My Daughter, A Cheerleader?

“Can I be a cheerleader, Mommy?” Laurel asked one day long ago when I picked her up from the Kramer’s house. The very question sent chills down my spine. Definitely not a question I expected from my then first-grader.

“Well, maybe someday you can,” I answered. “When you’re older.”

 Her face turned sad. “But I want to do it now. Larissa’s going to do it and so do I. Please, Mommy?” Larissa was Mary Sue’s daughter and Laurel’s best friend.

I sat down on the white sofa in the Kramer’s living room. Why would anyone have a white sofa in the same house as young children? I pondered as I had numerous times before. How does Mary Sue keep it so white?

Placing Holly on the floor so she could crawl around and practice standing, I looked into the pleading eyes of Laurel, searching for a nice way to say no. How could I allow her to do such a thing?

Mary Sue sat down next to me on the sofa. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said as she handed me a glass of lemon water. No, I thought to myself, she doesn’t know what I’m thinking.

A Cheerleader In My Day

Back in my day, there was a certain perception of cheerleaders. They were blonde, ditsy, superficial, and voluptuous. A Cheerleader was cute, perky, and skinny. A cheerleader filled out the sweater top of the uniform very well if you know what I mean. And the ponytail of a cheerleader swung back and forth to the bounciness of her walk. Those of us who cheered from the stands mocked them.

That was not the life I wanted for my daughters. No, they would play a team sport or be in the debate club or on the academic decathlon team. They were going to be respected for their minds. Brains would come first and then beauty.

A Cheerleader Now

“It’s going to be fun,” Mary Sue said, interrupting my thoughts. “It’s not like it used to be, Maybelle. Cheer is classified as a sport now. It’s right up there with football and baseball. It’s a great way for girls to stay in shape, gain confidence, and grow friendships.”

She then went on to explain that the youth football league which Matthew and Mary Sue’s son, Lane, belong to was adding a cheer squads to the program. Mary Sue volunteered to be the cheer director which made sense since she was a former cheerleader all the way up through college. We would get a discount on the fees since Matthew was already part of the program. Cheer practices would also be at the same time and place as the football practices.

Again, I looked at Laurel.

“Please, Mommy?” she asked again. This time with puppy-dog eyes.

This wasn’t what I wanted for her. I wanted so much more for her than on the sidelines cheering for someone else. I wanted someone cheering for her. Still, this would give her something to do while Matthew practiced, I reasoned. I could split my time between the two practices. I would only have to worry about taking care of Holly while the other two practiced. It sounded good. But was it? Had cheer evolved? Was I only thinking of my own prejudges about the “sport?” It was only for a year. Could it really do any harm to her?  Relax, Maybelle, I told myself. Let her have some fun.

“Okay,” I conceded.

Laurel squealed and hugged me tight. “Thank you, Mommy!”

Seeing With New Eyes

As a result of my one word consent my life changed. Mary Sue was, of course, right. Cheerleading had changed since I was in high school. Laurel came home from practice almost as dirty and sweaty as Matthew. Nevertheless, she always had a big smile on her face. She learned flips, summersaults, and even a half-time dance routine.

Over the years – yes, years – I watched the quiet, shy, and soft-spoken little girl grow into an outgoing and confident young lady. And that quiet voice turned into the loudest one on the football field. She was even a co-captain her final year in the program.

Eventually, Mary Sue created a competition cheer squad which Laurel and Larissa joined. That is a story in itself. And when Holly was old enough, she joined in on all the fun.

In Conclusion…

Looking back on the Cheer Mom period of my life, I realized that God has a sense of humor. He took someone like me who mocked cheerleaders and turned me into a mom of not one but two cheerleaders. I watched in awe as my girls competed stunts and fearlessly flew through the air. They took my breath away. Thankfully, they were never injured.

To put it bluntly, I miss those days sometimes. Granted, there were days we ran late looking for a lost pom, spankies, or shoe. And the music at the competitions was too loud for me and the added noise of the screaming fans echoing throughout the gymnasiums made my ears ring. But the times when it was just us girls on a cheer road trip are etched in my brain forever. Those are priceless times I wouldn’t trade for anything.

I now have a new respect for the sport; a new appreciation. To be sure, I ate a lot of humble pie back then. But it never tasted so good.

Maybelle Crabtree signing off.