I have been a cheerleader now for eight years, and throughout those eight years, I have had many, many coaches. From head coaches to assistant coaches, to choreography coaches, to tumbling coaches, and any coach in between who taught me something about the sport I will never let go of.
The first coach I ever had, was when I was in 6th grade, just starting my cheerleading career, and I had no idea what anything was, or how the sport even worked. She was a senior in high school, and her specialty was stunting, so, I was put onto her team, and from there I learned all about how to squeeze every muscle in my body so people could throw me in the air and catch me without dying. That year, I learned that there was a whole world outside of just my small middle school team, and I was determined to know everything there was to know about the sport I would soon fall in love with.
The next year, I had the same coach as the year before, only this time, I had two other coaches, making three coaches total. Each specialized in something different, and that year, even though at the time I didn't realize it until now, I learned the value of hard work, and what it mean to listen to my coaches.I learned that the only way to get better at something was to work at it until my body couldn't get it wrong. I learned that no matter how close to perfection we thought we were, there was always some way we could improve, as athletes and as a team.
My last year in middle school, I learned how to save someone's life. I had the same coaches, minus one, as the previous year, and was now the one throwing people, instead of being thrown in the air. That year, I had a small flyer who couldn't control her little body, and would always be falling from stunts. I learned to let my body hit the ground before hers, and that my life isn't as important as hers since she was higher from the ground than I was.
My fourth year cheering was my first year in high school. I got new coaches, and many new lessons to learn. That year, I learned that there is always going to be someone better than me, but that doesn't mean that I can't push myself to get better, using the people who are better as a form of motivation. I learned that not one person can carry the entire team on their back and that everyone has to pull their own weight.
My fifth year, I learned that there are going to be times where you have to push yourself to your limits, and then past those limits. I was having a tough time with learning how to tumble, and strengthening my body to be able to tumble, and I learned that year that no one but myself could do it for me. I learned that people count on me to get my act together, especially when winning State was hanging in the balance.
My sixth year, I learned that your teammates become your family. I learned that they become your sisters and that you have to lift each other up, during the good times and bad times. The program was going through some changes, and the only people who were there for each other were the athletes, and we became the closest thing I had to a second family.
My seventh year, senior year of high school, I learned something new every day I walked into the gym ready to practice. The coaches I had had since freshman year had gotten fired, and my senior season was done before it even began. I learned that when something that big rips your life apart, you have to be so mentally strong nothing can bring you down. I learned the value of true friendship that year, as well as the true value of sportsmanship. I learned that when you think your life has ended, that you have to be patient because something will always end up turning out for the better. That year, I became so close to everyone on the team, I cried for a week once the season was done. I learned, that year, that there was no way a team that had gone through what we did, didn't deserve to not win State and Nationals as much as we did. We pulled together a week before State and performed with such fire I was a changed person after that. We went on to win Nationals a week later.
My eighth year, my first year in college, I learned that there was so much I had yet to learn and that the sport I love with every fiber of my soul, changed drastically from when I started all those years ago, to now. I learned that I am far from being done with this sport and that nothing can take this sport away from me. I learned that there are so many different techniques and that I had apparently been doing it all wrong my first 7 years. I learned that year that I had to prove my worth, every second of every practice and that being on the coveted team I was on, my precious spot was never safe, ever. I learned that in order to be a better athlete, I had to learn how to first change my views on myself. I had to take every feeling I had about my performance as an athlete, and control them to a point I could push myself to break barriers I had set up in my mind to protect myself from unknown dangers. I had to break my mental blocks with tumbling and trust myself so fully that I would be able to perfect my tumbling again. I learned so much in my first year of college cheer, and I can't wait for so many more years to come with this amazing team, and coaches who became my role models and my family. Who all have the same title: "COACH"
So thank you to every coach I have ever had, who along my career has taught me more than I could've ever asked for. Each and every coach I have had has a certain place in my heart for everything I've learned and saying thank you for making me what I am today will never show how much I am truly thankful for the opportunities I had and will hopefully continue to have.
