Cheer-tatorship

Wow! I am high on life right now! I just got back to JMU after an AMAZING girls weekend with my mother and her allstar cheer gym. My mother founded and is the head coach of RCA, Renegade Cheerleading Allstars. This is the eighth year the gym has been in existence, but my mother has been coaching me since I was 8 years old, so roughly she's been doing it for 13 years. It is really amazing to see how far things have come since we broke off of our Recreation Association and started our own gym.

My mother and I my sophomore year in college, when a boy on the
senior team injured himself the day before the competition and
through some crazy loophole, I was still eligible to compete
so I got out my old uniform and took his place!

What I love about my mother and RCA is that anyone can do it. It is a non-profit organization which allows kids who may not have the financial means  to participate in competitive cheerleading. Also, no child gets turned away. Whether you are brand new at cheerleading, or you 've been doing it your whole life, there is a place for you in our gym and as corny as it may sound, in our hearts. RCA now has four teams: the Jewels which are our Tiny Tot team,  the Gems that are Youth, Treasure is our Seniors, and the Shining Stars which was the first Special Needs Cheerleading team in our area.

With our Spirit of a Champion trophy
 (which is sitting on the ground and is taller than me)
and our $500 check!

This weekend was their first competition of the season. So all 65 families made the trip to Richmond to watch our teams do great. Our Tinies blew the judges away with and got 1st out of 5 teams. Youth dropped a stunt, but still got 3rd. The Seniors also got third in their division. It is so rewarding to see a group of girls who were complete dunderheads at the beginning of the season actually become a cohesive team that hit their routines pretty darn good. We haven't been this strong as a team in several years. Everything just seems to be clicking this year, we have great girls, parents, and coaches. Below are some pics of when I was on the team four years ago!

Celebrating with the seniors after we dominated at Champion Cup Nationals!