So, I am just a proud Mom!

Second to none: Teenage Utah cadets win national championship
By Natalie Dicou
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 07/23/2009 11:39:20 AM MDT

Third place just wasn't going to cut it this year.
So, instead of waiting for the new year to begin prepping for the Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition, Cheston New-hall had his group begin training and stop drinking sodas 10 months before the event.
It paid off earlier this month when a group of Utah teens took first place at the national competition in McMinnville, Ore., bringing the title home to the Beehive State for the first time since 1956.
"It didn't really sink in until we got the trophy," said Pleasant Grove High's Richard Luby. "It was half as big as me."
Taking home top honors was a huge payoff for the 14 teens -- nine boys and five girls -- who spent the past 10 months training for the seven-event competition: one-mile run, uniform inspection, standard drill (responding to orders), innovative drill (performing a choreographed routine), written test, panel quiz, and volleyball.
Utah won four of the seven contests and dominated the volleyball tournament.
"I was part of a family that made something amazing happen, and getting an award for it made it even better," said Team Chief Cheston Newhall, a recent Park City High School graduate who served as commander of last year's group that finished third overall in Dayton, Ohio. "I was in disbelief. I bawled my eyes out, tears of joy."
Being a drill team member -- and no, there's no kick lines or sequin-covered outfits -- requires
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a massive commitment from teens, most of whom hope to attend military academies or become pilots.
The youths are cadet members of the Civil Air Patrol, an official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
During preparation, the cadets met every weekend at the CAP's hangar at Salt Lake International Airport for training sessions.
They studied for the panel quiz and written test, learned about leadership, aerospace and current events. After training Friday nights, they set up their sleeping bags, and prepared for the next day's workload.
They practiced marching, exercised for the one-mile run and transformed themselves into a finely tuned volleyball-spiking machine.
Last year, when Utah took third overall, Newhall decided his team could do better.
Instead of beginning preparation for the July national championship in January, as they had done before, they started five months earlier, in August.
Newhall -- the drill team is led solely by cadets with logistical help from an adult mentor -- believed his squad had to become more dedicated if Utah was going to win the national title.
The group thrived under New- hall's charismatic leadership.
"Everyone knew [we] were serious about it," Newhall said. "You saw people sacrificing for the team. ... Everybody put drill team first."
Pleasant Grove's Luby -- who plans to become an Air Force pilot -- never considered the long sessions "work."
"Not looking forward to a day was not possible for me," Luby said. "Every practice day was another day with a group of friends. Even when we were working, it still seemed like we were playing."
While most teams are composed almost exclusively of boys, 36 percent of Utah's team is female.
That's "pretty unheard of," said Capt. Eric Weeks, a Civil Air Patrol volunteer and the group's adult mentor.
Other teams thought they could exploit Utah's girls on the volleyball court, hitting the ball at the most petite player, Murray High's Arielle Weeks, Eric Weeks' daughter.
"It's funny," Weeks said. "They would go after her."
The strategy fell short. Utah crushed every challenger by at least seven points.
Focused on their goal, the cadets also dropped weekend hangouts with their friends, sports and other activities. They abstained from soda during the 10 months before the competition -- although Luby admits he accidentally had a root beer float while on vacation: his sole slip-up.
After completing the mile run at the championship, the group treated themselves to ice-cold Mountain Dews and cokes.
"It hurts the first time," said Brighton High junior Grant Taylor, who is also a high school tennis star. "You're not used to the carbonation. But it was really refreshing."
Weeks said, "For them it was like having a beer, I guess."
For the mentor and proud father -- who was part of Utah's 1990 drill team, which took third place -- hearing the Utahns announced as winners was "probably one of the greatest moments of [his] life."
"It was pandemonium," said Weeks, although the scene wasn't overly crazy, because the honor can be revoked if a team doesn't display sportsmanship.
"It's happened before," Weeks said.
But Utah kept its excitement in check and left Oregon with the 3-foot trophy.
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Utah's winning team
National champion cadets:
Sean Carlisi » Northridge High, Layton
Cassie Carlisi » Northridge High, Layton
Cheston Newhall » Park City High School
Cole Christensen » Bingham High, West Jordan
Brayden Mickelson » Mountain Crest High, Nibley
Zach Hopkins » Mountain Crest High, Nibley
J.P. Goldberg » Skyline High, Salt Lake City
Grant Taylor » Brighton High, Salt Lake City
Stefani Lewis » Mountain Crest High, Logan
Jared Healey » Lone Peak High, Alpine
Arielle Weeks » Murray High School
Richard Luby » Pleasant Grove High School
Rachel Niedfeldt » Walden School of Liberal Arts, Highland
McKelle Tobey » Mountain Crest High, Providence

July activities

Small island at Jordanelle Charlie in his "thinker" pose

Cole is ready for GQ

Syd in her "model" pose

T playing cards

Cole had to beat his Dragon Ball Z game

Eric and Syd playing cards

Our Annual End of Year party with the traditional burning of school work

Syd and her best friends, Megan and Ashley

Cole and his team at the National Cadet Competition

The team at the beach house prior to the start of competition

The 2009 National Cadet Competition Champions!

