Cheerleading Boss

Jersey #2 and Jersey #4 are enjoying Cheerleading this flag football season.  Both love the spotlight and pom poms.  

Jersey #4 has really surprised me with the way she will stand right in the middle of the gym, in full view of all the fans in the stands, and soak up the attention.  Typically, she is not a very friendly child, so I did not expect her to enjoy the crowd like she does.

It turns out that Jersey #2 is actually really, really good at cheerleading.  She has a gift for rhythm.  She loves the beat, the music, the routines.  She loves to be loud.  She loves attention.  As much as I would prefer my daughters to play the sport, rather than cheer for it, I have to admit that Jersey #2 is a natural cheerleader.  I am starting to think we may want to seek out a gymnastics, dance, or drill team for her.

This season, the cheerleaders learned a little dance to perform at the halftime show.  The dance is a series of ripple steps, set to an 8-count beat.  Every 8 counts, the pom pom motion changes.  The coach was wise enough to position the younger girls in between the older girls, so that the older girls could keep the routine in place, even if the younger girls changed motions on their own schedule.  Jersey #2 was slated to be the last in the ripple line, because she could hold the count and position, in spite of what the younger girls around her were doing.  

It was going very well all season....

Until this week.

Jersey #4 does not grasp the 8-count beat or the ripple concept.  She is convinced that her big sister is delayed on following the motions.  This week, she decided to become vocal about it.  During the performance, she stood next to her big sister, and watched her every move.  

As the other girls changed their pom pom position, Jersey #4 changed hers too....then she called to her sister to let her know that she was out of line.  She wanted her sister to change her pom pom position immediately.

 

Jersey #2 was not phased by her bossy little sister, and kept the beat instead.  I am so thankful for that level of maturity in her, because it would have been totally embarrassing if my girls had ended up in an argument in the middle of the half time show.

We attempted to explain the routine to Jersey #4 a couple more times that evening.  She refuses to believe that Jersey #2 was correct in her delay of changing position.