I could have written so many things. "Go Cassi", "Great Job Cassi Raye", "Wow, What an Awesome Cheerleader" but what I want to convey is that I am SO GRATEFUL and SO VERY PROUD!
Sometimes I think you, who live so far away, don't often know my children very well. And it is hard for you to really know *who* they are. Because of that, I'd like to tell you a little about Cassi's character.
Around the middle of January her coaches (Kayla and Jen) decided that if there were cheerleaders who'd like to participate in individual competitions at the competition, they could. 3 girls chose to do so; Cassi was one of them.
The last week of January her music and routine came in. She had 2 weeks to learn it! She has cheer two nights a week and that is for her team practice. This year, rather than going in for a private lesson the learn the basic routine, she received a video and the music. The girl who wrote the routine walked through it in the video. Cassi was very stressed and I admit it looked like it would be hard to learn this way. We received it at 8:00 pm on a Monday, less than two weeks from the competition.
Because Cassi was stressed and it was so late we decided that Cassi would learn the last 16 counts of her routine which was her cheer section and go to bed. It was the best we could do and I was afraid she would make herself sick over it.
The next morning I came down stairs about 30 minutes after she did. I thought she and her sister were getting ready for school. She JUMPED into my arms and proclaimed she had learned her entire routine! I tried really hard to explain that once she was on the spring floor and not in our kitchen she would likely have to adjust things to meet her count. But I was very proud of her and amazed at her determination.
After school that day, I took her to practice. I pulled her coaches to the side and told the what happened. I was a little concerned that Cassi would be disappointed in herself if she was off which I figured was inevitable.
When I picked her up, the coaches were grinning and Cassi was screeching that I had to watch! She did in fact, HAVE IT!
This leads me to why I am so grateful. Not because she had it but because she works so hard that when good things happen for her it fills my heart. She is incredibly determined; almost to a fault. She expects a lot from herself and you never wonder whether she is giving it her all.
Now, lest you think I am boring you with details, (which I probably am) there is an ending here.
And that ending went something like this:
Announcer: Junior division, individuals
Cheerleader A, receives a medal for recognition!
Cheerleader B, receives a medal for recognition!
Cheerleader C, receives a medal for recognition!
Cheerleader D, receives a medal for recognition!
Scott and Christie look at each other with a small amount of panic and wonder aloud, will they give everyone who doesn't place a medal?
Announcer: Cheerleader E, receives a medal for recognition!
Cheerleader F, receives a medal for recognition!
Again Scott and Christie look at each other and start to figit their seat!
Announcer: And 5th place goes to cheerleader G!
4th Place goes to Cheerleader H!
At this time Christie expresses pure panic and nauseous stomach.
Scott: It's now or never!
Announcer: 3rd place goes to Cheerleader I
Christie: turning to her friend Michelle, Certainly they are going to give my daughter something!
Announcer: 2nd place goes to Cassi Raye!
Scott screams like a madman, Christie starts crying, So very PROUD of how hard she worked to get what she wanted AND so very GRATEFUL that she ended up earning recognition for it!
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