I can't believe it's been an entire year (and then some) since I graduated from high school, which means it's been even a little longer than that since I closed the door on a big chapter of my life: cheer.

Like many girls in middle school, I tried out for the cheer team not knowing much about it. Somehow, I managed to earn myself a spot on the team. It did not take long before I fell in love with the sport and all of the friendships it brought me.

After my first year of cheer, my family moved to a different state. I was sad to leave behind the friendships I had made, but I was also excited for new adventures with a new team. My eighth-grade year with the new team was actually the very first year my school had a cheer team at the middle school level. (Thank goodness!!) It was a fun year, but by the end of the season, I was ecstatic for tryouts for the high school freshman team.

When I tried out for the freshman team, I had no idea that it would be the beginning of my growth not only as a cheerleader but as a leader. I was able to be captain alongside another amazing leader and under an amazing coach. Being able to work together as a team with my fellow captain and my coach to organize games and events made me fall in love with the sport even more.

Finally, the time came to move up to the varsity team. Tryouts were definitely nerve-wracking, but they were also so worth it once I saw my name posted on the team roster after tryouts were completed... and this was the way things were for the next two years as well. I was blessed to be captain again my senior year and work with more amazing leaders and my still amazing coach.

Don't get me wrong, being on a cheer team was not always as nice as I'm making it sound. There was always a few practices that we would get frustrated and want to leave. There were some games that we didn't want to travel to and cheer at. But, at the end of it all, the long practices and workouts were worth it when our team took the mat to perform and hit a perfect routine or when we were able to cheer on our football and basketball teams to victories.

During my six years of being a cheerleader, I gained more friendships, memories, skills, and life lessons than I ever expected to. As much as I miss it, I know that was a chapter of my life that is now complete, but it's also nice to look back at memories made and lessons learned.

Despite the scare at the beginning of my senior year when we thought my coach was done coaching, I was lucky enough to have the same cheer coach for five of my six years as a cheerleader. I am so grateful she decided to stick it out one more year so I could finish off my cheer career with the coach I started it with during eighth-grade.

To my coach: thank you for all of your never-ending dedication to making sure we always looked good as a team on the field, court, and mat, but also for caring about each of us as individuals outside of cheer. Your constant support with academics as well as cheer helped me to be successful in high school and taught me to have the same kind of dedication that you gave to us in all aspects of my life. All of your hard work never went unnoticed; I love you so very much!!