Father Daughter Night of Cheer

Fresh off of our quick getaway to Austin, we returned to Katy for a much anticipated night of fun. It was the annual Father Daughter cheer experience, a beloved tradition new to us but highly anticipated by both Jeff and Kaitlynn. Each fall, the junior high cheer squad invites the Dads of the cheerleaders to join them on the sidelines during one of the football games. That was an event we wouldn't miss for the world, hence the reason we returned from our Austin getaway after only a few nights. 

While Jeff was excited for the chance to cheer on the sidelines with his girl, he was admittedly feeling the pressure of learning the cheer routines that the Dads would be performing alongside the girls. One of Kaitlynn's fellow cheerleaders is the daughter of our incredibly talented tumbling coach, and so Jeff was feeling some real pressure to perform at a high level while not embarrassing himself or Kaitlynn. Ha! He took his role as Cheer Dad very seriously and worked hard with Kaitlynn to learn the cheers and execute them to perfection. My parents were still in town to watch the kids for us in between our road trips, and we all sure enjoyed watching Jeff and Kaitlynn prep and practice leading up to the evening football game. There was no shortage of laughter along the way! Check out my favorite "outtake" of the night on YouTube.

When it was time to head to the Father Daughter game, we snapped some photos and then headed out to Legacy Stadium in Katy for the big event. It was a beautiful fall night, perfect for an evening of Father Daughter entertainment!

 

We all found seats in the stadium and enjoyed watching the squad as they began cheering for their fellow classmates in the big game. It was a privilege for the kids to be playing/performing in Legacy Stadium, the flagship football stadium in Katy. Kaitlynn looked great on the sidelines and Jeff appeared nervous as he awaited his turn to join her on the track below.

Finally, it was time for the Dads to join their girls. There were a lot of cheers from the Moms in the stand to encourage them all for their performance ahead. Jeff was still feeling the pressure of living up to the great Coach Damon, but they all looked the part and the smiles were never bigger on both Dads and daughters alike.

Finally, it was halftime, which meant showtime for the squad and their Dads. They all walked onto the field and began their rehearsed performance where each daughter at the front of the line introduces their Dad followed by a coordinated jump or stunt before heading to the end of the line. As it turned out, Jeff and Kaitlynn were the first pair to be introduced. As they had rehearsed, Jeff lifted Kaitlynn in a straddle jump, and as they were running to the back of the line, Kaitlynn did some back handsprings while Jeff launched into an impressive cartwheel. It was awesome! Each father/daughter pair continued their introductions and stunts until the entire squad had been introduced. The crowd was wowed and loved every second! Check out the link to the halftime performance on YouTube!

After the halftime performance, the football game resumed but the Dads weren't finished with their cheer responsibilities. They joined the girls on the sidelines and began performing a couple of cheers they had learned from the girls in recent days. This was what Jeff had been rehearsing and what he was most nervous about, but he looked like a natural and added his own flare in true Jeff fashion! We had so much fun in the stands watching and laughing and cheering on the Dads and daughters. It was a priceless event for Kaitlynn and her Sweet Daddy!