1. Your hair is permanently damaged from the obsessive teasing and amounts of hairspray used...

...and it took hours to perfect your "pouf" and/or teased pony for competition.

2. You still remember the excitement of hearing your music for the first time.

Hearing your music for the first time is seriously the equivalent to Christmas morning for any cheerleader.

3. You found it completely okay to wear (only) Nike pros and a sports bra anywhere.

It didn't matter where you were going after practice, you weren't going to change.

4. One word— BOWS.

You had enough bows to wear a different one every day of the month, and there was no such thing as too many bows.

5. You have seen multiple noses break.

Along with dislocated fingers, broken ankles, black eyes, and maybe a couple knocked out teeth.

6. You waited all Summer to get your new uniforms.

...and everyone fought for the few full-length mirrors to see how good they looked in them.

7. You had a mental block at one point, and it most likely ruined your life for the time being.

Your entire team would tell you to "just throw it" but you literally could not.

8. You know the words "one more time" has no meaning at all.

"Last one" or "one more time" translates to four or five more times AT THE LEAST.

9. There was no better feeling than "hitting zero."

...and seeing your coaches reactions as all of the stunts stuck perfectly.

10. You most likely "double teamed" or "cross-competed" at some point.

Nothing was more exhausting than have back-to-back practices.

11. There was always major tension when your stunt group was having an "off" day.

Nothing was more frustrating than a bad practice, especially right before a competition.

12. Your gym and team became your second family.

You loved those people... more than anything.

13. And it was easily the best sport EVER.

Long live competitive cheer.