I was a cheerleader for 10 years, and was a coach for four of those years. From Pop Warner to Junior Varsity to Varsity; from elementary school to middle school to high school; those 10 years gave me not only some of the most incredible memories, but it was also how I came to be the person I am today. There are endless life lessons this sport has taught me, my former teammates and all cheerleaders — lessons that I value nearly three years after ending my career, and will continue to value for the rest of my life.
1. Do not care what other people think of you.
We all know the common stereotypes of cheerleaders; they're snotty, pretty girls who do an activity that "isn't even a sport." Well, coming from someone who grew up surrounded by the cheerleading community, it is a community of kindhearted, caring people. All cheerleaders learn that when they see someone scoff at cheerleading, you respond with a simple, carefree smile. Even though you know you could probably lift more than them, run faster than them and back-tuck over their head, you say nothing because who honestly cares if they're blinded by stereotypes?
2. No matter how bad the fall, always get back up.
Cheerleaders don't just figuratively fall flat on their faces: they literally do. I can't even count the amount of times I've swan-dived right into the floor and fallen on my neck so hard that if my mom saw she would have had a panic attack. However, I always got right back up, shook it off, and tried it again. Okay I might have cried a little first, but only for a second.
3. Always, always smile.
In the middle of your competition routine, you have no choice but to smile. It doesn't matter if you just failed a test, or are fighting with a loved one, or you're doing the completely wrong dance moves, you have to be smiling. If the basketball team you cheer for is completely biting it, you better look like the happiest loser of all time.
4. The show must go on.
During your competition routine, no matter what happens during that two-minute and thirty-second routine, you cannot give up. I've done a back-handspring onto my face, sprained my ankle, got kicked square in the face, and have finished out the rest of the routine flawlessly. I will never forget watching a girl finish her routine while her nose was dripping blood, and she was still smiling ear to ear. The show must go on, rain or shine, or blizzard...
5. Trust others.
Not that you really have a choice as someone is catching you as you fall from 20 feet up...
6. Teamwork.
If one member of the team makes a mistake during the routine, points are taken off, ultimately indicating which place the entire team gets. If one person doesn't show up to practice, their entire stunt group can't even practice and the rest of the team has to compensate for it. If one person gets injured and is out for the season, all hell breaks loose because everyone's positions are guaranteed to have to change.
7. Optimism.
When you are waiting for the judges to decide the places and the fate of each team, there's nothing to do besides goof off with your team to distract one another and hope for the best. Even when the team you're cheering for is down by four touchdowns in the last half, you keep cheering them on in hopes for a miracle.
8. Handling anxiety.
Some of the worst anxiety I have ever experienced is on deck at competitions. I would get so anxious that I didn't think I would even be able to perform. Luckily, there was always that one teammate who somehow was maintaining enough sanity to give a pep-talk, a speech to get everyone confident and excited.
9. Confidence.
It takes a great deal of confidence to dance in front of your entire high school and their parents under those bright Friday night lights, or performing in the same arenas that Justin Bieber perform has performed in. Oh, and to top it off, having to perform in some really weird hairstyles. For the sake of proving this point, and for mainly everyone else's entertainment, here's (as promised) me twerking in front of my entire high school and "rocking" an example of one of those strange hairstyles:
10. Disney isn't just magical for children.
Nationals in Disney every year throughout high school created some of my best, most valued memories. What else could one ask for besides exploring Disney with 20 of your best friends before competing and watching all of your hard work pay off?
11. Flexibility
Being flexible improved everything — your jumps, your tumbling, your dancing. Even today I'm the only one of my friends that stretches at the gym: because of cheerleading I know it's not only necessary; it's therapeutic.
12. Time Management
Throughout high school, I would be gone 12 hours everyday. Right after school I would go straight to practice for two hours and then go straight to coaching younger cheerleaders for two more hours. After that, and adding in the weekly games we had to cheer at, the all day competitions Saturdays and Sundays, and the six-hour straight weekend practices; my entire team became experts in time management with the scarce free time we found.
Although it was certainly time for my cheerleading career to end, a part of me will forever be missing knowing I will never perform in front of thousands of people again. The other remaining part of me will forever value these life lessons and cherish the countless memories (especially when I get to show off my tumbling at a trampoline park or my dance moves at a club).
