So what does it actually do?

I get asked so often what cheerleading actually is. Do we just stand on the sidelines and jump up and down? Do we just make pins and wear short skirts? Well, sometimes we do those things. Mostly we TRAIN, HARD. We work towards personal and team goals. Yes we entertain at local fundraising events, giving the opportunity to our recreational athletes and our competition teams to shine.

Cheerleading is so much more than pom poms and shouting out chants. It is an unrivalled training ground for life!

Our athletes learn resilience, respect, how to get back up and try again, and how to never give up. It's so much more than you see on the tv and in movies. It's grit, determination, hard work and a love for the sport. It gives children a place to learn how to be brave in the face of adversity. It teaches them that showing up matters. Skills are built through repetition, not instant perfection.

It's not just about trophies and winning. It's learning how to trust yourself and your team, how to work with others and keep going!

These lessons do not just stay on the competition mat. It shows up in real life. In classrooms, job interviews and friendships. It gives children a sense of belonging and acceptance. It lets them believe in their own ability.

If a stunt falls, a trick fails, it's a learning lesson. They learn how to get up again, try again, trust again. Cheerleaders are some of the most resilient, successful people in the world, and that comes from their training. No cheerleading routine is perfect, and neither is life. We all fail, we all stumble and feel fear, but cheerleaders, they don't give up. They know from hours of trying, and sometimes failing, training and often falling, that the only way to survive is to try again, and again, and again, until you DO succeed!

Success is EARNT not given and this sport, wow is it a way to learn that! I have never met a cheerleader who has won every competition they have entered. I have never met a human who has gotten everything in life they wished for. But that's the difference between cheerleaders and regular people. We know how to get up and try again, we can rise and fight to live another day. Because we have a whole team of people trusting in us, believing in us, and knowing that we can. Because we have faced defeat, looked it straight in the eyes, and said NO, I'm not done yet. I have more to give, I have more to learn. I have more to teach.

There will never be another sport like this one, there will never be a better place to learn life lessons than the cheer gym. There is no other place to be celebrated, commiserated and commemorated like this. As Gabi Butler wisely said "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard". This lives in the heart of every true cheerleader each day, because they know what it means to be a champion.

Unpopular opinion?!

So, people do wonder, and ask me how I feel when an athlete leaves. I feel many ways. I am sad we are losing an amazing personality who brought so much to our team (as they all do). I sometimes feel relieved about a decision being taken for us that we didn't have to make if the commitment wasn't there. I feel frustrated if we are in the run up to a competition and it's going to affect the other athletes on the team, (really, could you not have decided earlier?!)

Mostly though, I feel ok about it. I know this is controversial to say, but everyone is replaceable. Let that sink in for a moment...

Not in the "Abby Lee Miller" way of thinking, in the thought that if we aren't the right fit for a child as a team, or as a sport, then that's ok!

There IS a line of children who dream of that coveted Competition Team spot. There is an athlete who will bring as much if not more to the program than their predecessor. There isn't a pressure to stay if it doesn't fit for you or your family.

All we want for our athletes is to thrive in our environment. We cherish every one of the children who walk through our doors in any capacity. If you can only commit to a once a week recreational class, that's ok! If you are all in and want to attend every event or masterclass we hold to satiate your appetite for learning the art of cheerleading, that's amazing!

We will meet you where you are. You do not have to be at every session to get our attention, you just have to be clear with your intentions. If we know you are working towards a skill, we will be there, giving you homework, helping you with it in class, encouraging you all the way. If we know that our rec class is your time to relax and feel happy, we're there for that too.

So no, we don't feel mad when an athlete leaves us, we wish them the best in wherever their passion takes them. One thing we will always tell our athletes is something the most prolific coach I have ever known said to my daughter, "Once a Phoenix Lady, always a Phoenix Lady".

The reason our team is named as such is because of the profuse effect one young coach had on my daughter's life. As many of you will know, Alyssa spent her formative years at Panache Cheer & Dance. The positive influence this program had on her life was immeasurable, in particular the coach of her Allstar Pom Team PHOENIX.

Although very young, this superstar was wise beyond her years when it came to all things cheerleading and dance. She has an insane repertoire and an even bigger list of achievements. She did and still does bring light, passion and knowledge to the sport we all love. She is the coach of a lifetime and has taught not only my daughter but me too so much.

Obviously, lives change, circumstances change, people adjust their goals and priorities. That is OK! There will always be another cheerleader salivating at the thought of getting that comp team place. There will always be another mum willing to drive her child to the moon if they thought it would help them achieve their goals! And there will always be every Phoenix Cheerleaders past or present, LEGACY.

The Legacy Lives in us all.

Cheer Parents!

We are blessed with the most amazing set of competition parents. They support our decisions and choices for their children with unwavering loyalty. This in itself is something so rare, especially when your head coach is the tender age of 19!

I am not going to say it was easy because it wasn't. It has taken grit and determination to prove to the parents of our amazing athletes that we know what we are doing, and they can trust us.

As a very proud cheer mum myself, I understand that it is terrifying to put the fate of your child's happiness into a single 2.5 minute routine. I have questioned the motives and actions of some coaches who have taught my daughter, mostly in my head, as I wanted to trust them to do the best for her. I wasn't disappointed.

There are 3 coaches in particular who have been irreplaceable ambassadors for my child, giving her opportunities and the confidence to succeed.

The biggest thing anyone ever gave to her was their belief, and I strive every day to give that to our athletes in our training sessions and beyond. I can honestly attest that without 2 of the said coaches, we wouldn't be where we are now.

It is a crazy situation to be in when you are a coach and a parent of an athlete at the same time. You want them to achieve their dreams, push themselves and not give up. But, as a mummy I want my children to be happy and confident in their own self without ever having to feel disappointment because isn't that my job? It does however give me a unique perspective into the world of competitive cheerleading.

I see the athlete, their strengths and weaknesses. I see the child, their passion and insecurities. It is not an easy road to walk. It is though, one I would not give up for the world.

Anyone who knows me well, will know that I lost an irreplaceable friend a few years ago. I miss her every day, I talk to her all the time. The bonds that have grown with some parents throughout this season give me light and laughter that I thought was forever gone. I hope that feeling is returned in some form.

So, really I just want to express my gratitude to our competition parents for all that they do. The trust, reassurance and love we receive from you is so treasured. I see now why I always felt appreciated as an involved parent. I know we couldn't do it without ours!