high school,” said Workman. 

Little ‘Cats is not only beneficial to the kids, but it also helps the cheer team to learn inspiring life-skills. 

“We learn how to become better role models and teachers for those kids. It teaches the team new leadership skills,” said Workman. “It’s a fun experience.”

Sophomore Morgan Slusser has also taught the program in the past and is working with them again this year. 

“The kids learn new cheers, and I think they just have a lot of fun doing it and being with us,” said Slusser. “I think it makes the cheerleaders happy to think about how one day these kids will be us, cheering on the sideline and that we could be the first people to start their love for cheer.”

Varsity cheer Coach Jessica Bowyer is running the Little ‘Cats program with the cheer team this year. 

“Our goal is to provide the youth in our community a safe and fun way to experience what it is like to be a Wildcat Cheerleader,” said Bowyer. “The Little ‘Cats Camps is a great way for the cheerleaders to give back to the community.”

Little ‘Cats is a fundraiser for the RCHS Varsity cheer team that merges elementary school students with high school students for an experience of bonding and leadership. 

Many cheerleaders, such as Varsity cheerleader and Sophomore Kinsie Ellis, enjoy the camp for how it gives back to the community. 

“We bond so much during the Little ‘Cats Camp,” said Ellis. “It allows us to give back to our community.”