Boogle has a Spring in Her Step

Much of my recent talk on the blog about childrens' activities has been about the Huffty's football.  We all try and go to his football matches and we have several friends and their children who are also involved.

It was a different focus last year and early this year when I was spending a lot of "daddy time" with Boogle on the ice-skating rink helping get her and myself get to a good standard.  Of course, my physical condition has meant that I have had to let go of that activity and so Kitten takes her to her lessons but is not keen to dance on ice herself.

Perhaps Boogle's favourite regular activity though is that of cheer leading.

When it was first mooted that she might like to do cheer leading I wasn't keen because my image was one of teenage girls and young women acting as some kind of pom pom support act for male sporting teams.  I was unaware that this activity is somewhat different to what I thought, being a kind of fixed routine troupe dance activity with the focus on regular competition.

Boogle is no slouch in the classroom, but perhaps that is more her brother's domain where as her's is in the broad spectrum of creativity.   I am keen for her to develop her creativity and also am happy when it is in a structured environment.  That explains why the ice-skating and also why I would also take her out onto the streets for the more free-from rollerblading.

Boogle is tall and light for her age and she has been put into a troupe of older girls where she is the "flyer".  in other words she is the one that gets chucked in the air.

She has been in a few competitions and they have always come second and I believe that it has been to the same team.  Yesterday she was competing at Crystal Palace and her team came first.  It would have been good if I could have been there, and I know that she was keen to attend, but I am very pleased that she won.

For me it is not that winning is so important in its own right but I know that whilst Boogle can be feisty, independent and determined she is not as confident as she makes out.  Something like this will give her an inner boost and pride that she can take with her.  That will help her to a build a self-confidence that is less fragile.