I cheered for my daughter this weekend. She plays soccer, and I’m the mom who yells things like:

GOOD JOB!

KEEP GOING!

NICE HUSTLE!

I yell it so my girl hears me. I yell encouragement for her teammates too. And sometimes, if the other team did something well, I’ll yell for them also.

I never yell at refs. Or coaches. Or other parents.

Although there have been times I had to remind myself to keep my mouth shut.

Even so, my cheering sometimes causes parents to look.

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You might know the look.

I was jumping up and down yelling “GO GRACE GO! GOOD JOB!” when I saw three women on the opposing team whisper.

And then each one took turns to look at me.

These things don’t bother me. They actually make me cheer louder.

Because here’s the thing:

Our kids need to know we support them.

Some moms do that quietly (and that’s wonderful too) but I’m loud.

I yell encouraging words at soccer and basketball and dance competitions. I’m the mom who sits in front at music recitals and theatre plays and I clap and stand and do all the things to make sure my kids know I’m proud of them. I snap photos and give high fives and send up as much encouragement to my kids and your kids as possible.

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I do this because my mom did this for me.

I can still hear her voice yelling, “Go, Leslie, GO” during my track meets.

And even though I wouldn’t admit it then, I think it helped me run even faster. Her cheers made me feel important, seen, loved.

I still remember that feeling. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure my kids feel the same way.

So, yes. I know I’m loud. And yes, I know that will sometimes cause looks. But I’ll never apologize for being my kid’s biggest fan.