Cookie Cutter Kids

My daughter is a competitive cheerleader and loves it!!  Cheerleading has come along way from pom poms and raw raw raw.  It's crazy stunts with amazing tumbling all synced together to form an incredible display of hard work, discipline and love for the sport.  These girls work hard for 10 months of the year to compete a handful of times over 3 months.  The combination of dance, with gymnastics and meticulously counted stunts of small humans flying through the air is a site to see.  That all beings said these girls practice and practice a lot.  Our club has amazing coaches who spend their life at the gym working these kids to perfection. They have planned what they hope to be a winning routine and need the kids to give 100% every day they are there.  Well, we are talking kids here and last night as I sat and watched practice I was within seconds of leaving and sitting in my car.  I love watching them practice, I am amazed at how quickly these girls learn, I just wish they would listen to their coaches.  Almost every practice my daughter get a chat in the car about how important it is to be quiet and listen to them.  I'm sure she get sick of hearing it.  Last night the pressure in my head, like today is almost unbearable.  Whatever this rain/wind storm is, is NOT good for my poor little head.  So, last night I just couldn't deal with the noise because my head was going to explode.  However, this morning I thought about how many times the coaches say stop talking or blow their whistle and if I were a coach I would be crazy by now.  I said to my daughter last night if I were your coach you guys would spend half your class doing conditioning when you don't listen and maybe then you would realize how serious you need to take this.  Her response, "that's why you are not a coach".  Welllllll, actually my dear I'm not a coach because I was never a cheerleader and I'm sure a cartwheel or round off right now at my age and health would have me in traction, but I am a mom and I am an adult and you guys lack respect for your coaches by not listening. Have you noticed that you all get really quiet when you are made to do conditioning because you were all taking, again If I were a coach you'd spend half your time doing sit ups  As you can imagine the ride home was all about respecting their time and doing what you are told I'm sure she heard blah blah blah as all teenagers do.  So what is the answer, do I take my poor tumour ridden head and go to Tim Hortons where it's quiet and has hot tea.  Or do I stay and watch as I love to do and suffer it out?  I sit and suffer it out, because every time I go I am blown away at the athletics I see and I'm proud of my daughter's accomplishments.  So what's the answer to get 30 teenage girls to stop talking and listen?  HA, wouldn't every parent, teacher and any other person involved in mass teaching like to know?  Promise them a win, maybe some cookies? Nope, don't promise them anything, teach them respect.  Something that has been lost in our generation of parenting where we all feel that we need to undo the parenting of the past.  Parenting through a brain tumour sucks, I'm tired, medicated, in pain and cranky probably more times then not. However, there is no choice in my world but to try and teach them that respect will get you  through life further then disrespect. I don't want cookie cutter kids, I want kids who are not afraid to express themselves, their opinion and their rights as long as it's done with respect and if possible, quietly..... very, very quietly  :)