Competition Cheer

My granddaughters, Amya and Alexa, have been involved with competition cheer for several years now.  When they first got involved I had limited knowledge of the sport. Boy was I in for an education. 

After traveling to many competitions around the state and attending practices, I began to see what was so exciting about Competition Cheer. 

I was a cheerleader back in the day but our skills were nothing compared to what these girls accomplish.

I have no doubt about this being called a sport .  Competition cheer requires discipline and commitment and these girls show it through their hard work and ultimately through their successes at the competitions.

Top Gun has set high standards and the pressure gets tough sometimes.  I have seen girls come and go, I have seen girls in tears; you have to really want it to stick it out. But the benefits and lifelong lessons far surpass any temporary struggle.

Here is their site for more info on the Top Gun Organization:

http://www.topguncheeranddancenaples.com

Below are four quotes from Cheer Moms about the sport and what it means for them and their daughters.

“Never in a million years did I think I would be a mom that spends so much money, so many hours at the gym and traveling all over to watch my daughter do what she loves, cheerleading! But I have to say the journey is so amazing. My daughter not only has self confidence, she knows what she wants and she works so hard to achieve her goals. The lessons we learn at Top Gun will last a lifetime, not only for her but me: hard work,teamwork and perseverance prevail. She is a Top Gun cheerleader and I am a cheer mom and I wouldn’t change it for the world! Go JAGS!”

From Stacy a Cheer Mom, her thoughts regarding Competition Cheer. 

Stacy and her daughter, Ally. Read on for more Cheer Mom thoughts.

“Top Gun is a highly competitive sport. It is not your regular sideline cheer. They travel all over from Miami to Atlanta to California. This sport is not for everyone.  Competitive cheer has taught my girls to work as a team, always try your best, work thru the pain, dedication, commitment, respect others, physical fitness, showmanship, bonding and trust. Both of my daughters have made lifelong friends. “From Cheer Mom, Faithe.”

This is Amya and Alexa, Faithe’s (my daughter) daughters and my Granddaughters.

 

 

 

 

 

“Allstar cheerleading has been a part of our lives for the past 7 years. For my daughter, It has instilled the confidence and determination it takes to learn new skills. The dedication & loyalty of working together as a team. And the respect for those around you that are teaching you to be the best you, you can be. My daughter will be able to use all of these attributes in her future. They are what will make her a stronger, more confident and successful adult. ” From Cheer Mom, Kerri.

This Kerri’s daughter, Summer. 

 
 

“As a parent I always thought cheerleading is just cheering on the sideline of football games and when my daughter a soccer player wanted to try cheer, my first thought was not very positive.  Almost 5 years later she’s still doing competitive cheer at Top Gun and absolutely loves it.  

Competitive cheerleading is a sport just like any other. It requires physical fitness, discipline, and can provide self confidence. 

Competitions can be a fun experience for all involved, but parents need to help the children keep it all in perspective.  This sport is a team effort and Win or lose, the sun will come tomorrow, and another competition is just around the corner.  However, the confidence & skills they learn, as well as relationships with friends and coaches can last a lifetime for both parents and the athletes.” From Cheer Mom, Angie.

Angie’s daughter, Olivia with Amya

From Olivia, “Being a cheerleader means always putting in 110% effort in everything you do; whether it is a full-out or simply just walk through. I wouldn’t trade the bond I’ve grown with my teammates for anything else in the world. While being a flyer, I gained trust with my teammates by legitimately putting my life in their hands. I was taught to never give up on anything and to always push through everything you do; even when you think it’s completely impossible to accomplish.”

This gym also has an awesome squad of special needs kids and their performances are amazing… I applaud them for including this squad and helping them to be part of the experience on competition day.

Recently I attended the final Competition of the 2014/2015 season held at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.  This was their final competition of the season so the girls were excited and ready to get going.

The competition was hosted by Cheer Power. Go to their page http://www.cheerpower.com  to learn more about them. Cheer Power put on a fun and exciting competition. I truly enjoyed it!

The atmosphere at the Sun Dome  was electric with tons of squads from all over the state of Florida, Georgia and even a squad that traveled all the way from The United Kingdom!

Parents get the girls ready the night before by rolling their hair so that the curls are nice and tight and stay in during competition.  The girls are required to be on time and in competition mindset and to carry themselves as young women representing their team.

I just love the whole atmosphere around competition cheerleading, these girls are such athletes and dedicated to learn to work together as a team and as a result are a great example of that teamwork.

I am proud of my granddaughters and all the teams, they have had an awesome season!