I can’t believe that we are going into our last week of training before Nationals!
He said
Before we knew it we were at Showcase Weekend for Cheer which is one of the main signs that Cheer Season is closing in on the end. The other, Canadian All-Star Nationals is next weekend. Then, the season is officially to bed. Initially we thought this would be her last season, but we have since learned that she actually is age eligible for one more season for Sov and there like will be Valour again next year which is open and not age dependent. As the season churned and the closer we got to the end the more Emelia talked about potentially doing one more season. My guess is for her it will come down to two things: 1) how next weekend goes (and how fulfilling that is); and 2) where they place her for teams and who is on the teams.
For now the focus was solely on their Showcase weekend and more importantly Finals next weekend. I will let Danielle share how Showcase went as she was there for that, as I had to work. But, for next weekend the approach in practices has been extra laser focused for both teams. Both coaching groups aren’t resting on doing well with their routine, they are making adjustments to try and win by swinging for the fences. When you add in the Finals Bid that Sov got, next weekend’s dance card is going to be very full. The girls have worked hard all season to get here, so it is going to be great to see them have their chance to show their best multiple times over a busy weekend!
The weather has afforded me lots more riding outdoors this week and it has been so good for my mind and body – getting out in fresh air. The aftermath of last week’s wipeout left me without the use of my big ring on the crank as something got tweaked in the front derailleur, but a visit to Gremlins this week got all that sorted out and my bike back to me by Friday afternoon. As of today five of my seven rides this week, were all outside. One day was because the bike was at Gremlins and Wednesday was because my schedule and weather didn’t allow for it. It has been so great to be back outside. This winter was really hard and while riding in the basement on Zwift is a palatable solution it wore on me as I definitely did way less outdoor riding in those months compared to last year.
So, with Cheer season wrapping up, biking season going more outdoors and races approaching, it also means that one things is coming back soon too: Camping Season. We have May 1-5 booked off work so we can get up to the trailer when the park opens and get it ready for camping season. With our trailer left on site, that means that getting the trailer setup will be dramatically different that prior years. There will be no component of going and picking up the trailer from storage, towing it up there and then landing it on the site. Basically it will be cleaning up from winter and getting everything set up. With the weather continuing to get warmer each day, it’s getting more real and easier to get excited about trailer season coming!
She said
It is hard to believe we are moving into the last week of regular season training already. This season has seemed to have flown by in a blink of an eye. This year has been hands down Emelia’s favourite since starting Cheer. She adores her team, she has the most incredible friends on both teams and she isn’t dealing with any drama which has been so incredible. Does she come out of training frustrated? Of course, but this season there hasn’t been one practice she was visibly upset. The girls have worked so incredibly hard this season and it has been Emelia’s most successful season to date. Sov not only received the teams first ever Finals Bid, they have placed in the top two for every competition they have entered. They have hit zero at a lot of their runs and they are the most prepared they have ever been going into Nationals. A lot of this is the hardcore belief of the girls coaches for both teams. For Sov, they have one of the best coaches that CSR has ever had. Rayna is so laser focused on details and has an incredible eye for choreography and how to build a routine to win. She has tried to build the girls up to let them know that they have a VERY solid chance of taking first place at Nationals. The girls feel the pressure but they know that they have it in them to kill it, they have hit zero plenty of times and Rayna has trained them to not only hit zero but to have a perfectly timed, high energy and creative routine. The nerves are kicking in but the girls are so excited.
Yesterday was one of the big events of the year to really show how close we are to Nationals. For the last few years CSR has moved the big year end showcase to be the weekend before Nationals as a true dress rehearsal for Nationals. They are performing in front of every parent and every team gets to put on their best routine. The first team for Emelia to go was Valour. Valour had a VERY rough last practice, the pyramid was a hot mess, nothing was working. So I know that was the routine that Emelia was really stressed about. She was terrified they would go out on the floor and embarrass themselves. The girls hit the floor and it wasn’t perfect but honestly it is workable. They were able to hit most of the stunts and were able to do most of the pyramid clean. They have two more intensive practices this coming week and I am sure they will be ready to take on the floor and kill it at Nationals. Second for Emelia was Sov. The girls went out and again put on an incredible performance and had a clean run. They had the entire crowd fully entertained and showed everyone what they are capable of. It was a great day!
Today we were back at the gym, Sov had a rocky practice but they all know they can shake that off and will come back on Tuesday and just kill it and will take on Finals on Saturday and show everyone exactly why they got that bid! It has been such a great year, I cannot wait to see Emelia perform again with this team one more time but will be really sad when this season is over.