"A good cheerleader is not measured by the height of her jumps but by the span of her spirit."
Wow. SO much accuracy within that statement and I think every cheerleader, past and present would have to agree with me on that. Cheerleading is so much more than it is given credit for. It's passion, excitement, hard work, dedication, sparkles, and of course... SPIRIT!
College has been so good to me that, when I look back, I find that I don't miss very much from high school. It was a good run, but college has been able to give me everything high school gave to me and more. Everything except cheerleading.
Cheerleading, for me, as I'm sure is with many other cheerleaders, runs in my blood. No, I wasn't born shouting cheers as I came out (although Bring It On All or Nothing claims that, that might be a thing...) but it was a sport I started earlier on in my life, when I was about seven years old, and I fell in love with it faster than I had anything else in the world.
Nothing gave to me or gives to me still to this day, the same goosebumps, heart poundings and that ticklish feeling in my spine like I get when I hear routine music or witness a cheer routine. The passion for cheerleading burns inside of my soul deeper than anything else life has ever had to offer me. And I miss it.
I miss cheerleading for endless reasons but there are definitely a few that stand out and I believe may also resonate in the hearts of my other cheer sisters and brothers.
1. Competition (leagues, sectionals, states, cheer-offs, etc)
You name it, we competed in it. Nothing gave me an adrenaline rush more than spiriting onto the mat and standing there for those four seconds that seem infinite while waiting for your music to start. It may have only been two minutes and thirty seconds each time we stepped on that mat, but those two minutes and thirty seconds gave me more pride, joy, happiness, and adrenaline than has any other time in my life.
2. My cheer sisters
Cheerleaders are nothing but drama... such a stereotype! Although sometimes our practices did have some drama, I met some of my best friends through cheerleading. The blood, sweat, and tears created bonds and friendships that left a lasting impression on my life. Friendships are an understatement when you were so committed to these girls in such a team like fashion... They were truly my sisters.
3. Football and basketball games
Who could forget the freezing cold, rainy football games that we endured or the hot, sweaty basketball games that constantly resulted in one of us getting hit with the basketball? The crowds were outstanding, my school specifically was full of spirit. Leading this crowd in chants was truly an honor. And cheering for the boys was an honor as well, as I will never forget your outstanding upset over our arch rival of many, many years in 2013.
4. Hair bows
My collection of cheer bows is ENDLESS and I'm sure every other cheerleader would agree with me! I have bows in every color, with every type of sparkle possible, some with quotes, some with gems, and some that shine. Our uniform was simply not complete without a bow to match the occasion.
5. The Blue Mat
Nine panels of beauty. Nine panels that saw never-ending blood, sweat, and tears. Nine panels that somehow we divided into sub-panels, and half panels and quarter panels and lines and half-lines and.... you get the point. Formation was everything in those routines. Without formation, the routine became a scattered mess. We owe our sanity to that wonderful blue mat that helped us line up correctly so many times.
6. The gym
Practicing, performing, talking, laughing, sweating, crying, running... it all happened here. Who could forget the place where so many of the best moments of our lives were?
7. The music
There's something to be said for the therapeutic effects of music. It's an outlet for most, relaxing for some and occasionally a burden for others. For cheerleaders, music is the way of life. Music is what makes the routine come alive, it's what we dance to, stunt to, jump to, and pump the crowd up with. If the routine is a wave, then the music is the entire ocean.
8. Counting to eight (coincidence?)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
If you were once a cheerleader, I know you just sang this in your head as you read it. In probably the same tone of voice I heard when I typed it. The only difference was probably the pace of the beat. I can't begin to guess how many times I've repeatedly counted to eight over and over again within my lifetime. If I had to waver a guess, it would probably be over a billion. Honestly. Cheerleading could not exist without us all simultaneously counting to eight over and over again. And as repetitive as that sometimes became, man do I ever miss counting.
9. Spirit Week & Pep Rally
Spirit week and pep rally were always run by the cheerleaders in my high school. We worked for weeks to prepare the funniest skits, the best dress-up days, the awards, an exemplary routine and we made and designed A LOT of spirit sticks and posters! The laughs and memories from those years are priceless. And the happiness portrayed by our student body and the pep rally audience was always worth it.
10. The lessons I learned from cheerleading
Cheerleading has taught me more lessons about life than any other experience I have ever had. Cheerleading taught me never to give up. We had plenty of practices that the pyramids didn't hit, coach didn't like our attitudes, we didn't like our attitudes, the words to the cheers didn't flow, the dance was off beat and the tape on the mat would not stop peeling no matter what. There were days when running seemed impossible, our baskets wouldn't go any higher and two minutes and thirty seconds seemed like an eternity. But I did it. We did it. I learned not to give up on myself but also not to give up on my team. We were in this together. Cheerleading is unlike any other sport because of two main reasons:
1) You cannot control the competition. You cannot make them compete any better or worse.
2) You cannot perform your own routine without every single member present physically, mentally, and emotionally on that mat. It's impossible.
Cheerleading taught me to smile through sadness, push forward through pain and brighten someone else's day no matter how mine was going. Cheerleading taught me that the game isn't over until the final buzzer rings, a sectional title doesn't determine your success but that it also doesn't determine your failure, and, cheerleading has taught me that it doesn't matter if you win or lose... All that matters is that you spirit onto that mat and you give your performance with your whole heart.
"You've got two minutes and thirty seconds to leave your mark. Embrace it. Cherish it. Conquer it. Make it count."
