TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Sisterly Cheerleading Rivalry

ADVERTISEMENT

By SCOTT PURKS

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 5, 2008

TAMPA - When the laundry comes out of the Colden family's dryer in Westchase, there is a lot of black-and-white and blue-and-white ...

Robinson and Alonso.

Cheerleading outfits.

The RHS model goes straight to the closet of Kelly, a 15-year-old junior at Robinson.

The AHS is for Ashley, a 14-year-old freshman at Alonso.

"We don't mix clothes," Ashley said with a soda-fizz giggle. "No way."

What they do share is a passion for cheerleading.

They just don't mix it at the same school.

That is because the designated International Baccalaureate high school for Westchase is Robinson. That is where Kelly has been since her freshman year.

"I take a bus every morning to Robinson with 60 other kids from Westchase including five Robinson cheerleaders, who are in the IB program," Kelly said. "It's perfect."

And it's perfectly fine with Ashley, who said, "Kelly and I may be best friends, but it's nice to have a break. We see enough of each other anyway."

There will no break tonight, however, because Robinson plays at Alonso. That means the girls' parents, Chris and David, can watch Ashley and Kelly flip and spin 15 feet in the air before landing in the arms of teammates. Kelly and Ashley are called "flyers," and that causes Chris and David to often have their hearts in their throats.

On the nine Fridays following tonight, Chris and David will split time watching their daughters, and they already have mapped out a schedule.

"That's why tonight will be really, really fun," Kelly said. "Because we'll all be together."

Added Ashley, "I think it's pretty cool."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT