I started cheering when I was 4 years old, and I always knew it would come to an end, but I never thought it would feel like losing a part of myself. As my senior year came to a close I wondered what the future held for me and cheer. I had developed arthritis in almost every joint in my body, and had my fair share injuries in my 14 years of the sport. At one point, the arthritis in my wrist was so severe that the doctor told me I should quit and pursue a sport that was easier on my body. I laughed and told my mom to find me a new doctor, one who was not delusional. But as the decision of whether to continue my career in college housed itself in the back of my mind for months, I decided my time had come to finally say goodbye. I walked out on the mat for the last time that April, through the smoke and the strobe lights, staring at the hundreds of people waiting for these 13 girls to give them everything we had. I remember that performance well, we left it all on the mat, but we did not win. Someone else did better. That was the moment I realized how much cheerleading has taught me, the most important lesson being: There is always someone else waiting in the wings to take your place. They might be better than you, they might not, but in that moment I was happy to give up my spot to someone new, who still had so much to learn from the sport I will always hold dear to my heart.

I knew I would miss the glitter, the uniforms, the makeup, the hair.

The feeling I got when I heard the crowd cheering. The bond I had with my teammates. After all, I spent more time with them than I did my own family.

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I would miss my coaches, the long bus rides filled with team bonding, the copious amounts of hotel rooms we trashed, and the chance I was given to travel the United States at such a young age. I knew I would miss the trophies and metals and how it felt to win.

What I did not expect to miss were the long practices, the ones when we didn't have AC in the middle of July, but we had a routine to learn, so we pushed through. The conditioning we endured after a loss, I lost count of all the sit-ups and push ups I have done over the years. The constructive criticism from my fellow teammates and the long lectures from my coaches. At the time I just wanted it to stop, I now realize they were doing their job, they were pushing us to be the best, and it was all out of love for the sport, the company they built, and us. I didn't think I would miss my entire life revolving around cheerleading.

I missed several days of school for out of town competitions. I would spend the bus rides doing homework, and learning on the go. My parents' idea of a family dinner was stopping for fast food on the way to practice. I missed the skating parties and school fundraisers. I tried Girl Scouts for a little bit when I was young, but there came a point when I had to choose between cheerleading and everything else. So, as any 9 year old with a good head on her shoulders would do, I chose cheer. In high school, my boyfriend was fully aware that God came first, cheer came second, and everything else in my life after that. Of course I was still involved- I was in band, choir, theatre, and a bunch of clubs. But I was spread so thin that my social life suffered. I didn't get to go to every school dance, every game, or on every trip. I didn't go to parties, or have many sleepovers with my friends on the weekends because I was always out of town at competition, which, if you ask my parents, were our family vacations. I did not look up to movie or pop stars like Hannah Montana, or Hillary Duff. Instead I spent my days watching videos of "cheerleberties" on squads like The Cheer Athletics Panthers and Stingrays Orange, wishing that one day I could be as good as them. I didn't fan girl over Justin Bieber or Arron Carter, but over the boys of Cali Smoed. For Christmas I asked for the newest Infinities, bows, and as many pairs of Nike Pros as I could get instead of games and toys. Now do not misunderstand, this was all my choice. Nothing my parents made me do. I had ample opportunity to change things, but I did not want to. And I wouldn't go back and change it now even if I could.

This sport has taught me so much over the years so I want to thank you, cheerleading, for instilling confidence in me, making me feel like I could conquer the world every time I put that uniform on.

For capturing my heart and soul the very first time I saw what you truly were. Most 4 year old girls want to be princesses, but I looked up at my mom and said "Mommy, I want to do that". Thank you for teaching me that though it is great, winning is not everything. For taking over my life and giving me the best life experience I could have asked for. For making me strong, physically and mentally (overcoming mental blocks is not as easy as it looks). For reminding me every day, that I can do anything I set my mind to and especially for helping me defy gravity and making me fly. Cheerleading will always hold a special place in my heart, it is a part of me, which is why I decided to make a career out of it. I cannot wait to start coaching, and teach all of this to that little girl looking through the window who says, "Mommy, I want to do that."