Little Rebel Cheer Camp Returns to Randy Thomas Field

For the first time in the new decade, McKenzie’s littlest Rebels had the chance to cheer at Randy Thomas Field during the McKenzie Rebels’ football halftime show Friday, October 24.

Little Rebel Cheer Camp is one of McKenzie High School’s long-standing traditions, during which the MHS cheerleaders teach elementary students, from Pre-K through fourth grade, well-known Rebel cheers and a choreographed dance.

The tradition was left behind in recent years, as the school prioritized coaching Taylor Buckley’s Cheer Camp in the winter, but MHS cheerleading coach Brittany Colotta Beard decided to bring it back this year.

The camp was a full-circle moment for Colotta Beard and two of her junior cheerleaders. She coached Madelyn Pewitt and Brooke Murphy in Little Rebel Cheer Camp when she was a high school cheerleader and they were in elementary school.

Colotta Beard brought the tradition back this year for three reasons: she remembered coaching Little Rebel Cheer Camp when she was in high school, she thought there might be some students who preferred cheering on the football field over the basketball court and her cheerleaders needed another fundraiser.

Parents paid $30 for their child to participate in Little Rebel Cheer Camp. For that price, students received t-shirts and coaching for the Friday night performance.

All of the fundraising proceeds went to the McKenzie High School cheerleading team’s funds for competitions and uniforms.

The McKenzie High School cheerleaders competed in a regional cheerleading competition Saturday, October 25, in Memphis and placed in sixth overall. They compete again in Knoxville for the state competition later this year, in hopes they can place and compete in the national competition in January.

Little Rebel Cheer Camp had 84 children sign on. They learned two cheers and a dance to “Golden” from the “K-Pop Demon Hunters” movie.