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Ansonia Youth took first place in both the Pee Wee Dance and Pee Wee
Cheer competitions.
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Darke County Fair
Teaching the
Little Ones Life Lessons
By Bob Robinson
I’ve been covering the Great Darke County Fair Cheerleading Competition
for more than six years. In the beginning I mostly ran into my Post
Secondary Edison students in their high school varsity competitions…
this year was a little different. As in “little ones” different.
“Mr. Robinson!” Three of my Greenville Pee Wee cheer kids from Woodland
and summer tutoring ran up for their hugs as soon as they saw me. I
followed them to their “encampment” to see the team sitting, standing,
talking, and mostly waiting for the challenges to begin.
“I wish it was 11:30 already,” said one of the coaches. It was 10:50.
The competition kicked off on time. It was a hoot watching the kids go
through their routines. If you looked closely, you could see the facial
expressions on some of them, the subdued – but definitely practiced –
movements. This was true of all Pee Wee contestants… this year U.C.
Stateliners, Tri-Village Youth Reserve, Arcanum Youth, Ansonia Youth,
Greenville Youth, Darke County Elite and Tri-Village Youth Varsity.
They had the expressions, the movements pretty much down pat. Just like
the big kids.
When I read CNO Sports Editor George Starks’ feature interview with the
Greenville Youth team and coaches (see link below), something struck
me. I’ve been teaching teamwork, respect for learning, ethics,
communication, diversity and critical thinking to my college students
as life lessons, never realizing that the students in this sport, as
well as other high school sports, were already getting a full dose of
most of those values.
And the Pee Wee kids were getting it early!
In the Starks article, the kids talked of their love for their coach,
Krystalyn Bush, and pride for their school. Bush has been the one
teaching these life lessons to her kids. All couched in the fun,
challenge and competition of cheer leading.
To all the cheerleading nay-sayers out there… not everyone chooses the
cheerleading route to learn the tools of success. It’s but one of many
options, but it’s an important one, just as the classroom, band,
agriculture or multitude of clubs and other opportunities are also
options.
Seeing the looks on these kids’ faces, their adoration for their coach,
the passion for what they were doing and their pride in their school, I
defy anyone to say Bush and her assistant coaches are not Empowering
these young people for future success.
Pee Wee Dance awards went to First Place Ansonia Youth, followed by
U.C. Stateliners and Arcanum Youth. Pee Wee Cheer awards went to First
Place Ansonia Youth, followed by Tri-Village Youth Varsity and
Greenville Youth.
Check out the complete set of Pee Wee competition photos on the
Community Events Photo Gallery here
Check out George Starks’ story, Little
ones shine at annual fair cheer competition, here
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Greenville
Youth took third place in the Pee Wee Cheer competition.
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