MALAYSIA’S FIRST CHEERLEADING CAMP AND COACHES’ CONFERENCE
More than 120 cheerleaders and 40 cheerleading coaches from several countries converged over the weekend at Universiti Malaya for Malaysia’s first ever cheerleading camp and coaches conference, CHEER JAM 2008, which began on December 11 with the camp segment. Top cheerleading experts from the International Cheer Union (ICU) and National Council for Spirit Safety and Education (NCSSE) were flown in to present to and teach participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, Korea and Ukraine.
CHEER JAM 2008, which aims to improve the level of cheerleading in Malaysia and the world, was split into two segments:Â a cheerleading camp (December 11 to 13), and a coaches conference (December 13 to 14). It was organized by the Cheerleading Association and Register of Malaysia (CHARM), the official national governing body for cheerleading in Malaysia (Beverly Hon, President), with TM as the official sponsor. The event was supported by Celebrity Fitness with 8TV as the official media partner. Commenting on TM’s involvement, Dato’ Zaini Diman, Vice President, Sales Selangor said: “Cheerleading promotes teamwork, discipline, innovation and creativity, which are good values espoused by Telekom Malaysia.Â
CHEER JAM 2008 ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with NCSSEcertification courses offered from 6pm to 9pm daily. The camp was open to all ages and skill levels–from beginner right up to advanced level and cheerleaders who attended the camp for to learn a bit of everything–from core skills like jumps, tumbling, choreography, dance, stunting and pyramids to other skills like make-up, uniform design, first aid and team management. The coaches’ conference saw cheerleading coaches undergoing theory as well hands-on practical sessions, with the option to sit for cheerleading certification exams at the end of the day.
CHEER JAM 2008 also featured guest trainers from Celebrity Fitness and The Body Shop who conducted dance/gym and make-up classes respectively at the camp while designer Karl Ng from the Malaysian Official Designer’s Association (MODA) conducted the Uniform Design segment. “We are proud to have been a part of this historical moment in Malaysian cheerleading, and giving cheerleaders and coaches the rare chance to learn the cutting edge techniques from the industry’s finest, all under one roof,” said Anne Gorman, NCSSE State Director and chief instructor at CHEER JAM 2008.
