One thing I learned from college is the power of a group of screaming and cheering girls when the pressure's on and you're standing in the corner for your last tumbling pass. You may want to die. You may only think of collapse. But with that wave of sound, suddenly this is possible.
Thus I insist my girls cheer for one another, namely our older girls. (The Level 4s are still getting the hang of the whole, "Wait, is this the warm-up or the real competition?" thing.) I don't mean half-assed clapping. I mean names called out, shouts of "C'mon!" and "You got this!", wild applause even if the routine sort of sucked.
It's 9:30 pm and the girls are finally competing floor three long rotations. "I want to hear all of you," I say as the first girl salutes the judge. "You need to wake up these people."
And they do. They clap, they cheer, and after Kelsey's back tuck, they're all shouting, until I realize that Grace, who stands next to me, is just making loud noises without words, until I look at her and we both start laughing.
Thus I insist my girls cheer for one another, namely our older girls. (The Level 4s are still getting the hang of the whole, "Wait, is this the warm-up or the real competition?" thing.) I don't mean half-assed clapping. I mean names called out, shouts of "C'mon!" and "You got this!", wild applause even if the routine sort of sucked.
It's 9:30 pm and the girls are finally competing floor three long rotations. "I want to hear all of you," I say as the first girl salutes the judge. "You need to wake up these people."
And they do. They clap, they cheer, and after Kelsey's back tuck, they're all shouting, until I realize that Grace, who stands next to me, is just making loud noises without words, until I look at her and we both start laughing.
They are so presh. I can't wait until I see them rock the mats.
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