All-Star Maryland Marlins Tsunami

coach.elle said:

Did anyone else notice they stunted to "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" and how perfect it was for their situation? I started crying a little watching it on VOD when the music went "cause a miss you babe..." and the tops pointed towards the crowd. And the stunt group missing a member was holding hands jumping up and down after the high to highs hit! #dying

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We noticed this! SO weird!! Our whole music turned out to be pretty ironic after our experience.. "I don't care cuz this is my night.. I'm not myself tonight, tonight I'm not the same girl." "Said we wouldn't make it? Guess what Tsunami's back" ...4 times hahaaa "Together we made it.. We made it even though we had our backs up against the wall"..(Or in the dark) Haa "Some will win, some will lose but it goes ON.. and ON.. and ON and ON" (4x.. weird) "Don't stop believing, hold on to that feeling" "Round two, Tsunami's on the rise" (Two rounds each day haha) So weird how it ended up fitting so perfect.. JR must be some sort of cheer psychic.. I'm convinced haha

icheerbrittany said:

We noticed this! SO weird!! Our whole music turned out to be pretty ironic after our experience.. "I don't care cuz this is my night.. I'm not myself tonight, tonight I'm not the same girl." "Said we wouldn't make it? Guess what Tsunami's back" ...4 times hahaaa "Together we made it.. We made it even though we had our backs up against the wall"..(Or in the dark) Haa "Some will win, some will lose but it goes ON.. and ON.. and ON and ON" (4x.. weird) "Don't stop believing, hold on to that feeling" "Round two, Tsunami's on the rise" (Two rounds each day haha) So weird how it ended up fitting so perfect.. JR must be some sort of cheer psychic.. I'm convinced haha

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Crazy! You ladies sure lived up to that amazing music!

So I never post here, (but I've been reading boards since CA had the main forum), but being able to witness this team perform at Worlds was one of the most amazing things I've seen in my 23 years of life. I haven't cheered in over 5 years, but this team, and all of their performances reminded me of why I started cheering in the first place, long ago as a 7 year old. There's a quote on here somewhere about "doing it for the girl watching in the stands" or something, well this team did just that. I think everyone who was able to witness your performances was able to realize why we were all there. Even if your specific team had a bad day or weekend, I think by watching Tsunami go out there and overcome the obstacles as a family, people were able to realize why we do (or did, for some) what we do. It was one of my favorite parts of the weekend, and watching the videos now still make me tear up. Anyways, @icheerbrittany , you were a phenomenal spokesperson and your attitude was just what your team needed. Your team is lucky to have a great leader like you. And to Brea, you're an amazing athlete and a great teammate who was clearly missed on that floor. Hope your injury gets better asap!! To the rest of Tsunami, you have a new fan from Massachusetts! Can't wait to see what's in store next year!

Does anyone have a video of the speech?!

cheerislove9 said:

Does anyone have a video of the speech?!

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Or of their emotional entrance the 4th time?

heart33 said:

Or of their emotional entrance the 4th time?

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I know, I want to see both!

heart33 said:

Or of their emotional entrance the 4th time?

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the one they put on VOD was our 4th. or the links posted earlier in the thread have rounds 1 2 3 and 4 hahha

I don't know any of the girls on the team, but this makes me tear up just because of how it makes me feel about the relationship my own team has.
Never forget that you're cheer team is you're family, and never take it for granted.

I'm gonna cry my eyes out when my senior year ends(((((

I fell in love with this team at worlds.
The determination and the ability to come back one time after another and give great performances amazes me.
Bravo to marlins<3

anyone have any updated info on Brea?

lovescheer said:

anyone have any updated info on Brea?

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she didnt get an mri but they already scheduled her acl surgery. so it must have been pretty obvious.

i love my team <3

http://www.insidecheerleading.com/content/show/article.aspx?articleid=327&zoneid=1

Strength, Trust & Pixie Dust: The Story of the Maryland Marlins Tsunami

It’s every cheerleader’s worst fear: you’re halfway through your routine at the biggest competition of the year, when all of a sudden your music is stopped and the announcer tells your team to exit the floor. For the Maryland Marlins Tsnuami, their worst fear came true not once, but TWICE this weekend at the 2011 Cheerleading Worlds. Having to perform an unprecedented FOUR TIMES at Worlds, their team became an instant fan favorite after a power outage, an injury, and a heartfelt speech on the jumbo tron brought an arena together and left spectators rooting for the team that kept fighting through everything.

read more ... http://www.insidecheerleading.com/content/show/article.aspx?articleid=327&zoneid=

ibcnu said:

http://www.insidecheerleading.com/content/show/article.aspx?articleid=327&zoneid=1

