The world of all-star cheerleading isn't always a walk in the park. There are physical and mental challenges that come with it. There is also a list of character traits that one naturally acquires when participating in the sport. These traits don't only form a dignified athlete, but an overall dignified person.
1. Team Work
A group of hard working individuals is placed on a mat for two minutes and 30 seconds. In that time frame, they have to come together to put on a flawless routine in order to succeed. They literally have to lift one of their teammates up while they are down. For 12 months, each persons learns how to incorporate the meaning of “me” into the meaning of “we.” Every cheer year, the teams change and the cycle starts over again.
2. Leadership
While all-star cheerleading is a team sport, there is s sense of individuality within it. Every person on the team becomes a leader. In areas where one is strong, they need to lead and pull through for their team, using their talent to the maximum. Leadership is taught and practiced by each participant.
3. Discipline
A coach once told me “discipline wins.” He even put it on a T-shirt for all of us. This statement never made much sense until recently when I came across the quote, “Uncoachable kids make unemployable adults.” When one is an adolescent, they are constantly learning from everything around them. If they participate in a sport, like all-star cheerleading (yup, a sport), they are taught to obey rules and regulations. If a cheerleader does not do something their coach instructs them to do, it can result in danger and other negative outcomes. This lesson stays with kids into adulthood when applying for jobs and so on. They learn how to take a command and execute it in a correct and timely fashion.
4. Responsibility
Each cheerleader is responsible for memorizing their track in a routine and performing it without error. One is also responsible for attending practices multiple times a week, as well as going into the gym to work on their skills in their own time. As one gains responsibility, thy also gain maturity; each important traits when entering the work force.
5. Sportsmanship
I feel this trait is the first one taught when entering the world of all-star cheerleading. Sportsmanship is a combination of multiple things, including fairness, respect, ethics, and a sense of fellowship when dealing with competitors. The participants, without question, enjoy cheerleading for the sport it is and the memories they make because of it. By being a fair competitor, with your heart on the mat, a sense of sportsmanship is automatically acquired.