All-Star Most Difficult Moment As A Cheer Parent...

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

I was just curious for all you parents out there... what has been your most difficult/heartbroken moment as a cheer parent? I think we all have that time when you have had to struggle with a situation, or your heart broke for your CP.

Mine had to be this past March, when my CP got dropped out of a stunt at CANAM in Myrtle Beach. She hit the mat pretty much face first. She was reaching around to pull her leg into a scorp and lost her balance, and just crashed. She finished the routine like a champ, but when they watched the replay backstage, she lost it. I think I spent a good 20 minutes sitting on the floor of the side of the arena with my cp just sobbing in my lap. All you can do is just sort of hug them and reassure them that it was only one comp, and everyone falls.... Honestly, I had a hard time not crying for her but the thing I certainly didn't want was fpr her to think I was crying because I was dissapointed.

 

[AllHeartxo3]

I think for my mom it was when we went to the doctor and found out I had broke my arm and I broke down in tears because I was just given a tumbling spot which was my goal for the year. She knew how hard I worked to earn that spot. Then after watching me cry because once I got better none of my spots were given back. She felt so bad.

Got to give it up to the cheer parents out there. They do a lot for us.

 

[cheermommy0729]

Two years ago watchingmy cp tryout with a broken elbow(which was NOT cheer related of course). She only got to go to one clinic the whole week, she was 5 years old and had just had surgery to put pins in it less than a week before the tryout. Bless her little heart though, she did what she could.

This year she blanked on part of the routine at Jamlive and cried the whole way home.

 

[srt418]

I know for my mom it was when I was at a tumbling camp. I had been working on my full again (had it, but tumbling coach moved away and lost it. Other coaches confused me). My mom paid for this camp in Orlando as my birthday present. We had plans for me to go to the camp during the day and go out to downtown disney and stuff at night.

Well my first day at the camp, the tumbling coach was evil to just me. I was the hardest worker there. But he was determined to "fix" everything about my tumbling before I could even throw my layouts. I wasn't spotted on one full for the entire camp (3 days). I totally ruined my self-esteem over my fulls and my birthday. She felt so bad because she paid for it and it was her idea. She got me so excited and she felt so bad when it didn't work out how we thought it would. I tried so hard not to be too disappointed because I could tell she felt awful for me!

 

[proudpapa]

My worse experience didnt even include my cp, it was during warm ups at a local event. One of our most senior, experienced and all around wonderful person and cheerleader hurt herself backstage. It was heart breaking to see her on that mat watching her trying to get up but just couldnt. Knowing this was her last year and just preying that she can get up and perform with her team. The injury was such that it ended her season prematurely....her team however went on to compete at worlds this year with her making the trip to florida and standing front and center cheering them on, her team finished 8th in their division ( small limited coed ) ! She was a true inspiritation to her team and her gym. WE love her dearly but that moment watching her on the mat not being able to help her broke my heart....

 

[Hungry]

2 years ago, my daughter was doing a single leg stunt with no back spot. Something went wrong and she came down...only the bases didn't let go of her foot to catch her and she literally bounced her head off the mat. Thankfully she was okay, but it was so scary to watch it happen...

 

[scottish_cheerleader]

my worst moment is as a cheer sister not a parent, in scotland you provide your own safety spotters at competitions. My coach had picked a few of the seniors to spot the team my little sister was on.
She was at that time a youth flyer and won all the specialty stunt group competitions etc. On the comp floor for some reason her backspot didnt catch her and she fell out her stunt, i then had to stand behind her stunt group and watch her cry her little heart out trying to put her stunt back up and her back just doing nothing. It was the most heartbreaking experience i just wanted to help her, give her a cuddle and tell her its okay but i had to just stand there and do nothing!

 

[Mamarazzi]

Probably my "toughest" moment (thus far) happened this season. My inexperienced flyer cp had gotten sick (colds and that stomach bug everyone had) before every comp in the early part of the season. She fell out of her stunts and even accidentally broke her base's ribs in Philly. Her coaches yelled at her, threatened her, and she took privates to get her skills where they needed to be, but her confidence was shot. Her privates coach said "She has the talent & skills but she just needs to learn her body. She needs to strengthen her core, do planks, etc." Cp never did them at home, however. So at Jam Live, when she came down, again, I had to look at her when she came off the floor crying and ask "Are you hurt?" She said no. So I said "Good, then stop the tears. It won't help. Did you do planks? Did you work as hard as you could? No. So either stop flying, or stop crying." It killed me to say it, because I really just wanted to hold her and make her embarassment and pain go away. Since I had already done that, there was only one thing left to do. Tough-love her. It worked, though. She never came out of a stunt again.

Who's with me for publishing a "Cheer-Parent's Handbook?"

