A little piece of my heart

I am convinced that I had the best childhood. You can't tell me otherwise. and you can't convince me that yours was better. This is how it went. My dad coached the Cardston High School Varsity boys basketball team since before I was born. He coached for 22 years I believe. I grew up travelling with the teams and boy was that ever the greatest thing in the entire world! I loved hanging out with the players and I was best friends with the stats girls. Poor girls probably hated me. Lets not leave out the fact that my best friend's (Breezie) Dad was assistant coach. So she got to experience this all with me which was just double the fun. 

When I was younger, CHS had a dance team. They were pretty good from what I remember and I wanted to be one more than anything! They would travel with the team sometimes and I completely idolized them. Breezie and I would sit on the floor right in the middle every halftime with our jaws just a hangin open in awe at these dancers. Then after we'd go up to them and collect all the star stickers that they had by their eyes and put them by our eyes. Every christmas we'd get matching sweat suits that said coaches kid and cougars and stuff. we were the real deal. 

Cardston High School basketball games were just a huge part of my life growing up. I can remember a lot about my childhood and I can definitely say that those years travelling with the team and cheering them on are some of my fondest memories. I love coming to the alumni tournament each year and seeing all these teams that my dad coached and the players that I had crushes on and would chase after. I remember how big these boys seemed to be and I look at the little babies that are in high school now and it just blows my mind. Crazy how that happens.. anyway, I have always loved Cougar basketball and I always will. 

Well, this weekend is Provincials. Our team is in the championship. The tournament is in my hometown and I am so incredibly homesick. I could have gone home but school is unfortunately keeping me here and I figured that since I will be seeing my momma next weekend, I would be ok not going this weekend but apparently not. I am a mess! I started crying when I was watching the tourney online and I heard the mayor, Rick Schow announce that tonight is a white out and everyone should bring their white towels and show their school spirit and such. I just miss it so much. And no I don't mean I miss high school so much although I do miss it, but I just miss that entire atmosphere of being among an entire town of cougar fans that love the game and want to see our teams succeed. That is what I miss most. 

High school was a great time in my life and people have made comments about how I haven't been able to let go of it but what they need to realize is that this has been a part of my life since I was born. I was born into a situation where basketball was huge. Until these people have lived my life and had high school basketball help shape the person that they have become, they cannot judge me. 

I think this is why I had such a fun high school career, cheering on my boys that I have grown up with and finally being the age where I could be absolutely and completely involved in the entire experience. With the cheerleading program I was able to do my favorite things all at once: dancing, cheering on my team, supporting my family, and performing! This is why I loved every minute of cheerleading because that team has been a part of my life since I can remember. This is definitely why I'm having such an incredibly hard time not being home this weekend because my team has a chance at winning provs and I just want to be able to cheer them on like I always have.  Not being at home and cheering on my team is breaking my heart. That's why tonight, some of my Cardston friends and I will be watching it online, hooked up to the tv. I'll have my pom poms with me. just wishing I was there. 

ps. as I'm writing this, it is halftime of one of the games at provs and they are playing their typical music that makes me feel a little bit like I might actually be there. Pump up the jam. Trooper's Boys in the bright white sports car. Yeah by Usher. Oh those were the days. 

GO COUGARS!!