“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
Henry David Thoreau

Behind the common stereotype of cheerleading- the poms and little outfits - there is a fierce and demanding sport of competitive cheerleading. People often have such a skewed view of what this sport really is. Competitive cheerleading will always hold a place in my heart, regardless of the universal stereotype, because of the heavy impact this sport and the community has made on me. I know what it is like to pour your heart into something for just 150 seconds of performance.

I am a competitive cheerleader. And it is this sport that has made me who I am, taught me life lessons that I will never forget, and built memories that will last a lifetime.

Competitive cheerleading forces athletes to train arduously for just one chance to showcase the team’s hard work. My team trains from three to five times a week, depending on the time of the season, and never leaves without sweat-drenched clothes. We consistently have to eat right, train right, and work hard so we can perform to the best of our ability. We have to exude strength, speed, and flexibility, all while under crazy pressure to be perfect and smile.

With the world's skewed stereotype of cheerleading, people judge what I do. They judge my passion. But, the judgement teaches competitive cheerleaders the best lesson of all - to be diligent and have integrity. We take the road that is not easy. It is the climb. 1,000,296 seconds of preparation for 150 seconds on the mat. It is totally reasonable to put in hours and hours of work, while balancing school and life, just for one shot on the mat. The sport requires an immense amount of drive, determination, and dedication.

I quickly learned patience and optimism; learning how to execute tumbling skills perfectly and hitting a stunt sequence over and over and over again is never easy. It is not natural. But the satisfaction of finally hitting something or gaining a trick that you have worked so hard for... that makes it all worthwhile.

Cheerleading has given me a different perspective on life. I learned to respect corrective criticism from my coaches and appreciate every teammate’s individuality. The sport's impact on me has helped me become not only a better cheerleader, but a better person.

When you are practicing with a group of kids for at least three hours a week, you begin to grow close with them. After road trips, meetings, and midnight practices, you cannot help but love your teammates. You spend weekend after weekend traveling to different cities and states for competitions where all you have worked on is shown in just 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Not only do you become a close-knit team, but you become a family. Cheerleading forces athletes to place absolute trust into each teammate. You trust them to catch you in a high-flying trick and work with you through the trials of the routine. No matter what, I know that twenty years down the road, I will be able to call on my girls.

Many cheerleading memories that I have consisted of watching the "big girls" compete. As a little cheer baby, you dream of competing at the highest level of the sport. As a mini, you learn the seniors' dances, watch in awe as they practice, and watch their every move. You want to be like the older girls and boys and hope to be just like them.

As an older cheerleader, I look back to these times, and it really is awesome to be a role model to many now. As a senior level 5 cheerleader, you recognize the admiration from the little cheerleaders, and you admire them too. I have had to learn how to watch what I say and do because that cheerleader is watching you. I learn from all of the young cheerleaders' attitude, from their excitement and determination. I try to remind myself of their passion for the sport when I get drained and try to replicate it at every practice, just like them.

One thing that I will really miss about cheerleading- that feeling. If you are a competitive cheerleading, you know exactly what I mean.

This feeling is unlike any other and it cannot be replicated. The feeling does not necessarily come from the loud crowd or the big lights. The feeling does not derive from a sense of urgency or even from fear. This feeling comes when all of the hard work and fierce passion comes together on a mat. Fulfilling your dreams. “Hitting zero” with your best friends. Making all of the hard work worth it. Competing at Worlds and making history.

That feeling is what separates this sport from every other sport. This is why alumni can come back to the gym and feel at home. This is why your cheer team becomes your second family. This is why cheerleaders do this crazy sport with big smiles. I will miss this feeling, but I'll always go back to the moments and emotions that I experienced with my team. Because that feeling is unlike any other.

Cheerleading may be a different ‘sport’ to some. To some, maybe it is not a sport at all. But to me- to us- it is our passion. It is what has impacted each of our lives so heavily. This sport has given me integrity and diligence. I have gained a respect and passion for people and their different passions. The impact the sport has on athletes around the world is hard to replicate, but the passion cheerleaders exude on the mat and off the mat is a true testament to how awesome the sport really is.

The sport of competitive cheerleading has impacted my life and shaped me into the person I am today. And above all the lessons, I would never take back the moments with friends and family that will last a lifetime.