Imagine a place where there are no words being spoken, but communication is at its peak! This place is a world of numbers where cheerleaders are standing on the competition mat ready to compete. It has always fascinated me that this sport relies on the numbers 1-8. These numbers are referred to as the counts, and these counts constitute the secret language behind cheerleading.

Whether I have to be in the air jumping on 5, or getting my flyer in the air by 7, these numbers each have their own meanings. There are many “sets of 8” in a routine, and it takes a lot of understanding to remember what comes when.

There is also spoken communication that must be understood in order to become an experienced, skilled cheerleader. For example, the deadliest phrase of them all, “full out,” may mean nothing to an outsider looking into a cheer practice, but this means torture to the athletes.

This means that the athletes need to perform their routine as if they are on the competition mat, and typically means that there is a lot more energy being needed to finish this two minute and thirty-second routine. There are more terms than this, but this one definitely gives me some PTSD.

There is a lot of unspoken language that goes into hitting a perfect routine, and usually, only cheerleaders understand this language. When you are preparing for a stunt, that head nod you give your other base signals that you are both on the same page, and gluing your arms to your sides indicates the beginning of one sequence or the end of another.

When the music turns on at a competition, us cheerleaders are expected to know what comes when, and how to execute each skill in its entirety. A competition is where all three of these different types of language come together and allow the cheerleaders to show everything they know.

They are performing their routine full out, using the unspoken language to be on the same page with each other, and using the counts they know to be synchronized with one another. The competition is the pinnacle of it all, as the adrenaline pumping through you gives you the opportunity to have the time of your life.

Besides the terms that define cheerleading and the skills that go along with it, cheerleading is a team sport that requires a lot of encouragement. This encouraging language has impacted my life because it has made me think positively about situations. I took this encouragement outside of the cheerleading world and have used it to continue my life on a positive path.

This encouragement I grew up with developed a drive and motivation within myself that I would not have had without cheerleading. Coming into college, there are a lot of stresses and issues someone may face, but the motivation and encouragement I was taught at such a young age have allowed me to take on these challenges and conquer them to the best of my ability.

Even though many see cheerleading as standing on the sidelines cheering on a boy’s football team, I see it as so much more: I see it as the development of who I am today.