Gimme an A

My niece is a cheerleader. It's almost a year round responsibility anymore. During the school year they cheer during games and school functions. Now that summer is coming, they have competitions and summer camps to get ready for next year. It's mind boggling how much time they put into practice.

It's also more expensive than a lot of people realize. There's a lot of travel involved. Plus the cost of pom-poms, uniforms, and shoes. The school does provide some financial support but for the most part the kids have to do a lot of cheerleading fundraising. The most popular item this year was the customized flip-flops. The flip-flops are purple and gold, our school colors. They're not gaudy. They're purple with gold weaved throughout. The students love them, especially since they spend a lot of time at the beach. The flip-flops have the school logo on the bottom, so when you walk on the sand, the school logo shows up behind you. It's a neat concept.

I gladly support their efforts. I know it gets expensive and most parents can't afford to pay for all of their kids' activities. I consider this a small price to pay to have the kids in positive after school activities.