THE BEST CHEERLEADERS
How do you thank God for the unexpected blessings that come into your life, blessings you could have never imagined let alone pray for, blessings you could not orchestrate yourself no matter how much planning, preparing or pondering you did. I can only thank God and then pass on to others the same intention, but let me share this one. It’s called THE BEST CHEERLEADERS, SOPHIA and MORGAN.
Here is the story: My DynaMOLLIE joined the Iowa City West High Cheerleading Team. This is no small feat. Remember, Mollie is nonverbal; she has Down syndrome; she needs lots of support; she is only about 4 feet tall and weighs 66 pounds, but the extra small uniform fits perfectly. Well, little did I know that when I made the request for the cheerleading coaches to consider Mollie’s participation on the team, they would respond with more vigor than any West High or Iowa Hawkeye fan does on game day. I could not believe their complete support and excitement about her joining their team. It was so nourishing to my soul, so uplifting, so encouraging. They have no idea what their efforts have done to help me see that I am not in this alone. They have brought many smiles to my face.
Sophia and Morgan don’t just work with Mollie; they take time for each girl on the team. They encourage every one of them. They do so many things that are not part of the job description, but what really is phenomenal is how they do all of it. They do it with an attitude of encouragement and acceptance, an attitude of kindness and expectation, an attitude of responsibility and standard. Furthermore, they do this with the demeanor of care and trustworthiness. If I were their mother, I would be so proud.
I never knew how dog-on difficult and exhausting cheerleading was. I thought it was “easy” to be on the sidelines and clap. How silly of me! To think that this is all the cheerleader does. I thought it was just a fun endeavor to be a pleasant part of the competition. How wrong I was! After watching their practices, their explanations, their drills and sequencing, I now see how intricate, how complicated, how athletic, how tiring, and how challenging the position of cheerleading is. Unlike the sports competition where the athlete can get mean, rough and tired and then get a break or a time out, the cheerleader is not to get mean and rough and when tired must remain pleasant, encouraging and cheerful, never negative but always ready to move on to cheer for the next chance to score, to always inspire the “don’t give up” attitude. This is all done for the benefit of someone else, too. It is done for the benefit of the team, not the cheerleaders. How selfless! In addition to this, fans don’t usually cheer and clap for the cheerleaders. No applause if given for the ones who applaud others.
Sophia and Morgan do this every day. They remain pleasant, encouraging, and cheerful for the benefit of others, of their cheerleaders, of Mollie, of the athletic teams. This is not easy, but I see them do this, and they do it well. They look for opportunities to teach, to encourage, to train, and to help. They understand; they support; they never give up, and they never get mean or rough despite how tired they get or how tired their cheerleaders get. Yes, let’s give a shout out to the whole cheerleading team. They work so hard as they follow the leadership of their stellar coaches, Sophia and Morgan.
So how do I thank them for the pleasant, encouraging and cheerful blessing they have brought to the life of my little DynaMOLLIE and to mine. I can only say thanks. I could never repay them for what they have added to the life of my little DynaMOLLIE and to the rest of the cheerleaders. They have done it well.
So let’s take their example and be a cheerleader. Who can you support with care, with encouragement, with acceptance, with pleasantness and with the attitude that it isn’t for you, but it is for the benefit of the other person? Surely someone exists in your realm who needs a cheerleader. Be a Sophia or a Morgan to them. Be an unexpected blessing to them. Be the BEST CHEERLEADER to them. If you don’t do this, who will?
Thank you, Sophia and Morgan, and all cheerleaders everywhere, whether it is for sports or just for the sport of life. As a former athlete, I stand humbled that I never respected cheerleaders like I do now. You are the BEST! LET’S GO!!!
Proverbs 11:16: “A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth.”