Cheerleading is magic to me; it lights up a light that I never knew I had inside me. It was also a dream of mine to cheer in high school. I've been on my high school cheer team for four year and stunt team for three years. I have learned to juggle school, cheer, stunt, relationships with family, friends and time for myself. I found myself being able to multitask and not get overwhelmed by all the chaos around me. My first two years of cheer I did not have confidence which made it difficult to make friends with girls on the same team as me.
Junior year was different I grew, learned, achieved, and let the worry stop. I made junior varsity for cheer which I was disappointed about but once I took a step back, I was grateful for the judge's decision. Junior year I grew as a person and a teammate. My academic achievements gave me confidence in myself which carried over to cheer. I was captain of junior varsity my junior year. Being the only junior on junior varsity was embarrassing at first but I learned that even though I was put on this team for a reason and whatever that reason was I was just thankful I was still being given the opportunity to cheer. Being captain opened my eyes to the confidence you need to lead the team, advocate for the team, and the communication needed to lead. Stunt was different this year we finally won a game. I was still having to juggle school, stunt, friendships, and other things that helped me improve into my senior year.
My senior year had brought a lot of change and growth in my life. Everything changed this year; I lost all my friends, my confidence went down the drain, I did not know who I was or what I wanted to do with my life after high school. During my senior year I found peace in being by myself at school and finding who I was again. It is crazy how one friendship can break you down and make you feel like you are nothing. As cheer season started, I went toward the younger girls and built relationships with them. I wanted to be there for them and guide them if they ever needed me. I challenge myself academically with higher level classes. The cheer team was different, there were so many recent changes happening with the program, but I learned to adapt and not get overwhelmed. Stunt changed too, I have learned dedication and perseverance. I am one of the captains on stunt this year. I know my responsibility is to lead the team, guide them, and not give up on them. These four years of cheer and three years of stunt have taught me how to be confident in myself, how to react in stressful situations, communicate with different people and listen to what they have to say and learn from it.
Cheer not only involves rallying for a football or basketball team. Instead, the intricate sport involves throwing flyers in the air, hitting routines to the best of one’s abilities, and most importantly, being a well-rounded individual.
Stunting has allowed me to realize the importance of collaboration. In order for a flyer to hit an extension or flip perfectly, she must be thrown, caught, and supported by her stunt group. I learned that the same applies to leadership. Without cheer, I would not have been able to create the National Honor Society and Link Crew events that I created. Starting a donation drive or a luncheon is not possible without the support and assistance of fellow leaders. If I want a stunt to hit, I have to work with my base, back spot, and flyer. Similarly, if I am planning to have a successful luncheon, I have to collaborate with leaders to create the posters, order food, and more. No base or back spot is the same, but every base and back spot, like every leader, has incredible strengths that can team up for incredible results.
Now, hitting routines has taught me patience and discipline with myself and my academics. A routine is comprised of various factors, such as dancing, stunting, and sometimes cheering. But in order for a routine to look good, regulation and calmness must be involved. Before cheer, I was incredibly unorganized and constantly overwhelmed. By having to learn routines in cheer, I taught myself to have discipline, as I had to remember to practice routines and be strict with my movements. I was also patient, as I had to remind myself that I would not always memorize routines instantly. I now apply the same concept to my academics. The discipline of cheer is continuously seen when I remind myself to study for exams and complete homework with the best of my efforts. And when I do not understand a concept in math, I remind myself that I will eventually understand it as long as I continue to practice. I am so thankful to cheer for allowing me to become an efficient student that not only has discipline but is understanding of my weaknesses.
After being a four-year cheer captain, I have been able to understand the difference between a leader and a boss. Cheer, especially with games and practices, taught me to lead by example rather than always instructing my teammates to do as told. The sport also made me realize that taking opinions of others can lead to greater success. I was able to utilize those skills and become president of the VMHS National Honor Society and one of the Link Crew Captains. I utilize the same wisdom to lead meetings and create events to assist freshmen.
I am incredibly thankful to cheer, not only for the memories and friends I made, but for making me an efficient individual that is prepared for college and life’s obstacles.
I have been a part of my High School cheer and stunt team from my freshman to senior year of High School. I also plan on trying out for Cal Poly cheer and STUNT this upcoming month. I have learn to grow as a person by being able to accept that not everything is in my control and that sometimes things go wrong but you have to be able to move past it. I try not to ponder on what went bad but instead of what succeeded.
I have struggled with coaches and athletes on my teams, but I have learned that at the end of the day that is just how life is. Life will be full of obstacles and this sport has taught me to overcome so many. I have been able to learn about myself and others through this sport and support each other through our own struggles. Without this sport I would not be the person I am today and would not be able to connect with others the way I do now.
Going into college pursuing these two sports I am excited to learn more about the culture of cheer with new coaches and new girls surrounding me to broaden my learning with stunting and tumbling. As well as keep the culture of never dropping your flyer by building the trust between stunt groups because it is a trust not many are able to have. Cheer has become my life and I truly wouldn´t want it any other way.
