Rugby tryouts are going well! I am having a lot of fun!

He said

So, rugby tryouts are in full force and Emelia is having a lot of fun. They started on Monday morning, first thing! The kids, fresh back from March Break, walked right into their first tryout that was at 7:00am Monday morning, before school. That was the first of 4 tryouts this week and then there is 1 more, final tryout tomorrow after school. After that, they will find out who made the team. Emelia has felt they have gone well. On Friday, Emelia ran into her wrestling coach from last year who is also the boys rugby coach while they were both watching the boys & girls volleyball game, and he told her that knowing her from last year, that he felt she would be a very good contender to make the team, but if that wasn’t enough he was also going to put in a good word for her. So our fingers are crossed for her after tomorrow’s practice.

For Cheer, the team continues to put together the polishing touches on their routine for Nationals which is just a mere 3 weeks away. But, more importantly just 4 practices away. Their routine has been through a ton of changes since the start of the season as they have navigated through the disappointing results that they have had this season so far. In fact, I would almost say their routine is now a full 180º different than the season start. The girls have worked hard, dealt with a crap-ton of adversity and certainly worked harder as the season moved on. The fact that the hotels booked for the weekend has been a bit of a crap-show all of a sudden, we’re definitely hopeful that all the challenge is behind us. With a supposed hotel closing, our team’s families are now strewn all over Niagara Falls and now it’s going to feel less like a team event and more like an event of survival. We’re hopeful that all this adversity will bring about their best performance (and results) on the season!!!

For biking, March has been a true blessing. Where in January and February, I was working hard and competing just to get in some (or one) rides outside in the cold and snow, March has been a steady and repeated gift of ride after ride. And a lot of them on the positive side of the thermometer. The clocks have moved forward an hour and the sun is now setting an hour and bit later—all of this adding into more options to get in rides. So far in March up to and including tonight and another ride with Danielle, I have gotten in 19 rides in 26 days. But, the best part is I have also already ridden 411 kms this month. Compared to last year that is 146 more kms and 7 more rides. And I have lots more possibilities yet! With Paris to Ancaster (P2A) coming up next month, I couldn’t be more excited about my level of preparation and fitness.

She said

Well no one would ever call Emelia lazy or unmotivated. Admittedly I was worried she was taking on too much but she is taking all her activities in stride. Last school year she regretted not joining the rugby team so this school year she was laser focused on getting ready for tryouts this year. Emelia’s school is a very athletic school so it is very competitive to make teams. That being said it sounds like everything is going really well, tomorrow we will find out of she made the cut and has a spot on the team. By all accounts from feedback from the coaches and other atheltes she stands a really good chance.

So adding a third sport was not enough, Emelia now has rugby 4 times a week, cheer 2 times a week, work 3 times a week as well as in a few weeks softball starts. Somehow with all this she is keeping up with her school work, getting all A’s and is thriving with her friends. I have told her if at any time, it is too much she needs to be up front with us before she feels she is under water. But she is loving it all and I cannot imagine this will stop anytime soon.

Today was her weekend cheer practice and the first practice the whole team was together since before March Break. It was great to have a full team which meant they could really polish the routine and get ready for Nationals. It is hard to believe that Nationals is only 3 weeks away and with only 4 practices to go it is even harder to believe that this season is almost done. The girls have worked so hard and hope that all the changes, the creative routine and added difficulty will mean that they place well at Nationals. This year has been a season of constant challenges and disappointments but the girls never gave up, never stopped having each others back. As parents we are all so proud of them. Next year the girls will be moved around so we are trying to enjoy these last few weeks of this incredible team being together.

This craziness is something that we are trying to enjoy because one day it will be Emelia’s last cheer competition, last high school game, last softball game and it will be sad. Sports have given Emelia so much – not only incredible friendships but a level of confidence that our shy girl really needed. We wouldn’t have it any other way.