Growing up, I had never played any sports. I know, it may sound weird, but I just never had a desire to play anything, and my parents didn’t force me to. But then I was on my way to high school and like every year prior, I was planning on focusing on school and only school. Then a friend of mine came up to me and said, “Hey, do you want to try out for cheer with me?”
My first thoughts, naturally, were absolutely no way. Not only was I not interested in sports, but I definitely was not interested in being a cheerleader.
A few weeks passed and my friend kept nudging me about tryouts. At this point, my mom was on board with it too, and she told me it was something I would love. So I made an agreement with the both of them that I would go to the tryout and see if I liked it. Three days later, I find out I made the team. I’m excited and happy and nervous all at once. I had no idea what to expect.
Looking back now as a junior in high school, and a captain of my team, I can truly say that cheerleading has changed my life.
Being a cheerleader, we have practice every day just like any other sport. We condition everyday and spend hours fixing one mistake in the routine. We are expected to be at every practice and give our full effort whenever we are on the mat. We are expected to practice on our own time, and work on things at home that we struggle with. Over the last three years, I have learned to be responsible for myself and those around me.
Cheerleading has taught me what it means to fully commit to something. This sport isn’t something that ends when you step off the mat. Whether it be stretching at home to improve our jumps or taking tumbling classes to improve the team, cheerleaders truly eat, breathe and sleep their sport. It’s a huge commitment, but it is so worthwhile in the end.
I’ve learned what it means to be a part of a team. I came to understand that in cheerleading if you don’t work together, you won’t work at all. Trust is a major part of this sport. Girls are getting thrown in the air 15 feet and have to trust that the girls underneath them will catch them. We have to trust that each of us will always do our best and do what’s best for the team. I’ve learned that a team without trust isn’t much of a team at all.
Cheerleading has changed my life because it gave me a second family.
The girls I spend every day with on the mat are the girls that have seen me at my worst, and at my best. They’re the people I know I will always be able to go to with anything. My teammates are the people that will always have my back on and off the mat. Without even trying, we become a family year after year. And families fight sometimes, and so do we, but at the end of the day, my love for these girls and this sport is endless. There isn’t a single moment, bad or good, that I would trade. Cheerleading has made me who I am today, and for that, I am eternally grateful for this sport.
