Recently, I was scrolling through my old pictures and stumbled upon some from my last year of high school. Most of them were cheer pictures. Being a cheerleader in high school was quite possibly the best thing about going to high school. Nothing can beat walking through the halls on game day and stepping out onto the track under the Friday night lights. However, being a cheerleader meant more than just the sport. It taught me more valuable lessons than even my actual classes did, if I’m being honest.

How to trust

Being able to trust people is something you gradually learn throughout life, but in cheerleading, it’s basically the main foundation of your team and something you need to have from day one. This was particularly important when we were putting girls up into stunts. The flyer needs to trust that they will always be caught by her bases and back spot, the bases needed to trust each other in making sure their movements were in sync and the back spot needed to trust that the flyer wouldn’t give them an elbow to the face when it came time to cradle.

How to work in a group

In life, you’re always going to have to work in some kind of group, whether for school or work. The same goes for cheer. For a whole season, you are expected to cooperate with around 20 girls that you may or may not have known previously and make things work. It was rocky at times but in the end, we all knew that being a team and looking presentable come game day relied on how we worked with each other. Communication is key.

How to be responsible

I’ve always said that cheerleading is different from other sports in that when one person doesn’t show up, the whole practice or even a game is thrown. Cheerleading consists of routines that rely on each individual. If someone is missing, a section is ruined or a stunt can’t be put up. You take on a lot of responsibility like showing up to practices and being on time, making sure you have all of what you need like your pom poms, sneakers, or even your bow, practicing when you’re home and keeping your grades up in school. Learning how to be responsible for every aspect of your life is something that you’ll always need.

How to be social

Most likely, you won’t know every person on your team the first day of practice. Cheerleading, I’ve found, exposed me to a lot of different personalities that I wouldn’t have otherwise been around had I not been on the team. You get pushed out of your comfort zone a little bit because you have to work with people you don’t really know. This is actually a positive thing though, because in life, you’re always going to meet new people and somehow build a relationship with them. Cheerleading was what I consider to be my first step into gaining better social skills.

How to be a leader

There were multiple times when we had to step up a little bit and help out our teammates with certain routines they weren’t picking up as fast as we were. Being called to the front to demonstrate a simple eight count or to do the whole routine was something we just had to be comfortable with. When there were tryouts, you sometimes had to be one of the people who taught the cheers or showed the jumps. Being a leader was a common thing, not just for the captains, but everyone on the team. We even had a cheer bow ceremony each week when two girls would be able to wear the special bows because of the leadership they had shown. It helped me to understand that a leader is not defined by titles, but by how you present yourself and interact with the people around you.

How to bounce back from failure

The amount of times I had to learn this lesson is a bit annoying, but overall it isn’t all that bad. When I didn’t make varsity my freshman year, I worked harder, tried out next year and made it. When I messed up a routine in the middle of a game, I smiled and just brushed it off my shoulder. When I didn’t become captain, I took on leadership in another way. In the end, you have to learn to laugh at yourself and regain your footing no matter what happens. Keep your head held high and find another way. Sometimes you just have to make the most of the situation.

How to break out of your comfort zone

I don’t think there was a day when I wasn’t challenging myself to do something new. A new stunt, a new routine, a new workout, I had done it all. Breaking my stage fright was a big thing to me. I’m one of the shyest people you’ll ever meet, yet I managed to stand in the middle of the football stadium and perform with my team. I still can’t find words to explain how that even makes sense.

There’s no other family like your cheer family

You argue over dumb things and sometimes you annoy each other more than anything, but in the end, you couldn’t think of a better group of people to share the experience with. They’re there for you when you may be having trouble at home and also for when you passed that algebra exam they knew you were cramming for all week. The best laughs you have are with them and the crush you have on that football player is always going to be the topic of discussion on the bus ride to away games. Random sing alongs and dance parties are what you live for, but the best thing of all is that these things will live in your memory for the rest of your life.