Athlete

“A person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill,” I read out loud to myself, remembering how earlier today, Eric, one of our football players, had done everything he could think of to try and prove to me cheerleading was not a sport. If a cheerleader isn’t an athlete I don’t know who is.

Basketball

          First basketball game of the year, and we’re off to a great start. When the boys play as well as they did tonight, it’s not hard to keep up the positive attitude, and keep the smiles coming. By the time it was halftime, the whole court was so loud, and encouraging, and we were all so full of positive energy that our performance was probably the best we’ve ever done. The feeling of performing for an excited crowd is indescribable. This season is going to be a good one, I can already tell.

Body

          I walk up the stairs, and on my way to the locker room, I see a freshman boy who just made the team, and he is carrying his basketball. Holding it as if someone wanted to steal it right from his hands. A basketball player’s prized possession is his basketball. A football player’s prized possession is his football. Without the ball, there is no sport. I walk past the mirror in the locker room, and look. I see a tired, hot red face, exhausted from hours of hard work and running routines. Messy hair, workout clothes, cheer shoes, and empty hands. My body is my prized possession. My body is my everything.

Boyfriend

          I walk out of practice, and run to meet my boyfriend who is waiting at my locker. I give him a huge hug, and he tells me we need to talk. Uh oh.. I bite my lip and prepare myself for what’s coming next. “You have no time for me. I like you a lot but I want to be able to spend time with you and get to know you better. I can’t do that when you’re always busy. I’m sorry but it’s better if we’re just friends,” I knew it. This isn’t the first time that’s happened. I’m too busy to even have time for myself, how am I supposed to have time to spend with anyone else? I guess he’s right. It’s better this way.

 

 

Boys

          A lot of people look down on guy cheerleaders, but I think they are the best. The cheer boys are my brothers. And my best friends. They always have my back and I am so happy to have them. Any guy who makes fun of guy cheerleaders just isn’t man enough to be one.

Camp

          Cheer camp. I wake up to the same song that has played every morning this whole week at 5:00 to wake us. I brush my teeth, grab my bag, and head out the door, already wearing my cheer clothes, which I slept in so I could save time and sleep for a little bit longer in the morning. The three other girls I shared my room with get ready too, and we are out the door to meet the others for breakfast in less than 10 minutes. By 6:00 the entire conference room (which has been cleared of tables and replaced with blue mats for us) is filled with cheerleaders from all over the entire state, and we are stretching and warming up. We review the 4 dances, and 10 cheers that we had to memorize in about 5 hours the first day. We go over them again and again and again until lunchtime, which is only about a half hour break. After lunch we go back and stunt and tumble until dinner which is at about 7 every night. Between every pass, I glance at the clock and pray that it’s almost time to be done. Then I wipe my sweat, and go for another pass. By the end of the day I am so exhausted I can hardly stand. I go up to my room and by the time we all get to sleep it is about midnight. And we start all over again. Camp is hard. But it is also what brings a squad together. After camp, we are no longer a squad, but we are sisters. We are a family.

Catch

          In any other sport, if you miss the catch, all you miss is the ball.

Chance

We only get one chance. After weeks of running and perfecting a routine, we stand with our fists at our sides, and heads down. My heart is pounding as the music begins and we all come to life. Front and center, it is important that I don’t mess up once. I only get one chance to show everyone what I can do.

Chiropractor

          He sure has his work cut out for him. I lay on the table and listen to the list of problems to my mom “..crooked because she walks the way she had to when she was a gymnast, this leg is longer than the other and you can see if you stand here, her neck is out of alignment,..” I sigh and prepare myself for the many appointments I will have to fit into my busy schedule.

Closet

          Blue. My school colors are all I see when I open my closet, or look in any drawer. Cheer shorts. Spankies. Sports bras. Tank tops. Cheer. Cheer. Cheer. Cheer. Blue.

Coach

          I might as well call her mom.

Competition

          A side of my squad that no one has ever seen. You’re used to seeing the bows, the uniforms, the smiling and waving, and the piece of cake routines we perform at halftime. I just wish you could see the sweat, the pain, the tumbling, the stunting, the never stopping, the intense, extremely competitive side.

