But as I see it, one of the most important jobs is cheerleader. You are always there on the sidelines encouraging, motivating, screaming your appreciation. The game may be lost but your commitment to the cause never waivers. Win or lose, you love them unconditionally. You are the mascot for team MyKid and you take that job really, really seriously.
I admit I can not do a back flip like the members of the East Coast Allstars who were putting their cheerleading skills to good use in the pools at South Bank today. But I would bend over backwards and tie myself in knots for my cause.
Given my enthusiastic but unattractive cheerleading, I was full of admiration for these young people.
The teens from Newcastle were in Brisbane for yesterday's 2012 cheerleading Australasian Majors at Chandler where they picked up two seconds.
They didn't let the fact that the competition was over and the prizes had been awarded stop them as you can see from this photo of 15-year-old Siarn Williams.
Which kind of made me wonder. Who is cheering on the cheerleaders?
Don't worry, the kids told me. Siarn's mum is just over there
