Cheerleading is a real sport.
Those girls throw down, go hard, tumble with a fierceness that is unmatched, and at every practice and competition they leave it all out on the floor. The only thing that might be more stressful then a cheerleading competition in a national venue is a tryout for “that” team. The team they have been trying to get on for the past three years. The team they want to make more than anything!
This month I watched one of my dear daughters friends give it her all as she ran, tumbled, fell and got back up; sweating, stressing and crying but never giving up. Hoping against hope that this would be the year she would make the top tier team in the city. She had been working hard to improve her level of fitness and her tumbling skills, all in preparation for this tryout. Each week getting a little stronger a little more confident but there was one thing that she felt was slowing her down. No matter what she did, her glasses kept sliding down her nose. Frustrating and distracting to a girl trying to up her game and make “that” team!
This is when this determined little girl decided to take one more step to up her odds and place that cheerleading dream within reach. She could no longer stand her glasses slipping down her nose when she was working out, she couldn’t tolerate her coach getting mad when she adjusted them, and she didn’t want to be responsible for the team losing points when she did! This athlete spoke to her parents about the possibility of contacts.
With the help of her parents and a trip to see some eye care professionals, it was decided, Bausch + Lomb Contacts were a great option! Contact lenses would indeed give her the edge she needed to perform to her best ability. No more glasses to slow her down. Contacts were a perfect choice for this little athlete.
At the next set of practices there was no stopping to adjust glasses, no slipping of frames down noses and no fear that those glasses would be lost all together during a tumbling line. There was just confidence. Are contacts the reason this athlete eventually made her dream team? Maybe not, but they did give her the confidence she needed to chase her dreams.
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in a series of posts for Bausch + Lomb, however all opinions reflected are my own.
Love seeing your sweet cheerleader here; adorable!
those girls are so fit, they are gymnast/dancer/weightlifting you go girls…sport, yes indeedy!
I find cheerleading to be scary, some of the injuries they sustain are quite bad. Great for the girls to have such commitment but I have to turn my head away, I’m too afraid to watch.
I was hesitant to allow my daughter to try cheer for that very reason, but with her gymnastics background and her amazing coaches I know she is as safe as can be. Plus, she is one of the girls tumbling and catching, somehow that makes it a wee bit easier to watch 🙂
I’m with Jacki. I always wanted contacts and Mom said “No way”. Guess what? After reading your blog today I’m making an appointment to look into them. Never too late!!!! Thanks for spurring me on.
Yeah you!! I agree, never too late. Please do come back and tell me how you make out!
I am SO sending this link to my Mom. When I was in high school my parents wouldn’t let me have contacts… even after I broke my glass (and I mean glass) lenses in a rough game of basketball and had to go to Emergency. I love this story <3! I truly feel this girl's frustration with glasses and liberation with contacts. Go Bausch+Lomb (proud wearer for over 20 years)!! P.S. Amazing photos- you must have a great camera to capture these moments.
Wow!! What a good shot of the complexity of cheering!!! So glad she got the contacts!!
GOod grief! Anyone who says cheerleading is NOT a sport is crazy – It’s AMAZING what the girls (and guys!) can do! 🙂
Way to go to your gal for giving it her all!
YES! Cheerleaders literally work their backsides off. They are one of the fittest athletes on the planet, tell your girls to go for it 🙂
FTR – swimming goggles are a key factor in keeping my girls successful in the pool!
I can’t imagine I’d ever have the confidence to be thrown in the air like that, let alone participate in such a demanding sport with glasses on. Looking back, I really wish I had contacts in high school. Great post, Stephanie!
Thanks for the kind comment! Thankfully (for me) my DD is the one who does the catching. Still nerve racking as she has a huge responsibility on her shoulders to ensure her team mates are safe, but I hold my breath a little less often 🙂
I’m also thrilled for DDs friend, contacts have made her Cheer career easier to navigate!
Totally get the confidence thing.. Our daughter went to contacts last year…she is no athlete, but they are so much easier to fit under goggles and a helmet when she is skiing and they make her feel more confident in how she looks, and that is so very important at this age! Plus… she gets to wear cool shades when it is sunny outside! 🙂
I never thought of sunglasses and goggles! Of course contacts would make a huge difference then! So happy to hear contacts have helped her with her self confidence…it can be hard to be a girl 🙂
How awesome for her. I guess I just assumed all kids had contacts playing sports.
ps. love the pics, they are truly athletes.
I guess it’s just that one extra little thing they can do for themselves to make their sporting career a little bit better. Kind of wonderful!
What an incredible story. So happy for her that getting contacts enabled her to continue with her cheer leading. Thank goodness for “Bausch + Lomb!!!
So glad you wrote this post. I have always thought about wearing contacts and now think I’ll look into it. Might be the answer to my eyesight issues.
Thanks goodness she was able to wear contacts so that she could follow her dream!! Love the spunk of this youngster and I’m sure great things are in store for her with her cheer leading.
Really makes you realize you should never give up! Love her no quit attitude
🙂
Hope she keeps being able to chase her dream!
Oh thanks for the sweet thoughts for her! She adores cheerleading! Keeping my fingers crossed that she has a great tryout in the fall!
What a team! You got the right shot to show what those girl have and how hard they work. Honestly, years ago, I wasn’t a cheerleader fan, however, nowadays, they have my respect.
I have to admit I how no idea how hard cheerleaders worked or what a true athlete you had to be to compete, until my daughter made the switch from Provincial level gymnastics to cheer. They work hard, and its fantastic to watch it all come together.