E and the Cheer Block

The 2016 Wheelersburg seniors recently voted for their class Superlatives.  
Ethan was elected the class ‪#‎Social‬ Butterfly.

I wasn’t certain what this meant, so I asked his fellow classmates. They explained this meant he was one who spoke first to everyone, was friendly towards all, and was active on social media platforms.

Quite fitting, really.

During his junior year, E became aware of the need to revamp the high school cheer block. Participation had dwindled down in the previous years, and almost ceased to exist.

It was a task he set out to address.

Enlisting the assistance of his fellow classmates, he began messaging them to remind them to attend that week’s game, the theme of the block, and to wear the relevant attire.

He went as far as including the younger students as well in an effort to make the cheer block bigger and better than ever before. He came up with many of the ideas for the weekly cheer block theme through the networking of many students.

At first, it took a while to get a crowd of students there. There were a few that would show up. Then if the scoreboard wasn’t in their favor, they would leave. To keep the team from giving up hope, E would stay until the very end.

Even when he was the only one left, he was there cheering them on.

He so loved to see others succeed and had a knack for using that to uplift others to strive for their best. Time and time again, I hear this so often.

One weekend, he worked on a “hype” video for the football team. It took him the entire day. While he was working on it, I thought how dedicated it was to see a teenage boy, work so hard to motivate and inspire others. He posted it on his You Tube page for all to see. I recall how proud he was of them, even though he wasn’t even the one playing. He had no vested interest other than to encourage his friends.

The Burg cheer block he worked hard to help build quickly grew to have a large body of students. There were high schoolers of all ages participating to cheer on whatever team played that week. At some point, E learned of a statewide cheer block competition, called the Golden Megaphone Award. It was a dream of his for them to win it.

Although he was not able to fulfill that dream, they decided to honor his memory, and continue the Block with full intentions on doing just that.

The first basketball game after E's death. The Pirates with their missing "E".

Together, they decided on a theme, and numerous students showed up in full support (and costume) to shoot a video to submit for the award.

On March 18th, a few of his closest senior friends who were instrumental in helping organize the Block, represented the school at Ohio State. Although they didn’t win, they earned the award of one of the top four high school cheer blocks in the state of Ohio by the OHSAA. E would have been so proud.

 

While I only know of these details through the stories of others, it serves as yet another reminder that I should have taken the time to get to know these little things about my son. How I wish I would have attended one of those games, to experience this cheer block, he worked so hard to make a success.

It is now only through the pictures of him and his beloved friends in “The Block” that I can only imagine how good it must have felt to be on the receiving end of those cheers.

Memories of yet another time that seems so long ago.

There is always a lesson we can learn from something or someone. For me as an adult, I know sometimes we feel we can only do this from our peer group.

I have found that not to be true.

In fact, there are the times, that if we pay close enough attention, we just may learn that lesson… from our very own children.

“And let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

Just a few pics of our beloved E and the cheer block he so loved, courtesy of Ruth Boll.
‪#‎ep7‬
Link to E's Burg State Semis Hype video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmeO6wrRFtM
Link to the Wheelersburg Schools website about the Golden Megaphone Award: http://www.burg.k12.oh.us/wheelersburghighschool_home.aspx

Posted on Facebook 5/23/16
https://www.facebook.com/steph.swish.pauley/posts/10206107905645657