 

[Cheer Dad]

Probably my "toughest" moment (thus far) happened this season. My inexperienced flyer cp had gotten sick (colds and that stomach bug everyone had) before every comp in the early part of the season. She fell out of her stunts and even accidentally broke her base's ribs in Philly. Her coaches yelled at her, threatened her, and she took privates to get her skills where they needed to be, but her confidence was shot. Her privates coach said "She has the talent & skills but she just needs to learn her body. She needs to strengthen her core, do planks, etc." Cp never did them at home, however. So at Jam Live, when she came down, again, I had to look at her when she came off the floor crying and ask "Are you hurt?" She said no. So I said "Good, then stop the tears. It won't help. Did you do planks? Did you work as hard as you could? No. So either stop flying, or stop crying." It killed me to say it, because I really just wanted to hold her and make her embarassment and pain go away. Since I had already done that, there was only one thing left to do. Tough-love her. It worked, though. She never came out of a stunt again.

Who's with me for publishing a "Cheer-Parent's Handbook?"

Gotta say after coaching high school age kids in a youth hockey program for over 15 years and dealing with all kinds of parents I have to say us cheer parents are brutal and hardcore with this stuff. I have seen 17 year old boys get more coddling from Mommy and Daddy than a 12 year old girl when it comes to performance. Gotta love being nuts.

 

[Mamarazzi]

Gotta say after coaching high school age kids in a youth hockey program for over 15 years and dealing with all kinds of parents I have to say us cheer parents are brutal and hardcore with this stuff. I have seen 17 year old boys get more coddling from Mommy and Daddy than a 12 year old girl when it comes to performance. Gotta love being nuts.

I think for my kid, it had to be done. I've always tried to not be "Coach Mom." Let them coach on the mat, she doesn't need to hear it from me, too. So I would just hug her when she cried and "support" her. But let's be serious, she didn't do everything she could to help herself. And that's what made me finally decide that my coddling her was not helping. You will never see me screaming at her because she can't get her tick-tock, but if she slacks, she knows not to run to me when she fails.

 

[Ignis Pater]

Maybe this thread will help give me closure. I have been emotionally drained since worlds. My most heart broken moment as a dad was watching Smoke drop a stunt on Sunday. I have to say this, not taking anything away from anyone, but they were the strongest team in their division. Everyone knew that. I was just a matter of hit and win. Smoke gave it away. All the time and sacrifices she, and us as parents, were all for nothing in that brief moment. I do not believe worlds is the end all be all of cheer but most people in this subculture do. That is my heart break moment. I hope saying this helps me smile, instead of dragging around, when I hear Smokin in the boys room.

 

[redsmom]

Maybe this thread will help give me closure. I have been emotionally drained since worlds. My most heart broken moment as a dad was watching Smoke drop a stunt on Sunday. I have to say this, not taking anything away from anyone, but they were the strongest team in their division. Everyone knew that. I was just a matter of hit and win. Smoke gave it away. All the time and sacrifices she, and us as parents, were all for nothing in that brief moment. I do not believe worlds is the end all be all of cheer but most people in this subculture do. That is my heart break moment. I hope saying this helps me smile, instead of dragging around, when I hear Smokin in the boys room.

I have a similar moment from NCA, its well in the past now, but whenever I watch that video and see "the mistake" again, I think to myself, there is the moment they handed their jackets to another team

 

[Mamarazzi]

Maybe this thread will help give me closure. I have been emotionally drained since worlds. My most heart broken moment as a dad was watching Smoke drop a stunt on Sunday. I have to say this, not taking anything away from anyone, but they were the strongest team in their division. Everyone knew that. I was just a matter of hit and win. Smoke gave it away. All the time and sacrifices she, and us as parents, were all for nothing in that brief moment. I do not believe worlds is the end all be all of cheer but most people in this subculture do. That is my heart break moment. I hope saying this helps me smile, instead of dragging around, when I hear Smokin in the boys room.

Best thing I can say is this- you can hurt, be disappointed, whatever...on the inside. Drops happen. Acceptance is key. Think of all the kids & parents whose team hit every time, but because Smoke is beast, they still lost to you.

 

[Ignis Pater]

Best thing I can say is this- you can hurt, be disappointed, whatever...on the inside. Drops happen. Acceptance is key. Think of all the kids & parents whose team hit every time, but because Smoke is beast, they still lost to you.

I would feel different, more accepting, if they would have hit and got beat. It was her senior year and now cheer is over. As for the other parents and kids, we have been there. I have felt the twinge of be 2nd or 3rd best going into a competition and knowing it before they take the floor. This was Smoke's year and they choked. I am not discounting the NCA win. I just wanted them to prove it to the world.

 

[Panacea]

My cp falling at 2010 Worlds....and on the giddy-up! None of us (parents, coaches, and athletes) saw that coming because it's never happened at that point in the stunt. Once the tick tocks hit, relief was felt and no worries, then down on the giddyup??? She was so heartbroken and disappointed in herself. I just wanted to "fix it" and make it all better, but she's not my 5 year old anymore, so I felt so helpless. She just wanted to be left alone and work it out on her own, then after a while, she started opening up about it. She tried to keep that out of her mind last weekend while competing at 2011 Worlds but it was definitely on her mind. Though I think hitting her stunt 4 times at Worlds a few weeks ago has made that thought just a faded memory now!

I think thats why I feel so awful and my heart breaks for any stunt going down on any team at Worlds, just imagining what the people closest to the team are thinking and feeling.