Yes, it's all for the best....




"When you feel sad, or under a curse
Your life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is crying, sighing...
And your olive tree is dying,
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse..."

I'm back to my curse. CHEER! It's January - and I'm worrying about August 2011.

Who makes the decisions? Do I guide my daughter in making a smart choice subtly, force it upon her harshly, or let her make up her own mind and let the chips fall where they may? She's 13 years old. Shouldn't she have a say?

Three years ago we were in the same boat. Do you remember, back when I really was a soccer mom? We went through a very similar conundrum with C in picking soccer leagues. Which organization best fits her (and, let's face it, my) needs. I pushed her and I still believe we made the right choice.

This time, it's cheer. I spent the fall stressed about the BFL coaches and their decisions. But I am concerned about Pop Warner, too.

C's friends are signing up for both, paying fees to both sides and then making decisions later this Spring. BFL hasn't even made a decision about entry requirements, while Pop Warner has open admissions. Do I give C the option to pick BFL, and try to swallow my acidic aftertaste and distrust of the coaches' motives regardless of what her friends do? Or do I force her to do the harder squad in order to teach her principles of boycotting an organization that treated her friends so unfairly this fall?

I guess it comes down to her goals - how far does she want to take this? If she wants to go far, Pop Warner may be better for her needs. If she just wants to have fun with it, BFL might meet her needs more, despite my reservations about coaches that drink with abandon at the girls' end of year party.

"They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny..
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest...
But who is the land for? The sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!"

 What's the best here? With which team are the winters warm and free????? Which team is the best for C's needs? I simply don't know.

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