Your face is caked with makeup, and your hair is filled with bobby pins. There is so much hair spray and gel on your head that you are the reason those companies are still in business. Your hands are beginning to sweat, you're losing circulation in your feet from how tight your shoes are tied, but at the moment those thoughts are far from your mind.

Hit, Hit, Hit, Pull.

Harder, Faster, Stronger.

Louder, Sharper, Tighter.

5,6,7,8...

FACIALS!

Those are the only words going through your head as you prepare to push yourself beyond your limits the second you step on that blue mat.

According to thetoptens.com, cheerleading is the third most dangerous sport behind horseback riding and bull riding, respectfully. But cheerleaders don't need a website with statistics to tell us what we do is dangerous.

We push our bodies and our minds to their breaking points. We convince ourselves that it is okay to defy the laws of gravity. That yes your body can flip that many times in the air, yes you can twist down that many times, and no your facials are never big enough.

Doing cheers on the sidelines of football and basketball games are what we do for fun, to relax. Our focus is not on how good the boys' teams are, our focus is on us. Games are to perfect the little things, half-time shows are just as much fun to perform as they are to watch, and no we do not take our sideline cheers seriously. We are NOT the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders... that is for sure!

What we do take seriously are the two minutes and 30 seconds that we have once the music starts, and it's time to leave all of the blood, sweat, and tears on the mat with no regrets. Any conflicts or animosities are gone. This is the time to shine, the only thing that steps onto that competition floor is perfection.

Being a competitive cheerleader is not a once a week hobby. It's hours of being in the gym working your butt off, it's stretching until you believe you may be made out of rubber, timeless car rides to practices, and competitions. Thank you mom and dad!

We like to think we woke up like this, but the truth is we have spent countless hours practicing, training-literally eating, sleeping and breathing cheerleading. Whether you are a high school cheerleader competing to be the best in the area or an elite cheerleader competing at worlds, what you put in is what you get out. You practice three hours a night, after being at school for a full day, to only turn around and do it all the next day. Hit a routine perfect twice in one practice? You better make sure you hit it perfect three times the next day.

But now it is competition day. Everything you have worked so hard for is on the line. You are no longer just a cheerleader, you are a team. You hold hands for your pre-routine rituals, whether it is saying a prayer or playing a game, your goals are all the same... to win!

Cheerleaders do not lift weights... cheerleaders lift people. We throw 100 pound people in the air as they twist their bodies so vigorously, all while looking gracious and like they could do it in their sleep, because realistically we all dream about hitting flawless routines.

What goes out on the mat is perfection, but the tricks being thrown are not as effortless as they look.

Miss catching someone's foot or arm can mean a broken leg or arm.

Twist too early: a broken nose or face.

Miscalculate timing: a broken back.

Don't fully commit to a trick: potential paralyzation.

It brings trust to a whole new level.

Cheerleading is a combination of gymnastics and dance, along with cheering. So it is still mind-blowing when people are surprised to see skills being thrown at competitions that some see during the summer Olympics. Gymnastics is dangerous... so is cheerleading!

Two minutes and 30 seconds later: when the final beat hits and the routine comes to a close, there is no better feeling than hitting a perfect routine. You did it! The hard work, blood, sweat and tears are all worth it! But after that, when that routine helps bring home the hardware, you feel invincible!

Some people are going to say cheerleading is not a sport no matter what is presented to them. But it is a fact that no matter who tells a cheerleader that what they do is not a sport, is going to receive a fired up response. You are allowed to think however you want, but research controversial topics before making assumptions. For more information on the "Cheerleading as a Sport" argument visit the AACCA (American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors) website, www.aacca.org.