Amid cheers, shouts and laughter, some recruits are shooting basketballs, spiking volleyballs, and competing to see who can do the most push-ups while others are sprinting in relay races.

Who says you can’t have fun while in boot camp?

Recruits and Recruit Division Commanders (RDC) have the opportunity to blend teamwork and training during the Captain’s Cup competition at Recruit Training Command, the Navy’s only boot camp. The friendly, athletic competition between divisions in the same training group is held a week prior to their boot camp graduation.

“Captain’s Cup fosters an opportunity for divisions and individuals to display their pride and fellowship through the events,” said Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) 2nd Class Karma Sopa, an instructor at Freedom Hall, the 173,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art training facility where the weekly competition is held. “It’s a healthy way for recruits to compete against each other in various fitness activities.”

Divisions compete against the other divisions in 10 events. The events include push-ups, pull-ups, curl-ups, sea bag relay, basketball, softball throw, volleyball, firefighting equipment relay, rescue carry and the 1.5-mile relay run. If a tie occurs between two divisions, a tug-of-war is used to determine the winner.

The divisions are split into all-male or integrated male-female divisions. The division scoring the highest point total overall is awarded the Captain’s Cup trophy and a flag to display at graduation.

To kick off the event, divisions compete in a prepared one-minute long motivational chant. Each division creates and choreographs a routine that may include loud cheering, singing and dancing. Each chant is graded on the amount of Navy pride, creativity and originality that each division puts forth. The chants are graded by Sailors going through RDC “C” School and the winning division earns a trophy at the conclusion of Captain’s Cup.

After maintaining the strictest standard of military bearing for eight weeks of basic training, the Captain’s Cup competition is the first opportunity recruits have to interact and have fun with the other divisions in their training group.

“For us it’s beneficial because they get to work on their teamwork and fine tune their togetherness now before going into Battle Stations, their crucible event,” said Senior Chief Damage Controlman Mark Rayner, RDC, Division 918. “We look back about seven or eight weeks and we took a bunch of individual recruits off the bus who didn’t know each other, didn’t know what they were stepping into, but this is where they get to exercise the other side of our Navy family and build some camaraderie and build morale for the team. They are doing us proud out here.”

The competition lasts approximately three hours and competitors dash from one event to the next. Not all recruits compete in every event. Divisions decide which event each recruit will compete based on their abilities.

“It was a morning where we had no stress,” said Seaman Recruit Zachary Johnson, Division 136, who competed in pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups. “The noise during the competition when I was doing my events, along with the others, honestly, my ears were ringing the rest of the day from how loud they were shouting encouragement. It made me feel as if, ‘Yeah, I can get 10 more … 20 more!”

As recruits compete in their specific event, shouts of encouragement echo throughout Freedom Hall while divisions yell and cheer on their shipmates. Even the RDCs get caught up in the action as they cheer and motivate from the sidelines.

“The energy that the recruits give off, as the RDCs, we just feel that energy from them and it’s contagious!” said Yeoman 1st Class Jessica Ruizdimeglio, RDC, Division 137 who was enthusiastically jumping in the air as she shouted encouragement to her recruits. “They give that fun energy and we just want to give it back to them. This is their Captain’s Cup.”

The highlight of the day is the final race.

For the 1.5-mile relay, each division has 12 recruits that sprint one lap before handing off a baton to the next runner. The screams and shouts of excitement from the recruits cheering on their divisions are deafening as the runners bolt around the track.

“This was amazing — all the cheering — as that’s what drives me in a competitive setting to do better is hearing people cheering for me,” said Seaman Recruit Rian Meeks, Div. 918. “I think this event shows all the recruits can come together and work with every recruit and not just the ones in their division, even the ones we don’t know, we’re not fighting or disagreeing on anything.”

After the results have been tallied, a trophy is awarded to the winner in each integrated and non-integrated divisions.

As the winning divisions hoist their Captain’s Cup trophy in the air, the RDCs only get to bask in the glow of the championship for a week before returning the trophies for the next week’s winning divisions to receive.

“These are like our kids and we are proud of the performance that they gave today so we’re happy about it,” said Ruizdimeglio, whose division won the integrated trophy.

Taking the Captain’s Cup trophy and top honors in the competition gives the winning divisions a boost of confidence as they prepare of their final week of training.

“This lifted our spirits before going into Battle Stations and it’s not that we were down on ourselves, it’s just a nice way to finish off these past seven or eight weeks,” said Johnson, whose division won the non-integrated trophy. “We’re finally coming together as a group and winning Captain’s Cup — the only flag that no one else can get besides us — I think that was the best way to end our time here.”

Boot camp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. More than 35,0000 recruits graduate annually from RTC and begin their Navy careers.

For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/

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For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/.