First Competition

This is my eight-year-old niece's cheer leading squad in their first competition. They earned the third-place prize in their division, and they were thrilled. We were very proud.

I'll tell you what I was proudest of in their routine: at one point there were to be three groups of four 'base' girls each with one 'flyer' hoisted and held aloft by each of the groups of 'bases'. One of the groups (in which my niece was one of the 'bases') was unable to successfully get their 'flyer' into position. Instead of panicking, as one might expect young children to do in such a situation, they maintained their composure. Instead of trying again to raise the 'flyer' into position, they simply stood their ground and waited until that brief portion of the program was complete, at which point they proceeded to the next part of the routine without skipping a beat or getting out of phase with the rest of the team.

I was SO impressed. The girls were clearly coached well and, under the pressure of competition that none of them had experienced before, they recalled their coaching without skipping a beat and went on without giving any indication that they were rattled at all. Frankly, I thought it was incredible for such young children to have such poise.

I remember being in an analogous situation with a group of adults who went completely to pieces. (Thank goodness there were no 'bases' and 'flyers' involved...so no one got hurt! LOL)

Congratulations to the Crete Bulldogs 3rd Grade Cheerleaders Squad on their very impressive and mature performance. We're proud of you!