Game Day!

This past spring RaLee started freaking out over cheer tryout's.  She just new she wasn't going to make the squad and had some melt downs that included a lot of tears.  Something I don't handle well...I want my baby to be happy.  She worked for 6 weeks perfecting her dance, cheers, rallies, and such.  Try out's were a week long and the final day I was on pins and needles waiting to hear.  She came home from school and announced that the coaches were not posting who made the teams until the last day of school!  WHAT?  You have got to be kidding me? 
That evening we went to Wayne's kindergarten graduation and RaLee pointed out the new cheer coach.  After graduation the coach approached us and told us to not tell anyone but RaLee had made the Varsity Squad!  We were so so happy...and she cried happy tears for the first time in months.
June came to a close and still no official announcements and NO coach.  RaLee and I met with the administration and learned that the coach had quit and they were looking for a new coach.  They found a coach and the girls were told that they had to try out all over again!  Try outs were set for the week we were scheduled to go to Sage's 5k Memorial Race which meant RaLee could not go with us.  The day of the race I finally received the long awaited "Official" text- "I made it and I'm on the Varsity Squad!"  I was so excited for her.
They started practicing 6 days a week.  That first day of practice RaLee came home and lay down in the middle of the living room floor declaring she was "Surely going to die!" and that the Coach is a "Drill Sergeant".  Coach Collins, from New Mexico, has coached championship cheer squads for 16 years and she was working hard to get these girls into shape and turn them into a team.  What an amazing coach she is turning out to be!  These girls work hard, play hard and have become the best of friends.  I can't imagine a year of NO drama amongst the girls but that's what it's starting to look like.
Each girl has to pay or raise $1,200 each and there are 19 girls in their squad!  Thousands of push-ups, jumps, kicks, gymnastic classes, weight lifting, running, V-ups, sit ups, dancing, stunting, chanting, practices with the marching band, competition practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays lasting till 9pm, and two camps later it is finally GAME DAY!
The lights to the football field will be turned on for the first time at Combs High School on a Friday night!  I know I will have tears in my eyes when I see the boys and our GIRLS walk onto that field for the first time.  These kids will forever be a part of CHS history.

The girls had to be at school at 6am this morning.  Taylor spent the night and Imani showed up at 4am to get ready. 

Curling Imani's hair

Taylor's Hair

Taylor and Imani are RaLee's Flyer"s-(the girl RaLee tosses in the air and catches)

Then RaLee's hair

New Uniforms

All Ready and SO excited for their first pep rally and Varisty Game

And they're off!