4th of July fireworks

It was nice to have my kids light the fireworks and just sit back and enjoy the show!

National Champions!

When I talked to Cole on Saturday, their team had taken 1st place in volleyball (thanks to Cole's awesome serving), 1st place in the mile run, pretty sure they had 1st place in the written exam and they felt really good about the panel quiz, inspection and drills. Then, later, he texted me that their team and one other were asked to perform for a 4-Star Ggeneral, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. So with much anxiety, I waited all Sunday for him to attend the closing banquet so he could text me the results. The wait was worth it.

Congratulations to the CAP Utah Wing Titan drill team! They are the new National champions!

Just a little background: the last time the Utah Wing had a winning team was in the 1950s!

I am so proud of my incredible son and the amazing kids of the Titan team!

Rocky Mountain Region Champions

Cole has been involved with the Utah Wing of Civil Air Patrol for 4 years now. He is currently a Cadet Captain and has held several leadership positions. He has also participated on several championship drill teams. This has allowed him to travel to Washington D.C., Dayton, Ohio and this week Oregon to compete at the National Cadet Competition. His teams have yet to bring home a first place but I think this year, this team has the greatest chance to do just that. As parents, we have never had the opportunity to see him compete but we were given the opportunity last Friday, July 3, when his team performed their Standard and Innovative drills at the Logan City Independence Day celebration. These are incredible kids and their dedication is evident in their drills. You, too, can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IeP2wNQe0k.

Hard work does pay off!

Last year, Syd received the National Physical Fitness Award and made a promise to herself that she would work on getting her mile run time down so she could earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. Well, all her hard work paid off. She did it!

Congratulations, babe!

Political quote for our times!

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves. .....Abraham Lincoln

The Amazing Men in my life!

So, now that I have passed my final exam for this term of school, I can reflect on Father's Day.

On Father's Day, I was, of course, thinking about my amazing Dad. He is not just my Dad but also my Hero, my Mentor, my Inspiration and my Friend. I know that if I am having an incredibly challenging day, week, month or year, he is one of the people I want to talk to and hear his advice. Dad will say something along the lines of, Here is what I think not that you have to do it that way. Usually, I end up doing exactly what he would! I often have people say to me that they don't know how I do all that I do--he is the reason why I know I can. My parents raised me to never think I couldn't accomplish anything I set my mind to do. They didn't just say it, they showed me by example. My Dad had a dream to fly from the time he was a young boy. He set his sights on it and did all he could to obtain it. After "washing out" of Air Force pilot training because of an illness, he didn't give up his dream---instead he became a navigator. A very trusted and well-liked navigator that pilots wanted in their cockpit. While flying for the Air Force, which many know, keeps you from home and family, he served in various church callings including years in Bishoprics, and was a very active Dad in his children's lives. I remember many times when I had a bad dream, was sick or couldn't sleep, that it was my Dad, with his classical music, soothing me. He might have been gone for weeks at at time but when he was home, he was home. My Dad adores my Mom and would do anything in the world for her. While she held the family together during his long absences, she knew when he was home, he was going to be there and be an active participant in our family life. Not many fathers were like that in the 1950's through the 1980's. It was through watching their relationship that I knew I wanted someone just like my Dad for my eternal companion. And I know I found one!

Eric is an amazing father! I love to watch his relationship with our kids. It is obvious that he adores his children and they in turn, love him. Many times, he will sacrifice sleep, career advancements and sometimes, to my concern, his health, to be with the kids. He loves to tease, joke and play around with the kids but they also know he will sit and have a serious discussion on any topic with them. I remember for years, my brothers, sisters and I would gather on my parents' bed late at night, sometimes together and sometimes just me, for talks. I love that our children have continued that tradition without evening knowing it. Eric learned how to be the incredible father he is from his Dad.

My father-in-law is also a very good father. He loves his children and was also a very active partipant in their lives. He may have been more comfortable sitting at a football game but he was there for Eric's piano recitals, jazz and orchestra concerts. An athlete, he could have forced Eric to play sports, but knew that Eric's interests and talents lie elsewhere, and supported him in his pursuits. My father-in-law is always thinking of others. From the very first of mine and Eric's courtship to 19 years later, he is always looking out for me. He makes sure there is something for his semi-vegetarian daughter-in-law to eat when he is cooking for the rest of the family. Now that we are in the same household, he often reminds me not to overdo it with my back.

This Father's Day, I found myself, thinking of some of the other fathers in my life. I watch my brothers in their role as fathers. None of us have perfect children and for some of us, our children have chosen different lives, but I watch the love my brothers have for their children and they remind me of my father. Dad may not agree with some of the choices we, his children, have made, he will lovingly reprimand us, but we know that even if we make a choice he doesn't agree with, he loves us. I hope my brothers' kids know they are fortunate to have them as their fathers. I was also looking at my neighbors and friends. We have some incredible fathers in our neighborhood. It is obvious to me that the children in my little piece of earth are well-loved.

So to all the amazing men in my life--Happy Father's Day not just one day but every day!