Dumas 4: I competitive cheer a sport? I don't know and I don't care.

Dumas 4

Before we are moms, we are women. Before we are women, we are girls. Before we are girls we are children. Few things have stayed constant in my life through all of these stages. My family, my faith and the desire to be a mother. I loved baby dolls as a child. I would enter a world where I was in control of those around me and they had to do what I told them. I foolishly thought that would happen when I became a mother. When I was a girl, I decided I would have 3 children. Two girls and a boy, just as my mother had. I foolishly thought that I got to decide these things when I became a mother. When I became a woman, I decided I would also have a wonderful career alongside these 3 perfect children. I foolishly thought I could do it all. As I lay here in bed recovering from a very simple surgery that had lasting effects on my ability to have more children, there is a photo in my direct line of sight. Its a black and white photo that I cherish. It is from a vacation we took before Emma was even 1 year old. We went to Colorado for a week in the summer to escape the heat of Texas, and the busyness of life. On our way home we stopped in Dumas, TX for a picture. There are not that many people who have the honor of having a last name like Dumas. It is often mispronounced, I'm sure my husband was teased terribly as a child, and I'm certain my daughters will hate it when they hit the 'tween years. But I married into this name. It came with the man I love so I like it. Just before you get to Dumas, Texas, there is a sign that reads "Dumas 4" indicating that you are just 4 miles from the thriving metropolis of Dumas, Texas (population 13,747, a quarter the size of the college I went to). I made my husband and my two daughters (and even my cousin Caitlin who came with us on this trip) get out and take a picture with this sign. At the last second, as the baby was crying and the toddler was whining, I just looked up and snapped one last photo of this sign. I eventually had a black and white made of it and I've always loved it but the "4" part of "Dumas 4" never meant much to me. I always planned that our family would be a family of 5 eventually. Today though, it reminds me that when I snapped that photo, on the side of the highway, in 100 degree heat, God knew I would need a sign. Dumas 4. It is, and always was, His plan for my life. I'm thankful for my sign. I needed a sign. I'd like to have that sign. I wonder what the fine is for stealing a sign that reads "Dumas 4." It might be worth it.

Monday, February 9, 2015

I competitive cheer a sport? I don't know and I don't care.

Is competitive cheer a sport? I don’t know and I don’t care. It’s teaching my child life lessons and that is more important to me than a label.

1. Work hard

She practices . . . a lot. She practices with her team for 2-2.5 hours twice a week with extra practices added when needed. She takes an additional tumbling or jumps class for one hour each week. She meets with her stunt group at least once a week for extra practice without a coach. So in a given week, she puts in 6-8 hours of practice at the gym in addition to the hours she spends at home stretching and conditioning. She’s learning that if she really cares about something, she needs to work hard to make that happen. College is hard work, a career is hard work, parenting is hard work. She has a lot of work coming her way.

1. Be responsible

Her coach told her from the beginning that this entire experience would be her responsibility. She needed to be on time and prepared. It’s her job, not her mom’s to have her uniform, shoes, bow and workout wear clean and ready. She should do her homework and household chores before practice. To this day, I’ve never had to drag her to practice or nag her to be on time. She’s never been late to school either. She’s learning how to balance school, family, friends and cheer.

3. Learn to win and loose well

When she played soccer at 5 years old, everyone got a trophy at the end of the season. In fact, her first year they didn’t even keep score. She has won some big competitions with her team but she has also lost. Each win is amazing and each loss is heartbreaking but I want her to know how to do both. She will not always “win” the job she wants. She will encounter many “losses” in life. I want her to learn how to loose well because that says more about a person than winning.

4. Its not all about you

She makes sacrifices for the team. She has missed family events like weddings and holidays. She gives up parties with friends for practice. She schedules dates with her boyfriend to end early so she gets enough sleep before a competition. When they are stunting, she’s a backspot. You cannot see her when the amazing things are happening in the routine, but they are impossible without her. She also has coaches that go above and beyond to help her. They believe in her and are willing to work hard right next to her and she has learned to value their time. Don't waste their time if you don't want to work just as hard as they do.

5. Take care of your body

I don’t know if cheer is a sport but my daughter is an athlete. She performs highly technical and difficult routines for judges with her team. She does situps and pushups and these awful things called burpees. She works on balance and flexibility daily. She stretches her muscles and lifts weights. She has six pack abs and biceps that the boys at school are jealous of. Her thigh and calf muscles make it difficult to shop for jeans. I make her go to Costco with me so I have someone to carry the giant bags of dog food that are too heavy for me to lift into the car. Her strong fit body also looks great in a homecoming dress!

Is cheerleading a sport? I don’t know and I don’t care. It’s been a very positive, rewarding experience for my daughter and I’m thankful we found it.