Almost every kid has dreamt of becoming a cheerleader at some point in his or her life, but it’s when you take hard work and dedication to achieve your dream that cheerleading becomes a lifestyle. Here are 27 truths that every cheerleader has come to know:
1. You form an unbreakable bond with your team.
Some time during the hours spent practicing, endless competitions, bus rides and Friday nights together, you actually become best friends with your teammates. You form a bond that you will forever hold in your heart, no matter how long you go without seeing or speaking to them.
2. You have never trusted anybody as much as you trust your teammates.
To constantly throw somebody in the air requires a tremendous amount of trust between the flyer, bases and back spots. This creates a relationship among your team that only you will ever understand.
3. There is no greater feeling than performing.
Whether you’re on the mat competing at state, on the floor of the gymnasium during pep assemblies or on that sideline at a Friday night game, you will never feel anything more satisfying than performing and hearing the crowd interact with you.
4. You own Soffe shorts in every color.
Literally, you own every color of Soffe shorts known to man.
5. Magic Eraser becomes your best friend.
We all know that a red track and white shoes do not mix well together. In fact, nothing really goes well with white shoes.
6. You gain mental toughness.
You become mentally tougher than you ever could have imagined. Bring on the road runs, abs, squats, stairs and weights.
7. You cheer in every place possible.
When you’re a cheerleader, you never stop cheering–whether you’re walking down the aisle of a grocery store or counting to eight in your sleep.
8. "Bring It On" is the best movie known to man.
Hands down, no movie is better than "Bring It On." You constantly find yourself watching marathons, quoting the movie and mimicking the stunts and cheers.
9.) Ain’t no party like a cheerleading party, because a cheerleading party don’t stop!
The best times you’ve ever spent with your teammates occurred during cheer parties while eating boxes upon boxes of takeout pizza.
10. Woo equals boo and sounds like "poo."
Yelling fillers is a common occurrence amongst cheerleaders, but no matter what you shout, you may never shout “Wooo!”
11. You never stop stunting.
You’ve run into a few of your cheerleading friends? You best bet you’re about to throw a basket and stunt for a few hours, doesn’t matter where you are.
12. You have an overflowing amount of T-shirts.
You accumulate so many t-shirts during the years spent cheering that you’re no longer able to close your dresser drawers. However, you can’t throw a single one out because you don’t want to forget your HOCO 2014 performance!
13. You learn how to work with a group of people to accomplish a common goal.
Everybody on the team just wants to perfect the routine or nail the new stunt. While learning to work together, you acquire a life skill that you will carry on into the real world.
14. You have a bow for every occasion.
You own a bow that matches every outfit in your closet, and that’s perfectly okay.
15. Spirit days are the best days.
You’ve never been so excited to be able to show case your homemade tutu for your superhero outfit. It’s even more exciting when it’s a class competition and donuts are the prize.
16.) Cheer camp.
Despite the emotional and physical exhaustion, cheer camp is something you look forward to every year and are willing to repeat over and over.
17. Bus rides are the best part of away games.
The best place to sing throwback High School Musical and Hannah Montana songs is on the bus ride to an away game. You’ll also learn that you’ve never had a deeper conversation than the ones that take place in a smelly, old bus. All and all, bus rides hold some of the best opportunities for team bonding.
18. Bobby pins and hair ties have a habit of disappearing.
Yes, you just bought a pack of 50 bobby pins and 20 hair ties last week, and yes, they’re all missing.
19. Coaches are always there for you.
There is no better person to receive advice from than your coach.
20. There is never an excuse to not come to practice.
Headache? Puking? Dying? Oh well, you better make it to practice and be there five minutes early.
21. Growing close to your teammates is inevitable.
Whether you like it or not, there is going to come a time while you're stunting that you awkwardly have to grab your teammate's butt, and this will cause you to grow closer to them than anybody else.
22. Team bonding.
Everybody looks forward to the massage trains, playing "monkey in a tree" and endless Pinterest challenges.
23. Pom-poms are actually the enemy.
There is nothing worse than trying to get your hand into a pom-pom during fourth quarter of an August football game–really, just try it.
24. Shake it off.
You got kicked in the face? Better not miss a beat and continue on with the next stunt.
25. The kids who look up to you.
One of the most rewarding moments is whenever you see the kids joining around you on a Friday night doing the cheers next to you. Even better is after the game when they ask to get a picture with you.
26. You have to push past your limits.
Last time never means the last time and you always have to practice like you perform. So each time you go through the routine you must push yourself past all your limits, and while it's painful during, it’s always rewarding in the end.
27. You’ll miss it once it’s over.
Once you graduate there is nothing you’ll miss more than cheerleading and working with all your teammates.
