Is competitive cheer a sport? I don’t know and I don’t care. It’s teaching my child life lessons and that is more important to me than a label.
1. Work hard
She practices . . . a lot. She practices with her team for 2-2.5 hours twice a week with extra practices added when needed. She takes an additional tumbling or jumps class for one hour each week. She meets with her stunt group at least once a week for extra practice without a coach. So in a given week, she puts in 6-8 hours of practice at the gym in addition to the hours she spends at home stretching and conditioning. She’s learning that if she really cares about something, she needs to work hard to make that happen. College is hard work, a career is hard work, parenting is hard work. She has a lot of work coming her way.
1. Be responsible
Her coach told her from the beginning that this entire experience would be her responsibility. She needed to be on time and prepared. It’s her job, not her mom’s to have her uniform, shoes, bow and workout wear clean and ready. She should do her homework and household chores before practice. To this day, I’ve never had to drag her to practice or nag her to be on time. She’s never been late to school either. She’s learning how to balance school, family, friends and cheer.
3. Learn to win and loose well
When she played soccer at 5 years old, everyone got a trophy at the end of the season. In fact, her first year they didn’t even keep score. She has won some big competitions with her team but she has also lost. Each win is amazing and each loss is heartbreaking but I want her to know how to do both. She will not always “win” the job she wants. She will encounter many “losses” in life. I want her to learn how to loose well because that says more about a person than winning.
4. Its not all about you
She makes sacrifices for the team. She has missed family events like weddings and holidays. She gives up parties with friends for practice. She schedules dates with her boyfriend to end early so she gets enough sleep before a competition. When they are stunting, she’s a backspot. You cannot see her when the amazing things are happening in the routine, but they are impossible without her. She also has coaches that go above and beyond to help her. They believe in her and are willing to work hard right next to her and she has learned to value their time. Don't waste their time if you don't want to work just as hard as they do.
5. Take care of your body
I don’t know if cheer is a sport but my daughter is an athlete. She performs highly technical and difficult routines for judges with her team. She does situps and pushups and these awful things called burpees. She works on balance and flexibility daily. She stretches her muscles and lifts weights. She has six pack abs and biceps that the boys at school are jealous of. Her thigh and calf muscles make it difficult to shop for jeans. I make her go to Costco with me so I have someone to carry the giant bags of dog food that are too heavy for me to lift into the car. Her strong fit body also looks great in a homecoming dress!
Is cheerleading a sport? I don’t know and I don’t care. It’s been a very positive, rewarding experience for my daughter and I’m thankful we found it.
