January Business

January is when all the "fun" starts happening for cheer and dance.  Cheer has had a few competitions, but in January, things get serious.  Dance has their big state competition, too.  Luckily, these two competitions are actually the same competition.  I took my cheerleaders down to Daytona early on Friday.  We stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch.  They are always so nice to accommodate us.  It was even better when three different people and the manager came up to me to tell me how nice my kids were.  One of our boys showed up on crutches with his leg in a boot ("the boot of shame") saying he broke his foot jumping off his roof into his pool - this is not a stretch for him.  I was notified early on that it was a prank, but I kept it up and all the kids were asking me what we were going to do.  I assured them that I'd seen kids out on the mat with boots.  All he had to do was lift someone and his arms were just fine.  My choreographer Cortnee was fit to be tied.  She went to him demanding to see how bad it was.  Then she came back to our table laughing and saying, "Why am I so gullible!!"  

We like to get in a practice on the beach and take some pictures before things get serious.  Our first performance was Friday night for both JV and Varsity.  Both teams did well and were in first place going into the Saturday morning.  By then, the dance team had arrived and we had a large crowd cheering us on.  It is a little different traveling with boys.  They were up early and running around the halls in sheets acting like ghosts...  We performed again on Saturday morning.  JV struggled a little.  Varsity hit the routine very well - again with a very large group to cheer us on.  It was great to see Rozzie and Maddie there all dressed and ready to go.  They are so good about cheering me on and supporting my team.  Despite the struggles of JV, they won their division and Varsity won the Small Coed division.  We also won the entire competition with the overall highest score of all high school cheer.  Considering that a week before at our regional competition, they went out and busted tumbling, dropped the stunts, and tripped over each other, it was a great accomplishment.  

Daytona Beach - Fleming Island Varsity Cheer (this is called a heel stretch)

After taking pictures and celebrating with cheer, I had to get back into the arena for the dance team to perform.  It is a great relief to shed the "coach" title.  However, the "mom" title is just as nerve-wracking.  This was Maddie's first competition and she was rather nervous.  The dance team was up against their arch rivals:  Fort Walton Beach and Bartram Trail.  These teams mean business.  The dancers did a "Men in Black" dance.  They were already in warm-ups by the time I was done with my team and got back into the arena.  They were in first place going into their Sunday performance.  

Maddie's first stage performance

After a great routine

Rozzie at the end of the routine

All we could do was wait for the second performance and then finals.  They made the awards go on and on, delaying the announcing of the Hip Hop division.  This is a great picture of the girls as they announced 2nd place and realized they had won.  It was so exciting!!

Rozzie is 2nd from the left and Maddie is 4th from the right with her mouth hanging open

 It was a lot of fun to have such a successful weekend.  The dancers got their jackets (I got mine from cheer) and so we all came home with fun stuff.  Rozzie, Maddie, and their friends took a few beach pictures before we traveled home.  The kids fell asleep in the car right as we got on the freeway.  Usually this competition is on MLK weekend and we have Monday to recover, but not this year...

Great weekend with the kids

A bunch of very happy girls

All the kids wore their jackets to school - that is 55 kids with their championship jackets.  The rest of the week was exhausting trying to go to school and catch up on sleep.  

JV Cheer, Varsity Cheer, and Dance Team in their jackets at school on Monday 

 Now I have just two more competitions (biggest ones of the year) and only one basketball game left.  I can't wait for the reprieve.  Friday night was the Pink Out basketball game.  We ALMOST won.  We were losing badly until the 4th quarter.  We pulled within 2, but then lost.  The dance team danced.

Maddie is on the far right

 And the cheerleaders cheered and put the principal up in a stunt.  This makes me very nervous.  The students love it, though.

Last week at the basketball game, there was a lady sitting in the cheerleaders seats.  I went and explained that the cheerleaders sat there and did it very nicely.  Then after the cheerleaders warmed up, we went to sit down and she was still there.  Again, I reminded her very nicely that the cheerleaders were going to take their spot.  She said she wasn't going to move.  I left her alone and told my assistant principal of the situation, knowing this lady would call and complain about me.  So the AP went and talked to her and explained that this is were the cheerleaders sit and she might be more comfortable and safe in another spot.  The lady said she was "quite comfortable."  By this time, the dance team was watching and laughing.  All the students were monitoring the situation.  The AP then told the cheerleaders to just do their thing.  My kids have never cheered so loud and so hard as they did that night!!  Finally, the deputy on duty came over and asked her to move or leave.  She left and demanded her money back.  She did not have a son or grandson playing.  She claimed she was just a citizen watching the game and wanted the best seat in the house.  SO RIDICULOUS!!  So last night, there were people in the seats wanting to get pictures of the senior night festivities.  After that was done, I explained that the cheerleaders would be sitting there and ... they got up and moved with a smile.  See how easy it can be.  Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to be easy to get along with.  And to smile.