I'm a cheer dad. I watch, and drive, and pay, and watch some more.
My daughter is 16. She has given everything to this sport. The early mornings, late practices, weekends, holidays. She works harder than most adults I know.
This season her team has been the best she's been on. Of the comps the went to 60% they won 40% they were first in day one and then last on day two due to issues. Such is the way it goes.
They were riding into Summit yesterday with the absolute possibility of winning. However yesterday at Summit, her team had a fall in their pyramid.
I've watched them hit that sequence a thousand times. But this is cheerleading, and cheerleading doesn't care about your thousand perfect reps. It only remembers the one that counts.
Watching my daughter walk off that floor with that look on her face. You cheer parents know the look. The one where they're trying to hold it together before they get off the mat.
I don't have a point to make here. I just needed to say it somewhere that people would actually get it.
This sport is brutal. The highs are the highest highs I've ever seen my kid experience. And the lows are absolutely devastating.
I don't know how she keeps coming back. But she does.
Hug your cheer kid tonight. And best of luck to the teams who made it to day 2 today.