Conditioning

          Yes, we condition just like any other sport. Only instead of lifting weights, we lift people. Instead of jumping jacks, we do jumps and kicks until our legs are so weak we want to cry. I am just as strong as any other athlete.

Counting

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, ………I swear I can count to ten! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, ….ahhhhhhh! Let me try again..

Dance

          “Hit one!” our coach yells, and we all immediately, like soldiers, jump and land with our feet just farther than the width of our hips, and every set of arms makes a V. Every muscle in every body is clenched tight. We hold this motion until everyone gets it right and usually it takes about five minutes. Finally we can move on to two. We hold every last motion until our technique is perfect, and then start over and do it again. Maybe by tomorrow we will be able to add the music.

Danger

          Cheerleading is considered the most dangerous sport. More injuries occur per year in cheer than in any other sport, including gymnastics which is a close second.

 

Example

          There is always a little girl in every crowd who wants to be just like you. Don’t disappoint her. I read it over and over again every morning before I leave. My favorite quote, written on my mirror in pink marker, it reminds me that I am constantly setting an example for someone, somewhere. That little girl is watching me. Always looking up to me, and she will copy every little thing I do. I want to be that girl that people are glad their daughters look up to.

Experience

          If you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else will get hurt.

Facials

          If you feel like a complete idiot, you’re doing it right.

Family

          We win together, we lose together, we practice together, we perform together, we hurt together, we always pick each other up, and we never let each other fall. A squad is a family.

Free time

          ..What free time?

Fun

          The day before nationals, and we all have the same thing on our minds. We go to the beach and spend the whole day in the water, and on the sand, and we are all so full of energy and anxious for tomorrow that nothing could bring us down.

Girls

          Chisters. That’s what we call eachother. We are cheer sisters, and we are always there for eachother.

Injuries

          The doctor’s office has become a familiar place. I sit in the waiting room again, but in my opinion it is pointless because no matter what they say I’m not going to take a break. I can’t afford to stop practicing right before competition season, and there is no way anyone can make me.

Leader

          To be a cheerleader, not only do I have to be a leader of cheers, but also in life. Being a cheerleader on and off the mat means being the best you can be, and being an example for others, in your actions, and in your words.

Lunch

I wonder what it is today.. I hope it’s something at least semi-edible because I am starving. A lot of people think I’m anorexic just because I cheer, and I’m skinny, but in all honesty I eat more than a pregnant cow..

 

Motions

          After the bell rings for lunch there is always a different song that plays while I walk to class. Today, it’s Clumsy by Fergie. By the time the chorus comes, I’m already walking with my hands in a clean. 1, arms hit just outside my shoulders, marking a High-V. 2, hold. 3, arms swing down and barely cross in front of my body. By 4, my arms are back to where they were on one but my wrists are turned down to mark my T. Clean 4 counts. 1, horizontal right punch 2.. I keep going, and walking down the halls I probably look like an idiot to all those around me, but my random arm swings make perfect sense in my head. This is my song and my routine has been nailed into my head so many times I can’t help it.

Music

          Weird. I never noticed how slow this song was. I guess after listening to the cheer remix version for so long I had forgotten what the real song sounded like. Funny how that happens.

Nails

          I get to class and pull out a notebook. I look around for Max, a guy on the squad and pretty much the only person I ever talk to in this class. I see him by the door standing behind two girls I can’t help but notice are staring at me. One girl turns to the other and says in a mocking tone, “I can’t write today, I broke a nail in cheer!” the other pretends to cry, and I just look away. Ha break a nail. We’re not even allowed to have nails.

Nationals

          Five words. Adrenaline, stress, exhausting, pain, LOVE.

 

 

One more time

          In other words.. We’re gonna keep doing this until you get  it right and I don’t care how long it takes.

Pop

          The sound that comes from every single one of our ankles, knees, wrists, and backs whenever we tumble, stunt, run.. Even walk for that matter.

Smile

          Running. To get to my next position so that as soon as I get there I can tumble. Roundoff back handspring back handspring back layout stepout.. As soon as I land I run again to my stunt group, and with our tired arms and legs we throw a cheerleader into the air. At this point, though it doesn’t seem like much, smiling is the hardest thing to do.

Tryouts

          The most stressful, emotional time of the whole year.

Unitiy

Something no squad is even a squad without.