Gimmie more!!!

The sound of year 1 competitive parents.

So many times I have seen first season competition parents demand more from their coaches, the EP's and their children.

If I could give you one piece of advice it would be trust the process. Slow down. Enjoy the moment. Just stop and savour this time with your child.

Emotions are always heightened when it comes to our children, it's natural to want them to succeed. But how much is too much? How far is too far to push them? Where is the barrier between brilliance and burnout?

It is a fine line to walk, and the answer is different for each athlete. For my eldest child nothing was too much. She trained 6 nights a week and complained about my Friday night vito on classes. There seemed to be no limit to her quest for excellence. It was only at my insistence that she had one night a week to destress and just be.

My youngest is so very different. She is a wild free spirit that loves cheerleading, but equally loves so many other things, and some days I have to remind her of the commitments she made to here team.

Each has its own challenges, and beauty. I have so many blissful memories of training, late night maccies and shows of strength from my eldest daughter, and equally many treasured times of wild adventures with magical creatures and past bedtime conversations with my youngest.

Both have their merits and their downfalls, but I wouldn't miss a second of either. It is a testament to the versatility of cheerleading, and proof that there really is a place for everyone within its ranks. Cheer doesn't judge you on the ability of your body, but on the strength of your mind, no matter what category your brain happens to fall into, there is a space on the mat for your authentic self.

I have met so many athletes over the years. The naturally talented, the kids who had to WORK and hustle to keep their spot. The ones who coasted and the ones who would trade a sibling to be on mat. It doesn't matter who you are, it matters why you are there. If you have passion and drive nothing can stop you. A very famous cheerleader once said "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"

So what if the talented children who don't need to work so hard weren't at practice? Who would the ones with less natural gift aspire to be? What if the hardworking athletes didn't attend, who would the talented children have to watch their backs and keep pushing for?

The fact is, there isn't a single spot on that mat that can be taken out of a routine and not be missed.

That isn't to say every athlete is essential. Everyone is replaceable. The hard fact is that there will always be someone standing in the wings waiting to jump into a spot as soon as it has been vacated.

So if you are expecting, requesting and sometimes demanding more from your coaches,

on a regular basis, remember that they have a team full of parents with opinions and thoughts wanting to be heard. They do not have to, and more often than not won't decide to do what you think is best. Your coaches are thinking about so much more than what will make one athlete happy.

They have a whole program of children to consider, as well as the success or failure of their business. They have their reputation in their own professional community to think of, something they have often spent the entirety of their life building up. They cannot and should not be asked to put the fate of their company in the hands of a child, simply because you want them to be point jumper, or a flyer or have a solo.

EPs often get a bad rap from parents, because of course you want your child to win, but if you are going to complain about a placing, you best make damn sure you understand the rules first. Your team might have harder skills in their routine, but they could be messy. Another team might have a less demanding routine, but they could execute it so well that their score beats yours! Competition is a time to practice grace and humility, not to make the children in a program feel they have disappointed you.

So, please remember that if you know you have selected to correct program for your child, you must trust the process. Trust the coaches, and trust your athlete!

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