Taking the summer off

Cheerleading is the only sport I know that is truly year-round.

We participated in the national championships the second weekend of May. There was one last week of practices. Then the following week, while there were no practices, there was the year-end banquet (see my last post). The week following that, there were workshops to help athletes learn the cheer and dance that they will need for the tryouts for the coming year. Then this week, there are the tryouts themselves. Practices start a week later.

I know that the coaches say that people can be away once in a while over the summer, and that they take a more relaxed approach to summer practices. But given the incredibly strict attendance policy from September through May (you can miss two practices for any reason besides illness or family emergency), the fact that there is no break at all, even for the athletes who are 6 and 7 years old, seems a bit much.

These are kids! They are still exploring what they want to do. In the summer, some families go away for the whole summer. Some kids play soccer or T-ball or lacrosse or cricket. Some go away to summer camp. And all of these activities will result in kids who are more well-rounded adults.

Let's face it, the job market for professional cheerleaders is pretty small, and when I say "cheerleader" here I'm not talking about the pom-pom girls that are employed by professional sports teams. Our kids are involved in this activity for four reasons: physical activity, fun, teamwork and to learn to work hard to achieve goals. Even future NHL stars take a summer break for a while!

So give us all a break: the coaches, the parents, the athletes: close down for a month. That's all, one month. Yes, you'll probably still end up with some families who need to be away at some other time. But I'd bet you'll end up with athletes who are super-excited to be back and raring to go for the next competitive season, and parents who are equally excited to support them. Instead, we get grumpy people and kids exhausted after a full day of activity at day camps who really aren't ready to do their best at practice in any case.

I will attend the optional parent cheer classes when I'm around this summer. But my daughter who is now 10 has decided to take the summer off. There is a (albeit slim) chance that if she decides to return in September, there may or may not be a spot for her on a team. But she has decided that it's worth it not to have to be so rushed through the summer, to take a break. And I agree.