Cheerleading is something that I have always done. Every summer, I fill in my calendar with 'practice Tuesday/Thursday' and look forward to the upcoming season. As a senior, my time as a high school cheerleading is coming to an end. As the first home football game nears, I'd like to share only a few of the things I love about cheering in high school.

1. A new family every year

With seniors graduating and underclassmen joining the team, you always have a mix of new teammates each year. This means that the longer you have been cheering, the more people you will meet! After spending summer, fall, and winter together, you become a big family.

2. Friday nights are for football

While some of your friends are deciding which party to go to on Friday night, you already know your plans for the next twelve weeks. And honestly, there's not a better place to be!

3. Becoming close with the other sports teams

We are there for them, and they are here for us. Football teams and cheerleaders spend countless hours on bus rides across the state, planning pep rallies, supporting each other, and becoming a family. We cheer on our teams, and they appreciate our relentless encouragement and pride.

4. Always having bruises

If you have ever had to dance on tile, you understand. Your body will always be covered in bruises, either from dancing or stunting. People will look at you like you have been in a fight because your arms and legs are varying shades of blue, purple and green! Bases and backspots can practically look at the picture and feel the bruise as at occurs:

5. Becoming friends with your coaches

I have mostly had the same cheerleading coaches for the past seven years of my life. Through the ups and downs of each season, they have remained steady and positive, always helping us when we are hurt or struggling. They teach us life lessons and how to better teammates and people in general. Thank you, coaches!

6. Homecoming week

If you think normal students love homecoming week, wait until you see a high school cheerleader during homecoming week. It is pure excitement--and nerves. We spend months planning the week, pep rally, game, and the performance that we will do, all for one week! So much effort goes into all of it, that it is hard to not absolutely love homecoming week!

7. The life lessons

"Full out!" You have heard this phrase hundreds of times. They tell you to be tight, sharp, safe, to practice how you perform, be encouraging, and to give it all you got. After years of cheerleading, this will be engrained into your brain. These are the things that we should remember everyday in life, even when our time as a high school cheerleader is over.

Even though it is sad that this is my last year, I'm glad that this is how I spent the majority of my youth!