Further proof why we LOVE All Star Cheer & Dance.... This is a long post but PLEASE read it and be PROUD of what our sport is achieving :-) Dear Rosemary and AASCF staff; Thank you for an amazing Winterfest 2014 yesterday! It was my 9 year olds second Winterfest and my 7 year olds first. It was an incredible day. My 7 year old is mildly Autistic and getting her to do an extra curricular activity has been extremely hard as she would run away if another child touched her or if she had to do an activity with another child. At the start of the year she started cheerleading on the proviso that she could keep doing it as long as she kept participating and choosing to join in. For all of first term we were not allowed to stay as she would carry on and play up. Her coach is firm, but fair and is the same with everyone. She has consistent rules which helps my 7 year old to cope with her training as she knows what to expect there is no grey area the expectations are clear unlike in other activities we have tried. By second term she was loving it so much that there were no more battles to get her there and we no longer had to run away straight away. She has been leading the song Que Sera by Justice Crew at school and about 2 weeks ago she was telling me that this song was all about cheerleading, because it says: some you win some you dont, so Im glad that Im here with some friends that I know, always there with smile saying youre not alone. She said mummy it just like at cheerleading cos Im there with my friends. (This is a socially impaired child who knew no one in her cheer team at the start of the year as she goes to a very small primary school with only 41 children). I am so proud of her for doing cheerleading and especially for competing in Winterfest competition as her anxiety over competitions or performing is severe. It is not just any sport, nor just any coach that would take on a child with her challenges. Her coach is a real credit to the sport. All the children love her and she brings out the best in all of them, she is firm but fair and she treats them all the same. Cheerleading as a sport has done so much for my girls! It promotes confidence, teamwork and social skills in a fun environment. I would never have perceived that my children would come so far in such a short time. My 9 year old is incredibly shy and lacks confidence and self-esteem. She is a beautiful girl, but she also struggles with focus. She can be looking right at you and still not take in what you say. Well yesterday her team came second and I could not be more proud. She and her team were spot on yesterday, they really deserved their placing. This year she is a flier for the first time and she was the centre of the pyramid. I have never seen a bigger smile on her face than when she was up in the the air with her teammates. At the start of the year she was too scared to even introduce herself to her teammates out loud, now she can sometimes even answer her coach in a big loud voice. Having children with such emotional problems can be draining and exhausting, but watching them literally fly makes my heart sing with joy. Words cannot express my gratitude for this incredible sport that has taught my children that they can achieve great things. Cheerleading is a blessing in our lives and I am so thankful to you and your staff for all that you do for Cheerleading in Australia and for cheerleaders and their families. Thank you!
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 03:48:02 +0000