Ryan Salsgiver, the Illinois State director of Universal Cheerleading association, tells his cheerleading coaches to teach at a slow pace in order to keep the participants from learning incorrect techniques without knowing the basics.

“You have to learn to crawl before you can walk,” Salsgiver said.

On Monday, 125 participants began this summer’s Universal Cheerleading Camp at Eastern.

According to program’s website, Salsgiver is responsible for providing teams with the tools they need to get started in order to build and sustain an effective cheer team program within their community.

Stephanie Patton, Varsity Camp Manager, said she will also be working on campus for cheerleading. Patton spent last week at Eastern coaching the program’s dance camp. She said this is her first year on staff and is enthusiastic for this upcoming week’s activities.

As camp manager, Patton said her responsibility is to handle registrations for the team, to accommodate arrangements on where the participants are staying, eating, and to deal with any problems the participants are having during their stay. She also helps with first aid for both minor and serious injuries.

Conference Coordinator Matt Boyer was said this is the camp’s 28th year visiting Eastern’s campus.

“We have worked with them for many years,” said Boyer. “We typically have 100-125 participants at both the dance and cheer camps.”

Boyer said the camps are only signed for a yearly contract but usually come back on their own.

“What gets groups coming back is the great service that our staff provides,” he said.

Eastern’s website said the program is the most popular cheerleading camp and was first based out of Memphis, Tenn. in 1974. The website also said the program has a professional cheerleading staff that teaches cheerleading fundamentals to junior high and high school cheerleaders.

Eastern’s website also said that the program was founded to provide high quality educational training for college and high school cheerleaders through summer camps and clinics on college campuses.

According to the program’s website, during its first few years the company literally operated out of founder Jeff Webb’s apartment in Memphis. It also states that based on its reputation for outstanding instructional programs and the high emphasis on cheerleading gymnastics, the program flourished quickly.

The program’s goal is to inspire leadership on and off the field. Its website claimed the camp believes the primary purpose of a cheerleader is to support athletic programs and lead the crowd before and during games.

The website said cheerleaders play an instrumental role in raising, leading and maintaining school spirit in and around their communities.

The website also said most of its participants come from Illinois.

Cristina Medina can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].