Dennis Fujimoto – The Garden Island HANAPEPE — The passing sprinkles couldn’t dampen the fires that burned in the hearts of 130 of Kaua‘i’s Pop Warner cheerleaders Sunday. “It’s going to pass,” one of the coaches said as a group
Dennis Fujimoto – The Garden Island
HANAPEPE — The passing sprinkles couldn’t dampen the fires that burned in the hearts of 130 of Kaua‘i’s Pop Warner cheerleaders Sunday.
“It’s going to pass,” one of the coaches said as a group of screaming pepsters scurried for cover while others reveled in the rain.
“This is comfortable,” one of the Jamz spirit leaders said, relishing the cooling effect the passing rain had on the hot Hanapepe sun.
The seven Jamz cheerleaders were wrapping up a two-day camp at Hanapepe Stadium with their dance segment that kicked off with a rock dance where the Kaua‘i cheerleaders were treated to a demonstration by the college cheerleaders.
“These are the best from around the country,” said Marty Grogan, vice president of Jamz. “Throughout the year, Jamz cheerleaders perform and this Hawai‘i tour is a reward for their excellent performance. They’re all college students and get paid to do this camp.”
Grogan said Jamz produce youth cheer activities based on the school schedule. During the summer, Jamz concentrates on cheer camps with the focus shifting to competition when schools start up in the fall.
“Kaua‘i is the first leg of our Hawai‘i tour,” Grogan said. “Next week, we’re in Kona and the week after, we work on Maui.”
Yvonne Hosaka, the Pop Warner Wescon Region cheer coordinator, said she became friends with Grogan several years ago and arranged to have the Jamz cheer camp here to benefit Kaua‘i’s aspiring cheerleaders.
“This year, we have 130 children registered,” Hosaka said. “That is up from last year’s camp. It has been getting better each year since we started having cheer camp in 1995.”
Additionally, Hosaka said, the Jamz crew is here working on a training video which will be used to train their cheerleaders.
That project provided Kaua‘i’s pepsters with an added spark for their screaming bouts of enthusiasm.
Hosaka is concerned Kaua‘i still doesn’t have an island cheer coordinator. Jane Garma has stepped up as the acting cheer coordinator for the island, starting her second year in that capacity.
“This is a good camp,” Garma said. “This is how the cheerleaders got to be selected to perform at the Capital Bowl in Florida on New Year’s Day.”
Last year, four of Kaua‘i’s Pop Warner cheerleaders made the trip to perform during the halftime of the New Year’s Day football game, and the year before, Garma’s daughter Kristen was selected to do the honors.
Mila Rapanot, cheer coordinator for the Kekaha Pop Warner Association, said the camp provides the cheerleaders with good basics from which their coaches can work on.
Hosaka said Pop Warner cheer coaches were also treated to a coaches-only clinic prior to the start of the cheer camp Saturday.
“This was good,” Hosaka said. “The coaches had some real experience in what they teach since they had to do some of the moves themselves.”
In 2005, Rapanot accompanied the Kekaha Jr. Pee Wee cheer squad to the national competition in Florida and returned home with the second-place trophy.
“This is where it starts,” Rapanot said.
In addition to the Kekaha squad, cheer squads from Hanapepe, Lihu‘e and Kapa‘a also made the trip to compete in the nationals.
“This camp gives the cheerleaders a head start on the season,” Hosaka said. “It’s a great way to start the year.”
The Kaua‘i Pop Warner Association will open its tackle football season Sept. 2 with the annual Jamboree at Vidinha Stadium.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
