One reason often given for student travel is that it gives youngsters the opportunity to perform in unfamiliar venues, and in front of unfamiliar audiences, in order to teach them poise; it also helps them overcome any tendencies they might have to what is commonly called "stage fright". This term took on a new meaning for the Arkansas Elite Cheer Team that was performing in the MCDA Cheer and Dance Championships yesterday in Branson, Missouri. A gust of wind lifted one end of the performance stage off the ground, then folded over onto the other end of the stage, like a giant omelet. However, the filling inside this omelet was a team of little girls, instead of ham, cheese, and onion. All this occurred while the young Arkansas Elite team was doing their routine in front of the judges. To give you an idea of what it must have felt like for the girls, imagine a mattress, body slamming you at about twenty miles per hour!! Adults rushed to the stage to try to lift it off of the cheerleaders who were underneath, and ---as you might imagine---very shaken up! The term "stage fright" will have a whole different meaning to these young ladies from now on! They did not get to finish their routine, but they were the people's choice for the "Overcoming Stage Fright" Award! After the initial shock subsided from witnessing it, I was thanking God that it did not occur while a stunt was being done where they toss one of the team members high into the air and she is then caught by the others mid-air. If the stage-folding incident occurred then, the girl being tossed into the air would not have had her team members below her to catch her, and that would have been a much greater catastrophe! This is a reminder to all us grandparents and parents to "pray without ceasing" for the well-being of our youngsters! Miles of smiles! Tricia (p.s. A future blog will show photos of what the stage looked like whenever it was not folded over itself) 
