New Team, Same Dream

You guys. In case you didn't already know, I coach cheerleading in my free time. It started out as a way to pass the time last year while I was looking for a job. I ended up loving it so much that I'm back for another season at KC Cheer, the gym I cheered at all through elementary, middle and high school. I even did a bonus "super senior year" because the age bracket allowed me one more year as a freshman in college. I'm so excited to be involved again with the sport that I love so much and that taught me so much about myself growing up. It's thanks to KC Cheer that I know how to work as a member of a team and to put others before myself. 

Anyways, we just got our team assignments and I'm coaching Fame -- KC Cheer's Large Junior Level 3 team. The USASF, the governing body of all-star cheerleading, has a "level" system that goes 1-5, so these girls are the middle of the road as far as skills are concerned. They are ages 8-12 and they are all so freakin' adorable. Not to mention pretty good. They all already have the highest skills you can have for a level 3 team, and the season is barely a month old. They're all at a point in their lives where they don't care about anything except cheerleading. No boys or drama to distract them. They all just truly genuinely LOVE cheerleading and want to get better. I am so beyond excited to work with these girls. You have no idea.

That got me to thinking. It's 2014-2015 and I have the Junior Level 3 team. 10 years ago for the 2004-2005 season I was ON the Junior Level 3 team. That's a picture of me from that season. Isn't that unreal? It doesn't seem like that was 10 years ago. If you would've asked me then where I thought I'd be in 10 years I NEVER would have thought I would be coaching the team that I was currently on. Granted, I probably would've answered "I don't care I'm never growing up!" but that's a different story. 

I hope my girls this year are like my teammates and I were 10 years ago. Some of my best friends to this day are girls who were on that Junior Level 3 team with me. The coach of that team is still one of my mentors and close friends. I went to visit him in Houston. Do you think 10 years from now my girls will be excited to have dinner with me like I was with my coach? It's crazy to think that I was them 10 years ago and now I am this. I am so excited to try to give them a year as memorable as I had when I was a member of this team.  

So stay tuned for updates on how Fame does this year. I'm hell-bent on winning NCA Nationals with them in Dallas. They have so much potential. I can't wait to love this Junior Level 3 as a coach as much as I loved my Junior Level 3 as an athlete. I'm just a lucky lucky girl.