It feels like just yesterday I was a little girl going to my first cheerleading practice. Ever since then, cheerleading has been a huge part of my life. I can’t tell you I remember the exact moments I competed for the first time or the first time I cheered at football game, but I have made memories to last me a lifetime.

Cheerleading built me into the person I am today. The years have come and gone faster than I ever could have imagined, and as my time as a cheerleader starts to come to an end I don’t know what to do without it in my life.

As an athlete, when we spend the majority of our days participating in the sport we love, there is a void in our lives when we can no longer participate. Whether we gave it up willingly by hanging up our cheer shoes and retiring or unwillingly because of an injury or just because our bodies can’t handle it anymore, there will always be an ache in our hearts for it and a hole in our lives that nothing else will be able to fill.

To all the younger athletes: savor every moment, the good and the bad, because when it’s gone you can’t get it back. You may not think you will miss the hard times now, but you will. Those moments are what will make you into the athlete and person you are meant to be.

You’re going to miss the dreaded early mornings.

You’re going to miss doing cheer hair and make-up.

You’re going to miss your body being sore.

You’re going to miss your coaches telling you to go full out again, even though they told you the one you just did was going to be the last time.

You’re going to miss the bond you make with your teammates.

You’re going to miss long choreography days.

You’re going to miss not trying to get glitter off of all your stuff during competition season because you realize it’s not worth it because it’ll just come right back as soon as you have to do your make-up for the next competition.

You’re going to miss your feet being more tired from walking around a convention center all day than they are from actually competing.

You’re going to miss that feeling you get waiting backstage before you perform, and your heart dropping as soon as the team's music before you ends.

You’re going to miss standing on stage, for what feels like forever and thinking you’re going to forget your whole routine, waiting to hear your coach yell “music’s on,” and suddenly you remember how to breath again when the music starts and realize you didn’t actually forget your routine.

You’re going to miss the screams of the crowds and the adrenaline rush you get on stage.

You’re going to miss seeing your coaches jump up and down when your stunt section and pyramid hits.

You’re going to miss that feeling when you hit your last pose, the music stops and you realize you and your team hit a perfect routine.

Most of all, you're going to miss everything about this sport you gave your all to; though it gave back to you so much more than you could've ever given it.

With the good comes the bad, but in hindsight, the bad isn’t actually bad. It’s just hard work that makes you become the best person and athlete you can be. As my days as a cheerleader slowly but surely come to an end, even though I will never be able to give it up completely, I would go back and do it all over again if I could.

The best lesson I learned from a coach was to “Treasure the Journey.” Treasure every moment because once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.