I still remember my first day of cheerleading practice. It was second grade and because I was a shy kid I stood in the back awkwardly waiting to begin. Fast forward 10 years later, as I stood on deck at Cheersport Nationals taking it all in, shaking out the jitters, putting on a smile and stepping onto the mat for the last time. Looking back, I owe so much to this sport. Here's what I hope you got from it too.

I hope you learned perseverance and strength. I hope each time you got knocked down, you got right back up ready to try again until you succeeded. I hope every time you busted your tumbling, you got up a little tougher and ready to be better in the long run. I hope each time you faced an obstacle, you faced it head on and never gave up.

I hope you gained a second family. I hope your team gave you unconditional love and a place to be the most honest version of yourself. I hope you stay close with the girl who started the same day as you and the girl you cried with then you won all-states. I hope you made lifelong friends along the way.

I hope you learned what it really means to be dedicated. I hope you learned from each time you missed a party or couldn't hang out with friends because you were doing full outs until you puked. I hope getting out of practice late and sore taught you what real commitment is. I hope you realized that every mile you ran and every push-up you did counted and was worth it.

I hope you learned about teamwork. I hope you learned there are more people on your team than you realize. I hope you learned that if everyone gives 100 percent, you'll be successful. I hope you gave it your all every single time because one day you'll be too old and you won't get the chance to.

I hope you loved your coaches. I hope every smile on their face was enough for you. I hope you know that if you call them at 3 a.m. they will answer you. I hope you applied their lessons to your life outside of cheerleading. Above all, I hope that they became some of the most influential people in your life.

Lastly, I hope you had the time of your life. I hope you really learned from every practice, no matter if you left smiling or crying. I hope you worked so hard to make the team of your dreams. I hope you proved everyone wrong. I hope you took a million pictures. I hope you cherished the moment you won your first state championship and the time you won your first nationals and thanked your parents for giving you the opportunity to be there. I hope you did it right. And more than anything, I hope you learned that this is so much more than a sport.