A twist on the football post this week. Instead of my son's team, this post will focus on my daughter's cheerleading squad. They brought home a third place trophy in a league cheering competition yesterday. Unfortunately, they missed out on a spot in the regional qualifiers, but it was by the slimmest of margins, 2 points shy of 2nd place and 4 points shy of 1st. Oh and by the way, the squad that came in first is the defending national champion. Our girls performed with heart and spirit, and they put on quite a show. This was my first ever cheering competition and I wasn't sure what to expect. As a kid, I preferred football to cheering by a large margin. So although I hoped I would enjoy the day for my daughter's sake, I wasn't quite sure if I would. The music was blaring, the venue crowded, and the crowd loud and sometimes obnoxious. But still I loved it. I always thought cheering was boring but the competitive aspect added a new dimension for me. In addition, it occurred to me while watching her squad compete that they have learned a lot about the value of teamwork and sportsmanship this year. Cheering demands teamwork, without it you can easily get injured or injure someone. As for sportsmanship, cheerleaders have a special cheer for when their competition is getting ready to perform, g-o-o-d l-u-c-k, good luck. I was also very impressed when other squads had their football counterparts at the competition in their game jerseys and in the case of one town, actively participating in the routine.
I have always had tons of respect for her coach who is also the cheer coordinator for our town. I have had many dealings with her over the years, but none of my children has ever had her as a coach. Having finally had the pleasure this year, my respect for her has only grown. The first night of practice, she told the squad that she has only 2 rules - no drama and no disrespect. How perfectly simple and concise for dealing with a bunch of girls. With only 8 practices of full squad participation, she and her staff transformed a disparate group consisting of 17 newcomers into a true team. Great job, girls, we are all very proud of you.
I have always had tons of respect for her coach who is also the cheer coordinator for our town. I have had many dealings with her over the years, but none of my children has ever had her as a coach. Having finally had the pleasure this year, my respect for her has only grown. The first night of practice, she told the squad that she has only 2 rules - no drama and no disrespect. How perfectly simple and concise for dealing with a bunch of girls. With only 8 practices of full squad participation, she and her staff transformed a disparate group consisting of 17 newcomers into a true team. Great job, girls, we are all very proud of you.
