Elite Cheer Michigan cheer dads

I recently had the chance to interview Lea Hebert, the owner and coach of Elite Cheer in Michigan. At competitions, Elite Cheer Michigan is hard to miss, and not just because of their talent on the mat. What stands out most is their organized group of cheer dads, sometimes in jerseys or hard hats, but always holding the letters E-L-I-T-E C-H-E-E-R—and, most importantly, always supporting their kids.

I called my own father to tell him about this group of dads, knowing he’d appreciate what they do for their daughters—and knowing that if I’d been on that team, he’d have been the first in line, holding the letter E.

As you might know from earlier blogs, my mom was my cheer coach for a few years, but both my parents have been my own personal cheerleaders all my life. While my dad at one point coached my tee ball, soccer and basketball teams, he supported my decision to kick those other sports to the curb and throw everything I had into dance and cheer at a young age.

My dad and I at my wedding

And so he became a cheer dad—wearing my button on his shirt at games, videotaping practices and routines, driving to and from practices and competitions and even letting me hijack his stereo to mix our music. He even drove miles and miles out of his way to help me when I locked my keys in my car while teaching a cheer camp. When I went to college two and a half hours away, my parents would drive up to watch me perform at halftime. And years later, when I became editor in chief of American Cheerleader, in true cheer dad fashion, my father sent an email to all the contacts in his address book to share the news.

So in honor of Father’s Day, I’d like to thank one of my two biggest personal cheerleaders, my dad. Happy Father’s Day to all those cheer dads out there!

What’s your best cheer dad story? Comment below!

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