Being in high school is a mix of emotions, from stressing about grades to trying out for a sports team. For me that sports team was the cheerleading squad. And as soon as the coach called called my name freshman year saying I had made the varsity team, my life changed forever.
1. How many different ways can I wear this bow in my hair?
Being a cheerleader, you are forced to wear a ginormous bow on the top of your head. A high pony tail is always a safe way to go, but when you get bored of the basic look, you want to switch it up. Yes, you have to sit in front of your mirror with a teasing comb for hours, but in the end, it's worth it.
2. You can make up a cheer for absolutely anything.
You wake up in the morning? G-O-O-D M-O-R-N-I-N-G, good morning, yeah yeah, good morning! Whenever you are down, just take the situation you are in and make a cheer. You will motivate yourself and others to get through everyday activities you aren't able to get through without the motivation.
3. Remixes are always more fun.
Who doesn't like a good cheer mix? You will hear a song that was in your routine three years ago and still be able to hit every move in your sleep.
4. Working as a team is crucial.
You will get nowhere in life if you are not a team player. In cheerleading you literally have to depend on people to throw you in the air and be able to catch you. If that isn't trust I don't know what is.
5. Always stay positive.
It is in the title. To be a cheerleader, you have to be somewhat cheerful. You need to be able to keep the team you are cheering for spirits' up, and also the crowd's. That is your job. If you are losing by 14 points, you are still smiling and jumping around like you just met Justin Bieber himself.
6. You are not going to agree with everyone.
Every team has its issues. Cheerleading is no different; you will never find a move that everyone on the team can agree on, so sometimes, you just need to bite your tongue and do it. This also applies to situations outside the team. You will almost always have that one person who is delusional and believes that "cheerleading is not a sport," and yes, it is completely normal to want to rip their head off and use it as a pom pom, but you have to look past it. Because those people will never get it through their heads that they couldn't do half of the crap you can do.
7. Never give up.
Being a cheerleader, you are almost always put in a situation where you are defeated. When you are learning a new routine, you may not always get it at first, but you practice until it's perfect. This teaches you that no matter what comes at you, you can get back up from defeat and still succeed if you try hard enough.
