Sports are a large part of everyone's childhood, regardless if you choose to pursue them later on in life. For most kids, their parents put them in sports at a young age. To teach them teamwork and how to make friends. Athletic ability is not something that everyone is born with, but when you are it truly is a blessing.

Depending on whichever sport you grew up playing, every person had the one sport they loved. We also have all had that one sport we were absolutely terrible at as well. For myself, between soccer and softball, they were not a match made in heaven for a little pudgy girl with asthma.

But when it came to competitive dance and cheerleading that was where I thrived. I have always been an outgoing person and was never afraid of big crowds. I absolutely loved performing and competing from the age of six too seventeen it was my entire world.

I never realized how cheerleading really shaped the worldview I had for myself and the standards I held myself too. In high school, wearing my uniform to school every Friday I felt under a microscope constantly. There was a consistent need to be "put together" because everyone saw me in a certain light.

Being around such a glamorous sport there were so many standards that I always felt like I needed to meet. Especially, having to fit into my uniform, or my gymnastics leotard everyone saw every curve. Which meant, I needed to be skinny or thin because cheerleaders are not allowed to be above a size five.

It was not until I started playing rugby until I really became incredibly comfortable in my own skin. I did not realize that the number on the scale or your pant size did not matter. Having my teammates push me to lift more, run faster, and tackle harder has been incredibly empowering.

For the sport of cheerleading, it is about the make-up and the way you look because you are a spirit leader. It is crucial for you to lead your school in its pride. But having to hold up pride came with so much pressure.

Eventually, after suffering from an injury from gymnastics, my love for that part of my life was over. After eleven years of dedicating myself to competing in cheerleading, I was just tired. I did not want that pressure anymore. The idea of going to college where nobody had expectations for me, was incredibly refreshing.

I came to GCU with the mindset I could be anyone or anything I wanted to be. So, a year later I decided to become a rugby player. These girls that I met, did not care what I looked like. There were no expectations and no pressure because we all had the same purpose of going to practice. We all genuinely wanted to learn how to play the sport of rugby.

Even at team bonding events, they would mess around with me because I was always "dressed up". For myself, I always felt the need to dress my best because I did not want any judgment. But they truly did not care because all they wanted was to get to know me.

There is no better feeling than having my sisters around me after practice and being able to share laughs. Between the grass stains on our knees and ugly bruises its a family. Being a part of the rugby culture is unlike any sisterhood I have ever experienced on any team I have been on.

Looking back to that girl four years ago, I wish she did not feel so much pressure to be perfect. Who I am now, is confident. I am confident in my abilities to allow people to see my true self without all the make-up and blonde highlights. I think it is important to get dressed and feel your best, but never let it define who you are.

Let people see you for your beliefs and your truth you decide to live out. Nevertheless, be your best for you because everyone owes that to themselves.