Strength, Trust & Pixie Dust: The Story of the Maryland Marlins Tsunami

It’s every cheerleader’s worst fear: you’re halfway through your routine at the biggest competition of the year, when all of a sudden your music is stopped and the announcer tells your team to exit the floor. For the Maryland Marlins Tsnuami, their worst fear came true not once, but TWICE this weekend at the 2011 Cheerleading Worlds. Having to perform an unprecedented FOUR TIMES at Worlds, their team became an instant fan favorite after a power outage, an injury, and a heartfelt speech on the jumbo tron brought an arena together and left spectators rooting for the team that kept fighting through everything.

read more ... http://www.insidecheerleading.com/content/show/article.aspx?articleid=327&zoneid=

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you all stole the show! i'm so glad i was at worlds this year and see this. Tsunami is one of my new favorite teams!

http://www.insidecheerleading.com/content/show/article.aspx?articleid=327&zoneid=1

Strength, Trust & Pixie Dust: The Story of the Maryland Marlins Tsunami

It’s every cheerleader’s worst fear: you’re halfway through your routine at the biggest competition of the year, when all of a sudden your music is stopped and the announcer tells your team to exit the floor. For the Maryland Marlins Tsnuami, their worst fear came true not once, but TWICE this weekend at the 2011 Cheerleading Worlds. Having to perform an unprecedented FOUR TIMES at Worlds, their team became an instant fan favorite after a power outage, an injury, and a heartfelt speech on the jumbo tron brought an arena together and left spectators rooting for the team that kept fighting through everything.
Everything about their season had been extraordinary. After finishing 2nd at Spirit Nationals in December, they were unexpectedly given a paid bid to Worlds. “They had already announced us as second that weekend and we did not think we were going to get the bid since often you have to win your division,” recalls Tsunami coach Terri Curley. “Since we had the second highest score of the weekend, they gave us the second paid bid unexpectedly. It was a great moment!”
Like every team in their division, they had their good competitions and their not so good competitions this season. The girls count finishing 2nd only behind Cheer Extreme at Cheersport Nationals as one of the highlights of their season. “These past three years on Tsunami have been such a battle and climb, we faced so many fears and struggles, and we recently got a new coach last month (Kenny) who we knew could get us through Worlds,” says team member Kelly Burchett. Tsunami’s practices in the weeks leading up to Worlds were great. They were performing confidently and consistently, and had a great practice at Disney World the day before the competition.
Arriving at the HP Fieldhouse for the first day of Worlds, they were focused and calm during warm-ups. “One stunt showed some inconsistencies in warm-ups, but that group always pulls through, so I wasn’t too worried,” explains Coach Terri. “I did my rounds reminding the girls to wait on their tick tocks. All four of us coaches were relaxed. Of course, privately, I knew that almost the entire division was hitting, so the pressure was on.”
As the girls lined up to take the floor, they knew how important it was for them to hit their routine in order to guarantee a spot in finals. Their music came on, and it was time to do what they’d been practicing for all season. A minute into their flawless routine, the lights started to dim. “As the lights dimmed, my first thought was that it was a lighting mistake because they lit back up. Then I noticed it slowly getting darker and darker,” explains team member Brittany Trappe. “I know that most of us just kept thinking, ‘Keep going!’” That’s when both the lights and the music went out completely. The announcer’s voice echoed through the Fieldhouse, telling Tsunami to exit the stage. “I was in complete shock and disbelief,” says Brittany.

The team met up with their coaches backstage, where they were informed that they would have to perform their entire routine again, despite being nearly halfway through when the power failure occurred. “Emotions backstage were crazy. If you would have asked us if we could perform our routine twice in that small time frame, I may have called you crazy. But we pulled together like warriors with our game faces on,” says Brittany. Despite being exhausted and overwhelmed, the team refocused and took the floor again. The second time around, they hit their routine harder than ever. And it was enough to get them to finals.
Going out on the floor for their Day 2 performance, Tsunami knew what they had to do. They were ranked 4th after Day 1, so they had to be flawless during finals. Everything was going great- their stunts were hitting, their tumbling passes were sticking, and the crowd was going wild. Then the unimaginable happened. Three-year team member and outgoing senior Brea Curley landed her double full and then collapsed to the ground. “When I landed my double I felt a pop in my knee. Then I stepped back and that's when I fell to the ground because my knee wouldn't hold me up,” recalls Brea. “All I thought was that I needed to get back up and get to my basket toss and finish the routine. But then when I got back up, I couldn't even put weight on my leg and it was painful. I tried so hard to get there, but I just kept stumbling and falling. I then realized that I couldn't physically do it any longer and I finally just fell to the ground.”
Once again, the announcer stopped their music and instructed the team to exit the floor. “After what had happened the first day, when the music shut off I cannot put into words the emotion that flooded my body. I didn’t feel sorry for us, or angry. I was honestly just confused on how all of this could happen to one team in one weekend. We just couldn’t catch a break,” says Brittany. Worry for Brea overtook the team, along with the realization that they would have to perform an unprecedented FOURTH time at the 2011 Cheerleading Worlds.
“I knew that we would have to compete without her the second it happened, because she would have gotten through the routine no matter what pain she was in. I have seen her deal with ankle injuries and stress fractures and pulled muscles many times, but never seen her at the cracking point like that,” explains Kelly.
As the team abruptly exited the floor, a few of the girls were approached for their post-routine interview. With emotions raw and a microphone thrust into her face, Brittany stepped up and let the HP Fieldhouse know exactly what was in her heart at that moment. “The camera was on me less than a minute after the music stopped. It was so spontaneous and in the moment that I don’t remember my exact words, but I explained that we were used to having to overcome obstacles because we are always so doubted,” recalls Brittany. “The interviewer asked how we can pull through something like this, and I explained how we are a family and in it together and know that after all we’ve been through to give up now would be silly. So we have to push harder, and if we have to perform four times then we will perform four times.”

