As seems to be the case at these things, we went from facing the end of the road to world championships finals in a matter of hours. The girls had a bobble in their performance, but somehow the judges missed it and they ended up hitting zero and moving on to Day 2. Big deal!! I am SO proud of Robin and her teammates.
Tag: competition
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March 9
These girls came out of the tunnel after their performance in tears. Their coach yelled at them and told them it was the worst tumbling she’d ever seen. And then they won first place in their division. And THEN they won grand champions of their whole level. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
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March 2
Robin’s team got second place (out of five) today!! I am so excited for her and her teammates. This is the best she has ever done in cheer, and between this and their bid to Worlds, I couldn’t be any prouder. Congratulations, Robin!
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February 25
The team behind the team. Envy came in third today, missing second place by a hair. Every competition they get a little bit better and a little bit closer. They really held their own against some very good teams this weekend. I hope they are as proud as I am.
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February 17
It was a long day of cheer performances that started at 4:45am and only just wound down, almost 15 hours later. Robin’s team looked great (to me, at least), but they are competing against teams twice their size doing stunts they can’t even attempt due to their size. These kids are amazing, and doing amazing things. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m enjoying this. So proud of Robin.
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February 4
Christina’s first dance competition was a success! Her production dance got first place in their division, and her other two dances got third and fourth. Two of her pieces also scored platinum, which is the highest score you can get. I don’t actually know what her dances looked like because I was so focused on her, but I was impressed with how far she’s come since last year. I could tell she had a ton of fun, and that’s what it’s all about.
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January 27
Turns out car trouble was just in the cards for me on this trip. I got a flat tire leaving the hotel for Robin’s competition. Luckily I’d left 45 minutes early, but I couldn’t get the lug nuts to budge even a millimeter to get the donut on. So we enjoyed a last-minute Uber to and from the convention center. (Thank you, awesome Uber drivers who both came within two minutes and were incredibly nice.) Then AAA after we got back (guess we were destined for each other after all) and dinner at 8:30pm. How does one get two flat tires in less than a month? But the girls did amazing! This competition is much bigger than any other that I’ve been to so far. It’s like God threw up thousands of cheerleaders and their cowbells in the convention center lobby. But no matter what happens tomorrow, the girls should be proud!
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December 10
Today’s cheer performance wasn’t as good as yesterday’s, and the competition was just too tight. The girls came in third place out of three teams. No one’s favorite day, but Robin came out smiling and that is how I know how much she loves cheer.
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December 9
Robin’s first competition of the year. I was thoroughly amazed at how well they did, and then another parent came and told me how disappointed they were with their performance. Apparently there was a bobble and a drop that I completely missed. Shows what I know! When I compare this first performance of the season to her first performance of last season, it is so far from it, it’s incomprehensible. The entire experience was better. Everyone knew how to do their hair and makeup and everyone came already prepared. They knew their routine and didn’t make changes an hour before they went on. I am so proud of Robin and everyone on the team. They’ve got another chance tomorrow to come in angry and do even better. I love this girl so much.
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May 14
The team came in second place by 0.1 point. Had they not had that one deduction, they would not only have won their division, but their entire level. What a difference from the start of the season. Also Robin did so well on her end of year testing at school. So freaking proud of my kids.
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April 30
After a pretty good performance on Saturday, the girls had a drop on Sunday that landed them last place. Expectations for this competition were pretty low, so it wasn’t a big surprise, but it was still a disappointment. This photo is probably my favorite of the whole year so far because it shows that despite all their struggles over the years, Billy and Robin really do love each other. It was a very hard weekend, but we came out of it together, and that’s what matters.
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April 29
Oh my god the anxiety reached a peak for me on Saturday. The girls were supposed to check in for their performance at 1:00 and at 12:57 they were still in the hotel room putting on makeup. I called Billy literally in tears, bracing myself for the possibility that they actually might miss their competition. I have no idea how they did it, but they actually managed to make it there before their warmup time and they competed. And they did well! They’d really been looking rough all week, but they really looked good. I was so proud. And exhausted.
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March 5
The girls did not finish in the top three this weekend, but they were closer than they’ve ever been. It was the first time I thought they might have had a chance. The judges gave some really constructive feedback with their scores, which is awesome because now the team has some really solid things to work on before their next competition in six weeks. I’m so relieved this one is over, though. These things are so stressful.
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March 4
The girls did amazing at their first day or competition. They scored 83.6, which really isn’t that impressive on its own, but when you consider that two months ago their score was 61.3, it’s huge. Every competition they have added a few more points to their score, and maybe… they can get into the 90s before the season is over. I have such a perfection complex, this sport is not for me, but I am so proud nonetheless. And look at this happy face.

