Kaitlynn's final competitive cheer performance of the season was held in the Austin area of Round Rock at the fabulous Kalahari resort. When we learned that Connor had a rare weekend off from his baseball commitments, we were thrilled to be able to have Jeff and Connor join us for an unexpected little getaway with the family. We didn't know anything about this resort, but we quickly realized we were in for a fun weekend at a super cool place. As it turns out, the Kalahari resort is an expansive wonderland for families and kids. On top of the safari-themed décor with zebras galore, there were all kinds of awesome amenities including an onsite waterpark, arcade, bowling alley, escape room, shops, and several restaurants. I heard someone describe the Kalahari as "Vegas for kids" which seemed like a perfect description. Kaitlynn was immediately obsessed with the zebras everywhere she turned, and we had plenty of room in our family suite complete with zebra wall décor installed just for her, ha!
When it was time for Kaitlynn's team - the Bombers - to perform, we followed our usual routine of hair, makeup, and stretching. I can't stop myself from cringing when I see the stretches these girls do to get warmed up. Ouch, ha!
Finally, it was time to compete, and the girls did a great job on the Saturday performance. However, there were a few bobbles here and there that led to a less-than-perfect showing. Anyone in the world of competitive cheer understands that it's all about perfection. Any little misstep here or there can be a deduction, and all of the little deductions take away from the overall score. The Bombers decided to come back the next day in hopes of a better showing.
In the meantime, Connor was surprised when he realized that one of his baseball buddies, Sam, was also nearby supporting another cheer sister. They were happy to meet up briefly as we waited for the Day 2 competition to get underway.
When it was time for the Bombers' Day 2 performance, we all huddled into the competition room and yelled our loudest to support the girls. The performance was underway, and we screamed our heads off for Kaitlynn and her teammates. I held my breath as their routine got off to a great start and continued to get better and better as the seconds ticked by. The girls were giving it their all on the floor!
After experiencing several of the in-person competitions throughout this first season of cheer for Kaitlynn and her team, I was now understanding what to look for and what made a "good" performance versus a "great" one. By the end of this showing, there was NO doubt in my mind that this particular performance was by far the BEST they had performed all season! WOW - they KILLED it on the floor! The tumbling, the jumps, the expressions, and the dancing were high energy, flawless, and exactly what they had been working so hard on all season long. The competition room was simply electric! It was so exciting -- all of the parents were jumping and yelling and some were even hugging as they felt so happy and proud of the girls for their amazing performance.
We joined the girls outside for the awards ceremony, but we didn't even care that the Bombers entered Day 2 far behind the first place team. We were just so proud of them for ending the season with their all-time best performance and for all the hard work along the way!
The girls (and families) arrived at the outdoor awards ceremony exhausted but with big smiles. It was a great opportunity to take some team photos and wrap up the great season. We were so thankful for this group of girls and their awesome coaches, Coach Devin and Coach Ellisa (who was actually at home about to have her first baby).
Soon enough, it was time for the awards ceremony. This was actually the very first time we had been present for the awards, because all of the prior competitions had only offered virtual ceremonies due to the new Covid protocols. We had been told that awards were one of the best parts of cheer competitions, but we didn't have any expectations because we knew the girls had likely secured 2nd place - which we were so proud of!
We enjoyed the beautiful spring weather and watching the girls goof around, and then it was time for the awards to be called. When it was time to announce the 2nd place team's name, we all waited to hear "Woodlands Elite Bombers!" over the speaker so that we could congratulate our girls. But that wasn't the name that was called. It took a few moments to process what it meant - our Bombers hadn't achieved 2nd place after all.
To our astonishment, they had actually WON their division - 1st place!! Oh my goodness, what excitement (and some tears of joy) ensued!!
Wow, what a moment for these Bombers! We honestly never imagined that they could win their division after their less-than-perfect showing on Saturday. But their performance on Sunday was SO great that it had put them on top for a come-from-behind win. Amazing! The smiles were never bigger as the team celebrated their huge accomplishment with lots of cheers, hugs, and photos. Way to go, Bombers - National Champions!!!
What a blessing that we were all able to be there and experience such a fun and memorable weekend with Kaitlynn and her Bombers squad. If she wasn't "hooked" on the world of competitive cheer before, well, she certainly was now! The same went for Jeff and me as well; we had gotten a taste of the full cheer experience and boy, was it fun!
Congratulations, Kaitlynn on a FANTASTIC first year of competitive cheer with your Woodlands Elite Bombers!
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