During
my time in the cheerleading world I have come to find out that it is more than
just simply going to a competition and watching your athlete’s routines,
watching them win, and going home. I’ve learned that life bonds are formed here
that they are more than just athletes but they become family. Well, come on
think about it honestly. If you are a flyer you are trusting your spot and
bases with your life. That is ultimate trust being able to simply place your
life in the hands of others. That’s amazing but that isn’t why I believe that
we are family. Over the last couple months I have read about other gyms facing
adversity and tragedy in almost every form. I have read some heartbreaking
stories and social media posts but I have also seen stories of triumph. In
those moments I have not only see the gym dealing with the issues come together
but I have seen the cheer world come together and embrace them in their time of
need.
So when I tell you that I believe that this is
more than a sport I mean that. Yes, you can see these same things with other
sports. You can see a football team come together and embrace another team when
they are going through a tough time. I get the sense of brotherhood in
football, I played for a long time. There is something special about
cheerleading to be honest. Cheerleading has a reach that other sports do not
have simply. Think about the competitions themselves. When we travel to bigger
competitions it is the most diverse atmosphere you can see there are teams from
all over from just about every walk of life. That’s what excites me, us as a
smaller gym making connections to some of the bigger gyms in our region. I love
being able to go to competitions and my daughter getting to see girls and boys
she watched on YouTube or Netflix compete. Watching her eyes light up because
she recognize the name of a gym that she loves to watch. Then she realizes that
they all have the same dreams and goals when it comes to cheerleading. I can’t
tell you how many times we have been to a competition and she goes crazy
because a gym she watched is at the competition and she also gets to meet some
of the athletes from those gyms. I love it.
So
we as a gym have had some big things happen this season. Our Level 1 Youth team
earned an At-Large bid to the D2 Summit in Orlando and our Level 3 Juniors have
a fully paid bid to The One competition as well. I am excited for the
connections that the teams will make with other gyms and athletes. This will be
my wife and I’s first experience with The Summit competition and we are beyond
excited about it. When we watched the bid reveals and our gym and team name
popped up I was beyond happy I believe I actually cried when I saw my daughter
crying because her team finally got to the Summit. In that moment I remembered
a conversation me and her had when she was upset 4 years back when she learned
that her team wasn’t able to gain a Summit bid because she wasn’t at that level
yet. I remember looking her in her eyes after wiping her tears and telling her,
“Someday you will get there. If you keep working hard and keep pushing through
the tough times you can make it. I know you want the chance to compete at
Disney World. I promise you if you stick with this and give it 100% at every
competition and practices you will obtain your goal!” Now at the age of 8 she
has completed one of many goals she has set for herself. She no longer just
wants to go to Summit she wants to Hit that routine and she wants to place high
at this competition. We are working towards that goal Daddy is here to help her
where I can help.
So
listen, I want to leave you with this. Do more! Now when I say do more I want
you to be involved beyond just going to competitions and paying money for
tuition. I am not saying go out there and get certified to coach or anything
but don’t treat this like something you aren’t interested in. When you invest
into something, you want to be involved. You are investing into your child. I
don’t care what sport they are playing this rings true, investing in your child
goes beyond just money. Investing in your child is being there as support being
their number 1 fan. Watching them as they practice at home giving them
feedback. Supporting the gym on facebook giving encouraging words to the
athletes. You are more than just the money!
So
let’s continue to do more and continue to be uplifting and encouraging of not
just our gyms but of other gyms. Continue to show love and support when we are
at low moments and celebrate when we are all in our high moments. Cheerleading
is more than just a sport, this is a family.
Charles Michael
of Cheer Athletics 