As Brittany’s speech was broadcast live throughout the packed-to-capacity HP Fieldhouse and adjacent baseball field/viewing area, the crowd began to go crazy for the team that had had everything thrown their way during the biggest competition of the year. Brittany’s speech touched the hearts of every single person inside the arena that day, and as the team walked away to regroup, the crowd erupted into a deafening roar of support for Tsunami and Brea. Their drive and determination to push through life’s unlucky challenges, even when everything seemed stacked against them, was truly an inspiration to everyone that was watching them. As the entire crowd gave them a standing ovation, Tsunami knew they had to keep fighting.
Backstage, in a lucky turn of events for Tsunami, they had an extra girl, Jordan Leishear, who did not have a part in the pyramid. After coming back from an earlier sprain to her hand, she had spent the season spotting the sequence, but Jordan knew what she had to do and stepped in to fly Brea’s part. One of Tsunami’s alternates, Lauren Harold, had done the vault catch and back flip throw section of their sequence many times at competitions earlier in the season, so Brea gave Lauren her uniform and the team began to regroup backstage.
Getting the team mentally ready to compete again proved to be difficult for Terri and the rest of Tsunami’s coaches. Many girls were crying, and they all felt that they were down big time. After a near-injury in warm-ups, the coaches rallied the team together and told Tsunami that this was their moment. Do it for Brea, give it all you’ve got. As Tsunami took the floor, they began to realize that maybe their bad luck on the first day had really been a blessing in disguise. “If we wanted to place, we HAD to finish. We WANTED to finish. For Brea, for ourselves, our coaches and everyone else in the arena who was rooting for us. We knew if anyone could do it, Tsunami could. We were lucky to have the lights go out during day one because it mentally prepared us for what happened to Brea,” Brittany explains. “We feel lucky. I would not trade in one of those moments, other than Brea’s knee. Getting to walk out onto that mat and do what we love over and over while getting the chance to inspire people and prove that we could hit our routine, I feel honored to have been a part of that. By far my best cheerleading experience ever.”
Tsunami hit their routine for the fourth time, to thunderous applause from the crowd. As they waited for awards, they knew that they didn’t need a medal or trophy to prove anything. They had come to Worlds and did what they needed to do. In the end, Tsunami took fourth place, behind Maryland Twisters F5, World Cup Shooting Stars, and Cheer Extreme Senior Elite, but the team brought home more than just participation medals. They gained a sense of strength, faith and the knowledge that they really can do anything if they are willing to fight for it. “Competing four times just made us way stronger, and made us realize that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and attack the issues and struggles. It brought us closer as a team; we all cried and then went out there strong,” says Kelly. “Fourth place was amazing. Our goal was to globe, but even coming so close was a miracle. Not hitting all season, but then hitting four times at Worlds, was a dream come true! I couldn’t have asked for a better date or time, and I wouldn’t go back and change anything.”

Despite a 6-month recovery period for her torn ACL, Brea has no regrets about Worlds 2011. “When the whole arena was chanting my name, I was speechless. I couldn’t stop crying and you don’t understand how much that meant to me. Knowing we had the crowd on our side too was amazing. After placing fourth in the world, I couldn’t be happier. Our goal this year was to improve from last year, and we succeeded. It definitely brought our team even closer because with everything we had to go through, we just had to believe in each other and support each and every person on the team.”
Even though they did not win a globe this year, Tsunami has proved to be one of the most memorable and beloved teams from the 2011 Cheerleading Worlds, and every member of the team felt that they left Disney as a stronger person. “My team has been and always will be a family. I know people say that all the time, but I have been cheering for many years and never have I felt a love as strong as this one,” says Brittany. “Getting fourth in the world after all of that is indescribable. Not only have we faced struggles this weekend, but all season. It has been a battle since the beginning but that is what makes Tsunami so special. Without all of the troubles along the way, the triumph would not be so sweet. We may have gotten fourth, but in my heart I will always look back at Worlds 2011 feeling like I won more than a trophy. It changed me as a person, and I’ll carry it with me forever.”