MVP

Tonight was Erin's dance banquet.

This was her first time ever being on a dance team.

Last fall when I contacted the coach

to ask if she would 

consider Erin for the team,

She was every excited to have her on the team.
They had 5 different teams,

V and JV high kick and jazz and a B squad.

Erin had an interpreter.

Between, Erin, the coach, and interpreter

they came up with a good plan on how

to teach Erin to dance.

She had to stretch and use muscles she never really use

she had to very visual to figure out how 

to be in sync with teammates with dance steps

and to make sure her kicks were way above waist line.

 Erin's dedication and motivation

got her one of the 3 MVP awards for high kick.

She was so surprise to receive this award

and I was a proud mom.

 Erin and Gwen.

Gwen was the only senior on the team.

Erin and her really connected and knew

how to communicate thru gestures.

 Erin with another teammate

this one knew a little bit of sign and would make small talk with Erin.

 I could see Erin really happy with the dance team,

more so then with her volleyball team

 More selfies

 Having fun

 and more fun

 the girl in the pink dress also knows a little bit of sign language.

 All the girls and coaches.

They are great group of girls

They both were 

high kick MVP

During this dance season, I really noticed how much Erin enjoyed it.

She complained of soreness, but that mainly was it.

She never missed a practice or competition.

She came home many times with little stories of something funny that one of the dancers did or something she learned.

The coach also made a little announcement about Erin after awards were all given out.

She informed the families that Erin was hearing impaired (the interpreter was standing right next to the coach, so people knew there was a deaf person in there).

She comment on how I had contacted her about Erin wanting to try the dance team, eventhough she never dance (besides on the wii) and that she was deaf, could she teach her.

Coach was very excited to have her on the team.

She told the audience that no one couldn't point her out that she was deaf when she dances and when other teams found out there was a deaf dancer they were impressed.

Erin was very humble with this, but also had a big smile on her face.

And I was a proud mom.

Erin has overcome many barriers and has shown people that she is just as good as they are whether deaf or hearing.  She is capable of doing things she put her mind to.

Erin will tell me she is afraid to approach something to try something, and I give her the encouragement and if it something related to trying out, I tell her to do it because if she doesn't, she will always question herself.

Erin has told me recently that she is much happier at the hearing school then the deaf school.  In some ways this makes me sad because the hearing school she doesn't has deep meaningful relationship with anyone.  Yet she being expose to so many things including how to communicate with people that don't know how to sign.

And Erin is already talking about how excited she is to start dancing season again in the October.

Good Job Erin.