Ashley Thompson - Goalie - Class of 2016

So....cheerleaders aren't athletes you say....

Its a never ending battle in our house at times.  That is what happens when you raise two girls who have very different attitudes, philosophies on life and sports that they are passionate about.  In our house its Soccer vs. Cheer!  Ugh..

This is my soccer players' take on cheer.... its rather funny if you have both a cheerleader and soccer player in the family....





We are know what soccer players do, how they train, how rough games can be - and to be honest - girl soccer players are ten times rougher than any boy soccer players, purposely take out their opponents, and are more likely to come home black & blue or worse.  Most people don't think about cheerleaders in the same level of intensity, athleticism and competition.

Do people really get that today's cheerleaders are more than just the pretty girl on the sidelines? With the popularity of All-Star Cheerleading exploding into towns across america, more and more girls and boys are embracing cheerleading more as a sport than something that is for the popular kids at the local high school, tumbling and stunting has become more advanced and more risky which as put cheerleading in the top most dangerous sports.  It is more than just smiles, glitter and short skirts - its is about skill, training and muscle strength.

A typical cheerleader will practice a minimum of 4 + hours a week on tumbling, dancing, and strength training.   Practices sometimes resemble Army Boot Camp rather than cheer practice with the focus on strength and stamina.  Routines are constantly changing, sometimes weekly to adapt to the strengths and weakness of each team member on the squad and what competition they may be attending.  They are constantly learning, working, striving for the perfect 2 minutes and 30 seconds of their life.  These teams compete against other teams of the same level all for the pride of getting 1st Place and even advancing onto other competitions - all trying to advance to the "superbowl" of cheerleading - Worlds, or The Summit.

Anyone who has a child who is involved with an All-Star Cheer team knows it is all about the 2.30! For those who are only familiar with high school varsity cheerleaders that everyone grew up watching on the sidelines of their favorite high school - this is way much more.  It is 150 seconds of high energy, fast paced, music-pumping, dancing, stunting and gymnastic style tumbling.  There are no pompoms or megaphones.  They perform pyramids where girls and guys are balancing each other and flipping cheerleaders into the air with grace and strength while being able to catch them like they are light as a feather.  There is tumbling that make you think that they are able to defy gravity.  It is breathtaking to watch them fly through the air.



So what do these dedicated girls and guys give up for their love of cheer?  More than most think. Cheerleaders must eat healthy, workout daily, and practice, practice, practice.  Cheerleading is a year-round activity.  Once one season ends the next quickly begins.  These kids give up family vacations during the summer for practice. Most give up a social life - between team practice. extra tumbling classes and homework, there isn't much time for much else.  It also takes commitment with the family as well traveling multiple times per season to different states.  It is not a cheap activity by no means. It is just like an other sport - it take times, dedication, skill, determination and passion,

With all that being said, people still say these girls and guys are not athletes.  According to the dictionary an athlete is someone "who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility or stamina".

It is more then the bows, the glitter, and the music

       and these girls and guys are most definitely "athletes"!

Today seems unreal. 

As Kenny Chesney sang it best

"don't blink ...
Just like that you're six years old and take a nap and you wake up and your 25". 

It's the truth. I can't believe that Ashley will be graduating next year. Somewhere in the crazy day to day life she went from pigtails and catching butterflies to trying to navigate where her life is gong to take her next beyond high school.

It's scary, exciting, and overwhelming at the same time. As a parent you want the best for your kid. Maybe not to make the same crappy decisions you made. But in the end it's their decision not yours.  Ugh. Something that is hard to remember and to follow at times.

Today we are visiting the first on Ashley's list of college choices. She gets a chance to meet the coaches from UWF and train with them and other coaches from colleges all over the US. What she is looking for in a college program I have no idea. I know she isn't interested in come of the larger universities such as FSU or UCF (although I think it would be pretty awesome to play for a big Div I school).  She wants a campus where she isn't going to be a number in a huge  crowd. A smaller soccer program where there aren't 10 goalies on the team all fighting for #1.  She already knows enough about that and knows how every minute in the goal is time earned.

So how did we get here?? I am still trying to figure this out. As I watched her today get direction and feedback on her skills I can only think about all those soccer coaches she has had and silently thank the ones that encouraged her when she didn't think she could. Those that told her she was good enough,  strong enough and talented enough to play on the level she wants. It's those that believed in her that has brought her though all these past 13 years.

I thank the soccer clubs in this area that gave up on girls her age because they are too difficult or cause too much drama - because of them Ashley has fought to find a team to play on. The result -  driving up to 2 hours to play for teams that want girls her age,  that need Ashley's skill as a goalie and her want & desire to play the game. 

But....

I also thank the coach that didn't believe in her - because her lack of faith in Ashley as a goalie has made her stronger and more determined to prove her wrong. When she could have taken her lack of faith and quit, Ashley has turned it into motivation to learn more, try harder and be better then she ever thought she could be.  It's because of her that Ashley practices 4 days a week. It's because of that coach we drive 1.5 hrs to practice with a team two to three times a week. It is because of that coach that Ashley walked away from today's camp with her head held high knowing 100% - that one coach in her life is wrong!! Because that I am thankful. She has made my daughter into a fighter and I know that on the soccer field and in life she will fight for what she believes in and be successful in wherever her life leads her. It's been a long road to get here but today I finally see that she isn't my little girl any longer but is growing up to be a headstrong, beautiful young lady.

I think I am OK with her almost being a senior in high school. It doesn't mean I won't cry a few tears along the way, but at least I know that she might be ready for this huge and wonderful journey she is about to begin.

More to come from the sidelines 

1st Cheer Competition of the Season

Well here we are . . . another cheer season starting, new team . . . new start

Our first competition - Mardi Gras in Tallahassee.

