Everyone has that one activity that is a passion of theirs from the time they are toddlers to almost being an adult. For me, that activity was cheerleading. Although I wasn’t really young when I started cheering (I was about eight-years-old), I still had a chance to spend majority of my life doing the one thing that I love the most. By the time I had graduated high school, I had about nine or 10 years of cheerleading under my belt and there were multiple occasions where I have had an opportunity to take on a leadership position on the squad. Everything that I have learned on the mat, I was able to incorporate to my everyday life. For that, I cherish the time that I have spent cheerleading.

Cheerleading taught me to be a team player on and off the mat. One team can consist of up to 35 people (depending on your division), so it is virtually impossible to be stubborn and/or selfish when working with that many people. The whole purpose of cheerleading is to be able to form a unit with your fellow teammates, no matter the diversity that is presented. You have to accept that diversity because everyone that is on the team brings something special to the table that will make your team unique, take advantage of that opportunity. Working with that many people for about eight hours a week or so has slowly become an everyday routine for me. I was able to apply my teamwork skills in a classroom and workplace setting and with my future career choice being in the education field, I have to be able to work with others diligently.

Being on a cheerleading team also takes a great deal of patience. Every practice, not everyone you encounter will be in a chipper mood, so, you just have to let those negative feelings roll off of your back and make the most out of practice time. Like the saying goes, practice does make perfect. There will be good times and there will bad times, but you can’t let the bad times define the team for the rest of the season. You have to push through and maintain that sense of unity because without the unity, the team will ultimately fall apart. Practicing patience with my teammates has significantly influenced my life in the sense that I actually exhibit a decent level of patience a lot more than when I was younger. When I was a child, to say the least, I had a short fuse. It was super easy for me to become angry and/or upset. Now that I am older, it is not as easy for me to become angry/or upset.

There were plenty of leadership opportunities that I had taken advantage of during the time that I was a cheerleader. For example, my senior year of high school, I was one of the captains on the squad. As captain I wasn’t required to do much other than be a role model for the other cheerleaders and my other peers. I also called a lot of the cheers. However, throughout the season I tried my hardest to be respectful and fair, but also not a pushover. When I went to practice, my goal was to get as much done as possible and to use the time efficiently rather than goof around and talk to my friends. Sometimes I would find myself being too serious and not “letting my hair down” every once in a while and that is the only thing that I regret doing as being a captain because that behavior caused a strain in the relationship between me and my teammates. Being a captain has taught me how to set goals for myself, stand up for myself, and to interact with others better. If I have not joined the squad when I was a freshmen, I cannot even imagine where I would be today.

Other than my family, cheerleading has been one of the most positive influences in my life. I have learned so many traits that I have been able to apply to my everyday life and it has shaped me into the unique, young woman that I am today. I have met some of my best friends that I will have forever on my team and I am so grateful for that. I am also lucky for the fact that I was able to work with extraordinary coaches and teammates who have always been there to support me and to push me to strive for success. Although I am no longer a cheerleader, the time I have spent on the mat with my coaches and teammates will be the time that I will cherish for the rest of my life.