Take every preconceived idea you have about cheer and dance moms, and listen to this episode. I’ve talked about it before, and if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am a cheer mom. And we’re not just talking about the casual, once in a while sporting event, I’m talking’ all in, at the gym almost every single day, serious athlete cheerleader. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here are a couple of videos that will give you a glimpse into the all star cheer and dance world:
Today I’m talking with Nicole Graham, a proud mama of 2, and owner of Peak Athletics in Highlands Ranch, Colorado which is made up of an All Star Cheer Program, All Star Dance Program, USAG Program, and full recreational and performance programs for all 3 sports.
Nicole has been part of the dance community for over 25 years as an athlete, coach, parent, and studio owner. Not only is she owner of my daughter’s gym, but Nicole had the great honor of being named the Dance Program Owner of the Year at the 2016 USASF VIP Gala. Nicole works with the US All Star Federation, which is the governing body over all all star cheer and dance and recently Nicole was elected on to the USASF Board of Directors. She’s a big deal, and quite an authority in the cheer and dance world.
We talk about how she manages being a mom, a business, owner AND a COACH to her teenage daughter (can you imagine?). Nicole lets us in on a few secrets to the cheer and dance world, what we can look forward to in the industry, what you should really do if you’re considering putting your child in competitive sports, AND the REAL reason why us cheer and dance moms can act a little cray-cray sometimes.
Everything Nicole says is true…I totally find myself feeling out of control when my daughter competes. Unlike many sports when you have an hour or two to show your audience and competitors what you can do, cheerleaders get 2 and a half minutes. That’s it. They work hours and hours all week long for 2.5 minutes…and you never REALLY know what’s going to happen. It’s so nerve racking and when a mama knows she can’t control what happens next, it can make us do allll kinds of crazy things.
I think it was so important what Nicole said about knowing the values and the leaders of the organizations your kids are involved in. As a family, we are very intentional about the people we allow to have a place of trust and authority in our kids’ lives. Especially in a sport like all star cheerleading where Abby’s coaches are sometimes getting more time with her than we are, it’s important to establish trust between the athlete, the coach and the parents.
Cheerleading has built some strong, core values into my daughter, like how to work with a team, responsibility, structure, loyalty, hard work, and learning how to win AND lose. I am grateful for Nicole’s insight in today’s interview, and I hope that if you’re considering sports of any kind for your kid, you found it especially helpful, too!