It was weird.  New faces, really didn't know what to expect from the new team and new gym.  I found myself missing my cheer moms.  I miss my texts from Mechelle or Angie reminding us of this or that.  I miss the hour long makeup session before each competition - because you know I just finally got the hang of all the makeup by the last competition last season.  Even doing Cailin's hair wasn't that much trouble since she cut off most of her hair.  It took me 25 minutes to do Cailin's hair and makeup - what????  I found myself with time on my hands before we left.  Normally I am running around like a chicken.

We got to Tallahassee, and realized that Cailin was wearing her sneakers.  Guess where her cheer shoes were.  .   in her old cheer bag sitting on the bed at the house.  Great place for them right.  Excactly.  In all the years that Cailin has been cheering we have never forgotten anything!!!!  I am so OCD about remembering her uniform, makeup, bow, shows, socks etc Wow...epic failure as a cheer mom - first competition of the new season with the new gym.  Great.

Thank God for Jordan and him locating a pair of shoes for Cailin to borrow and a hug and a its going to be ok smile.

The girls did great.  All the teams did great!  The girls did better then great!  They hit all their stunts.

The results:

Tiny Level 1 - 1st Place
Mini Level 1 - 1st Place - Grand Champs
Youth Level 2 - 1st Place - Grand Champs
Senior Level 2 - 3rd Place
Junior Level 1 - 2nd Place

Grand Champs - What??????   There were 4 teams in our level - some of them pretty darn good - but the girls pulled it off.  Did a great job and took home the prize!

Not a bad way to start off the season  - ACE!!!!

MTTD . . .

What is MTTD????

Meet the Tribe Day - Birmingham!

We are so excited to experience Meet the Tribe.  What is it you ask?  It is where all the Ace gyms get together to perform for each other before they enter the cheer the season.  It is a way of getting the kinks out of the routines and a chance to see the other Ace teams!

Man . . . there was some incredible cheerleaders.

 

It was an incredible experience to finally see the girls routine and it was awesome to see all the other teams from the different gyms.  This is a whole new ball game.  . . to be a part of something huge . .  .

Can't wait for our first competition in Tallahassee. .  . bring it on!

Life of a soccer player

New soccer cleats .  . . new soccer team . . .  new season . . . 

Ashley never seems to amaze me . . . She is so brave and has so much heart.  I have never met anyone who loves her team as much as she does.  The High School soccer jamboree is scheduled and the Varsity team does not have a goalie that can play that weekend. . .  so what does Ashley do, she steps up and volunteers to play goalie.  Now mind you, the last time she played goalie, she broke her arm back in middle school doing the same thing - stepping in because their goalie couldn't play.  She has never had any formal goalie training, has never really worked at it except in fun and she volunteers to step in against some of the best players in Bay County.  

This is Ashley back in Middle school after her short time in goal 

We were so extremely proud of her.  She did awesome.  She is a natural in goal and did an incredible job.  The fist few minutes she was a little timid, but after the fist shot on goal that she trapped, she was jumping on the balls, being so aggressive and doing an incredible job.  

Ashley said it wasn't so bad playing goal.  She kind of enjoyed it - but she would rather be out on the field running and scoring goals.  I wish she could see her potential. .  . even her BCYSA coach was a bit surprised - but above all, even though they lost both games, she gave it 120% and she overcame a few things and I think because of it she became a better soccer player.  

Proud of this girl . . .

                                                           I wish I could be more like her!  

Catching up

Its been too long since I last stopped by. So much has changed .....

One more week of summer ... Then back to the grind - juggling the kids activities and a full-time job on top of it. I am not sure how I feel about all the changes. I know it is going to be a challenge for me as I have always been there for the kids - front row center for every game and every practice. I know that the reality of what is to come - it will be impossible for me to do it all and honestly it makes me sad. Being at every game and every performance has always meant the world to me - so missing them almost seems like a failure. For me this will be a new thing for me - taking a step back and knowing its ok if I am not there 100% of the time. Sigh .... Ok I know it's going to be rough - so try to be patient with me.

What has changed ... I have a teenage driver. That in itself is nuts. I have no patience to teach Ashley to drive I have learned. I have also learned that I need to relax while she is driving and to keep my comments to a minimum - such as "Ashley there is a mailbox on the right - try not to hit it" or "Ashley, good lord, don't kill me" etc ... No actually she did really well and hasn't hit anything or anyone.

As crazy as Ashley is I am super proud of her. Juggling two soccer teams, travel on the weekends to games and keeping up her grades - I can put up with her learning how to drive.  She got her schedule for next semester and she is in all honors classes including math - which for her is a huge accomplishment.  10th grade will be hard with all honors classes along with soccer and taking Latin 2 online - but I know she can do it. 

Tommy will be starting 6th grade in a week and it's rather crazy to think I will have 1 kid in high school, 1 in middle and 1 in elementary school. Thank god they all attend the same school. I couldn't imagine trying to get each one to a different school every morning. Tommy is real excited about it and is happy his best buddies are in the same classes. 

The other big change that was the hardest was for Cailin - changing gyms.  After weeks of careful consideration and tears, Cailin decided she was ready for a change. After last season in cheer she didn't want to be the oldest on a younger team or the youngest on an older team.  Work and getting her to cheer also factored into the decision as if I work until 6 how could I get her to cheer at 5 if Tim is working until after 7.  So far Cailin loves her team - loves being with a group of girls that are her age and go to school with her. It's a big deal. I do miss my cheer moms - there aren't any at the new gym that can come close to those group of women. They are the best. 

I am looking forward to what the new school year will bring - New adventures and new friends.  Until next time ...