The future of Newtown High School cheerleading and girls’ basketball were on display in annual youth summer camps under the direction of NHS coaches this summer.

Nighthawk cheer squad athletes and coaches directed young cheer stars in the Newtown High School Summer Fun Cheer Camp. The up-and-coming cheer squad members practiced much of what the high school athletes do on the mats and sidelines. From tumbling to tossing, and cheers to pyramids, girls in grades K to eight got to work on their skills. They learned from the best. Coach Susan Bridges and the Nighthawk squad won the South-West Conference, Class L State, and New England Championships this past winter.

“We look forward to camp every year. We love seeing kids return year after year. We also love meeting new future Nighthawks,” said Bridges, whose camp has been going strong for 21 years. “The kids have so much fun. I think the highlight for the littles is stunting with the high school girls.”

Lady Nighthawks Basketball Camp, led by Coach Jeremy O’Connell and his players-turned-counselors/coaches, taught girls ages 8 to 14 fundamentals with an emphasis on proper shooting, ball handling, passing and catching, rebounding, defense, and basketball knowledge. O’Connell is in his 15th year leading the Nighthawks and has coached high school basketball for 28 years. There were drills and contests, and the camp was a success, O’Connell said.

“The girls had a blast playing with and learning from the high school counselors,” he added.

Winners from the first session are as follows:

Lay-Ups: Elise Ansman and Mackenzie Weston.

Free throws: Ragan Rotas.

Knockout: Isabella Hussain.

Hot Shot: Alina Gerardi and Collins Holko.

Camper of the Week: Ramiza Johnson.

Register for the second session of the basketball camp through Newtown Parks and Recreation with activity code: 409640 B. Camp runs Monday through Thursday, August 4-7. Sessions held at NHS are from 9 am to noon. Cost is $185.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.