I was a competitive cheerleader for 13 years of my life. Cheer was my entire world when I had to give it up three years ago. Saying goodbye to cheer was one of the hardest things I ever had to do but I knew it was time for me to go to college and start a new chapter. Cheer although not my main love anymore still finds its way into my heart now and again. I am constantly looking for ways to talk about cheer with others or just follow up with teams on social media. I still follow all of my old gyms and teammates on all social media. I still keep in contact with so many of my old teammates and try to see them when I can. Cheer will always be my love even after years and years away from it. Cheer still makes me do some funny things to either stay involved in it or just because of its habit.
Follow cheer on social media
I follow so many of my favorite cheer teams on social media. I keep up to date on all their new uniforms and routines I follow old cheerlebrities on social media some of who are even now married and so far out of cheer but I will never unfollow them. It is so easy to still follow everything cheer on social media and I am so grateful I can keep up with the sport I used to love.
Search for a workout even close to a cheer practices
Cheer routines were a whole different type of whole body workout. I was so physical fit because of cheerleader that when I gave it up it did a number on my body. I still to this day try to search for workout plans that feel even close to a cheer practice but nothing ever does. Being a cheerleader will always make you super critical of your body especially after being done for so long. I am never going to find a workout close to cheer.
Bring up cheer in a every conversation
Still after 3 years I try to talk about cheer with people even those who have never cheered. I am constantly telling old cheer memory stories and remincising on all my glory days. I love when I find other ex cheerleaders and we can talk for hours about are cheer days. I always instantly have a connection with someone who has been a past cheerleader.
Competitions consume your weekend
I follow all the main cheer competitions on social media. On the weekends I am constantly checking to see how teams did and the bid orders. I am obsessed with following competitions on the weekend and I feel like I will never out grow it.
Look for any way to stay involved in cheer
I still try to find ways to stay involved with cheer in some way. The sororities at my school do a mock cheer competition and I was all over being apart of it as a way to still feel like I cheered. My cousin also cheers and I am constantly trying to find ways to be able to go to any of her competitions.
Still listen to old/new cheer music
Cheer music is one of those things that only ex cheerleaders understand. The music that seems odd to others is so good to me. I used to have so many cheer mixes on my phone growing up. Now I just wait for the teams to drop their music so I can listen to it and get excited for their future routine.
Get excited for your old gym(s) victories
My old cheer gym holds a huge place in my heart. That gym was home so I love getting to watch them achieve so many victories. I get so excited when they win competitions and gain bids to Summit and Worlds. I will never stop being proud of my old gym and its athletes.
Find anyway to go to local cheer competitions
I have been out of cheer for three years and have gone to a handful of cheer competitions. I literally do not care if it is not teams I know I still want to be there feeling like I am there competing.
Never forget your most heart breaking loses
I have had some rough heart breaking competition loses and they still stick with me. Then loses taught me so much but I can still feel how upsetting it was for me and my teammates. The loses stick with me but I also remember the good moments with my teammates and that we helped each other thru the heartbreaking loss.
Try to throw old tumbling passes you know you cannot
My favorite part of being a cheerleader is that it is muscle memory for me to still throw certain tumbling passes. I can still throw a standing tuck and a back handspring. It is so fun for me to show off too friends that I can still tumble.
