Every year around this time, I start hearing the same thing from dancers (and sometimes parents too):
“I don’t know… dance just isn’t fun anymore.”
“I don’t want to come back.”
“It’s too hard.”
And I get it.
Because this is the part of the season where things shift.
It’s not just learning a dance anymore.
It’s learning it… then reviewing it.
Then cleaning it.
Then mastering it.
Then doing it again.
And again.
And again.
The sparkle of “new” wears off… and the grind shows up.
And that’s why I want to share something that really hit me this week when Baylee asked me, “Mom, what do you think they did in between each day of performance?” The response was easy, “Practice Baylee. They committed to doing it one more time, a little bit better, giving it a little bit more, even when they felt like they maybe didn’t have anymore to give.”
Of course that was surrounding the celebration as the Ohio State Dance Team just won UDA Nationals for the third time, and my peer Melissa McGhee — their head coach — has shared through numerous behind the scenes posts all of the work that no one sees that went into making that win possible.
Because champions aren’t built in the easy parts.
They’re built in the part where you’d rather quit.
Champions are built when dancers (and parents) make the decision early on to be coached through the hard…
Not fought through it.
Not forced through it.
But coached through it.
And after almost 27 years of teaching (this coming September!), I can tell you this with complete confidence:
This is the season where quitting becomes tempting — not because your child isn’t capable…
but because it takes more parent stamina now than it did in September.
In the beginning, kids fall in love fast for a few reasons:
- It’s new and exciting.
- It’s easier at first, so there’s less frustration.
- Progress happens quickly in the beginning, but later… growth slows down.
Not because they’re failing — but because now they’re building real strength.
And that takes time.
That part is hard.
But it’s also where the real magic is.
Because what we’re doing here isn’t just raising dancers…
We’re developing Champions.
What matters isn’t just how they perform on the floor…
It’s how they show up as humans before they even hit the mat.
So if you’re in a season where your child is pushing back…
If you’re tired…
If the thought of fighting over one more rehearsal makes you want to wave the white flag…
I want you to remember this:
You don’t have to fight for the routine.
But I do want you to fight for the outcome of what they will learn from the dance floor in the future.
Fight for the confidence.
Fight for the discipline.
Fight for the character.
Fight for the version of your child that gets stronger because they didn’t quit when
“it got hard.”
Because quitting has never been what helps someone take a step forward.
And I promise you — the joy will come back.
But on the other side of this season…
is where champions are made. 💜
