I used to tell my daughter that Cheer Extreme was a microcosm of life and how she managed herself there, would be great practice for how she would manage her challenges in life. This year, after almost 7 years, she decided to take a year off to focus on school and grades, in the hopes of securing scholarships. 11th grade is so pivotal. I think it was a brave decision and I'm proud of her for making it. She misses the mat and, especially, her team. But, it turned out to be what she needed to manage her course load.
Same thing, ironically, her coaches helped to build the type of character to make these tough decisions.