Are they all like this?

Are all sports like this? Do all sports foster the kind of friends forever family environment that cheer does? I'm not sure they do.

There is so much to cheerleading that makes it the perfect place for unbreakable bonds to grow, close friendships flourish and not just with the children.

I have met some of my favourite people in the world through cheerleading. Coaches, parents, even people who worked events when I did a stint behind my bow stall for a couple of seasons at a well known UK EP.

Is it because we are all living in the same crazy world? Perhaps it comes from our love for the sport, or from seeing our children achieve, but whatever makes it happen, I am eternally grateful to it.

There are fundamental rules we insist must be followed in our team. I know every club/team has their own rules, but ours were built from our own experiences, and knowing what type of place we wanted to create.

We had goals for our team from its inception, and the biggest one was to establish a place where everyone is celebrated.

Throughout the years we have had both positive and not so positive experiences in the cheerleading world, and from that we built a strong foundation of what we wanted our team to be.

Sure, we make mistakes, it's been a steep learning curve and we have not been infallible.

We have however never wavered from our ultimate goal. We love our athletes. We can tell if they're off their game, without them saying anything. We take 5 minutes at the beginning of class to ask if anyone has anything exciting to tell us, because we want to know what is important to them. We listen when they come to us with questions.

My daughter spent most of her time with one cheer and dance school, and everything in our life was centred around it. They were not just a team, they were a family.

As I write this she is training with them in another part of the country, and sleeping at one of their houses tonight. She does this weekly, and I can guarantee she wouldn't do it for anyone else but these girls, this coach and this team.

The thing that made the the stars collide and the planets realign to make the first ever Phoenix, WOW. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an unannounced solar eclipse the day that team got together. A miracle sent from the heavens full of glitter and pom poms.

They really we something special. A group of 11 girls who all had the same love, and were all exceptionally talented. Even more importantly, worked their butts off for a COMMON GOAL.

High fever? Still at class. Broken toe? Still at class. Lost a family member? Definitely still at class to be with people who love them.

One has danced at Universal Studios for a full season. More than one has a degree in dance. A number have first place World Medals. One works on a cruise ship dancing full time. One is in Westend shows for a living! And the one I am crazy about has her very own team and Phoenix family.

From 11 little girls who all love the same thing, to 11 amazing adults who are all equally spellbinding.

There is no easy way to the top. It is HARD WORK.

A very famous cheerleader once said "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard".

None of the anointed 11 skipped this process, they all worked, sweat and bled their way to where they are now. They all celebrated each others wins and have been the biggest cheerleaders for their friends throughout their lives so far.

There isn't a shortcut, and I think that knowledge evades some athletes (and parents) in 2026. Maybe it is the way children are treated now, with all the "sports days are for fun, there is no winner" and "here is a medal for turning up".

You don't get that in the cheer world. Ok, so you do get a medal for participating in a competition from most EPs, but they actually have to go on the mat and put their heart out there to get it, not just arrive at the venue and sit down.

Every single thing in cheerleading is earnt, from your place on the team, your position in the dance, your tumble slot, if you get a solo, if you keep that solo for the season! T

here is not a single part of a routine that is given to an athlete simply because we like them, they are cute, they have been here the longest, or they are related to us.

Some can handle that pressure, others can't, and that's ok! This is the fundamental reason that cheerleading isn't for the muggles. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

After all diamonds are formed under pressure.

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