slap clap YEAH! (part two)

I remember my first year coaching, I was 18 almost 19 years old. Only 5 years older than these girls. I really had know idea what I was doing. But I just went off of what I knew, how I had been coached, and what I thought what would be successful. It was a definite learning experience for all us. This group is now freshman soon-to-be sophomores in college... But they will always be little 8th graders to me!

((I've modeled my coaching style off of Orson Sykes, Twist and Shout Nation ;). I thought he was a fantastic coach and he made us Regional, State, and National Champions. Can't go wrong there.))

Each group has been incredible and so different dynamically. And each group holds a special place in my heart with different memories.

This past year I finally decided that it was my time to step down. I had talked about before just with different opportunities that had come up but I wasn't ready to walk away from cheer just yet. My goal when I first started was to coach for 5 years. I was there for 6. A lot of people think I'm leaving because I have a daughter now. Honestly, she is so chill that she really wasn't a factor. The Lord has called me to leave cheerleading. I would like to think it's not forever. Gavi may decide to like cheer more than I did, hope not, but she might ;). But my time is up. I need to give someone else the opportunity that I had. I need to give someone the life changing experience that I had. So I have done just that. One of my former girls from my first year of coaching is now taking over the Whittier Cheer program. Incredible how things come full circle.

The past 6 years have been the best 6 years of my life. Words cannot truly express the feelings, the joy, the reward, the full experience I've had coaching. I will forever be changed because of those girls. We definitely had our ups and downs but everything was worth it.

Cheerleading, I love you. Thank you for giving me the greatest life experiences. I will never forget you.

Yours Truly,

Tehia

slap clap YEAH! (part one)

I have officially hung up my cheer hat.

I was first introduced to cheerleading when I was in the 5th grade. I joined an all-star team called Sooner Spirit (which has not existed for years now). I remember the first time I flew and it came time to cradle, my coach was the only one to catch me... I looked at my mom and she was sitting in the chair with her knees up and her hands covering her eyes. She couldn't bare to watch. But I loved it!

Thus began my love for cheerleading.

Cheerleading has been the most exciting, demanding, strenuous, love-hate relationship I have ever been in. And the longest at that! Cheerleading has been apart of my life for the past 15 years!!

After graduating high school, I cheered for the University of Oklahoma. What a life lesson that was! And another story for another day... After that year I thought I was done. Which I didn't want to be, but I was running out of options. Until one day, 6 years ago, I got a phone call to coach the Whittier cheer squad. The place that started my school cheer career. I couldn't pass it up!

I was given an incredible opportunity to work with 12 middle school-teenage girls. Yes, opportunity. Each year I was given 12 new girls. Many of those girls didn't have a lot of cheer experience. It was my job to teach them the basics and encourage them to push themselves further than they ever had before. Each year those 12 girls and I built a relationship and then I watched them move on to high school. And eventually college...

Lortabs

I haven't posted since Monday, needless to say it's been a long week. I spent last night at the ER! The only other time I've been at the hospital was when I was delivering my child.

So last Saturday I helped host a baby shower and there happened to be a moon bounce there for the older kiddos to play. Well, after the shower died down, me and my two other friends were so enticed by the giant inflatable attraction we decided to jump. Being the cheerleader I am (and now classify as a "was") I decided to do a flip. I didn't do a back flip because I just knew I would hurt my back. And for other reasons I haven't done one in the last six years. So instead I did a front flip. Harmless right?

Wrong! After that front flip I thought I pinched a nerve. I felt a sharp pain in my neck, shoulder, and chest. And it hurt to take a deep breath. But I shook it off, you know, tough girl style. And kept shaking it off for the next five days. Thankfully I didn't try to exercise this week otherwise I might have died. Not really but it would have sucked more than normal.

So Thursday rolls around and the pain hasn't gone away, it's only gotten worse. We went to bible study and didn't last but a few minutes so we trekked on over to ER.

Anxiously awaiting and trying not the breath they finally called my name to go back. After the doctor came in he gave me two lortabs and told me to wait for an x-ray. I didn't even take lortabs after I gave birth to my child, just tylenol. So you can imagine the pain.

About 10-20 minutes later I felt FANTASTIC! No more pain. I could take normal and deep breaths. It was wonderful. The x-ray came back fine and I was released with a muscle strain in my chest.

Last time I ever do a flip. Oh the days of my cheerleading career are definitely OVER!