By PAIGE CARR

Staff writer

It’s not even officially summer yet, but Hillsboro’s cheerleading and football teams already have fall sports season on the brain.

Senior wide receiver Darian Ratzlaff was among football players hitting the field Monday to kick off a week of football camp.

Ratzlaff said weight training started last week, so it wasn’t his first early morning of the summer.

“I still wish I could sleep in,” he said. “It’s hot.”

Ratzlaff said he was excited for the season to start and enjoyed joking with head coach Devin Metzinger.

Metzinger incorporates teambuilding into each day during camp, at John Wiens Stadium but said that fundamentals were a general theme for the week.

“We spend time talking about culture and what we all expect out of the team,” he said. “Our main focus is fundamentals and trying to put a base together for this fall.”

Cheerleading coach Kathy Klein started the first day of cheerleading camp in the middle school gym with light stretches for her group of six cheerleaders.

The main focus of cheer camp will be stunting skills and learning new stunts.

Tabor College coach Daryl Green assists with teaching the group new skills and safe practices such as spotting techniques.

Klein has high hopes for her squad this year.

“I look forward to a group of girls that all get along and support each other while raising the spirit level,” she said. “I envision unity and friendship and want them all to know this is a safe place.”

Junior Kelli Dyck said if she were to offer advice to younger cheerleaders, it would be never to let fear get in the way.

“You just have to go for things,” she said, “even if you mess up keep trying.”

Lone senior on the squad Jenna Heinerman agreed.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve wiped out in front of hundreds of people,” she said. “You just get up and keep going.”