The Reality Of Being A High School Cheerleader
The media’s portrayal of high school is simply wrong in too many ways to count. Cliques aren’t separated by lunch table, though it may feel like it sometimes, the whole school doesn’t hate you, and despite many teenage girls’ dreams- unfortunately you’re not attending school with 100 year old vampires like Elena Gilbert. Though I could go on and on about the different aspects of these past four years teen movies got wrong, there’s one thing in particular that stands out to me amongst the rest. Speaking from experience- cheerleading isn’t what you see on screen.
Growing up, I was actually a dancer . Tap, Ballet, Acro, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Lyrical to be exact and there was nothing I loved more than being center stage in front of the crowd. I always just felt like I was born to perform. I danced for ten years, it practically raised me. I want to preface this by saying dance will always hold a special place in my heart, but after awhile- especially when I hit those teenage years- I grew out of it.
I quit dance after the sixth grade looking to venture out and try new things. This quickly led to me being bored and doing absolutely nothing in seventh, it was a blur. I tried out for sideline basketball cheer eighth grade and it was very hectic. I don’t remember too much to be honest, besides the short practices and little preparation before games which I paid more attention to rather than cheering on.
Even this year gave me a false perception about what cheer really was. At this point I still figured all those girls did was walk around in their mini skirts and scream, “Woo go team!” as loud as they could because well, that’s all I did. It’s safe to say when I entered high school- I was in for a whole new rollercoaster.
Fresh Start…
Four years later I remember my very first try out. It was new for even the Seniors as the team had adopted a new coach for the season. I wasn’t even nervous prior. I thought, this is a piece of cake, I am the most smiley, jumpy, CHEERY person I know. That of course, ’til I stepped foot onto those blue mats. It wasn’t squealing voices, they were deep growls, their sound triumphing the air around me.
I was even more shocked to learn I wasn’t trying out to simply cheer on the football players who inevitably will lose and be ungrateful of our support, rather cheer was a sport of it’s own- and I could win myself.
Football season flew by like always but comp season came and I was petrified, not knowing what to expect down to the simplest of rules. In Michigan High School Competitive Cheer, there are three rounds, consisting of jumps, tumbling and stunting. Only so many girls can make mat and compete each week. I quickly learned I wasn’t just competing against other schools, I was competing against my own teammates to earn my spot in reach round.
This discovery made Freshman year especially difficult because I came in with virtually no cheer experience. I could do at most a semi-solid cartwheel… but even that needed some work. There was one thing though that I had which surprisingly isn’t as common as it may sound. I was naturally optimistic and always offered a smile on my face. As great of a skill as that is, I didn’t make any rounds this year.
Sophomore Year Strong…
Sophomore year was different, the old coach returned and everyone knew we could do really well this season. She is the most talented coach I’ve ever had and became single handedly the biggest role model in my life, she still holds that title to this day. Again sideline season passed quickly but comp season came in blazing.
I was amazed at how disciplined our team became. If we didn’t point a toe, we conditioned. If we failed to execute a round better than last time, we conditioned. Physically and mentally, this was draining and it was hard to accept people didn’t recognize the work cheerleaders genuinely put into their sport. Despite the challenges I faced, I realized all this did was make myself and team the best we could possibly be. I can proudly say we worked harder than any other team at my school that year.
I trained so hard that year and made it into the rounds. The tough part with this though was that the competition wasn’t over, as I had to fight to keep my spot. You’ll learn you are not owed anything, rather you earn everything. That year my team made it to regionals.
They Say Junior Year Is The Toughest…
I had such high hopes for Junior year after our strong ending a few months prior. After a long application process, I was co-captain and felt the added pressure of wanting to step up and be a leader- help lead my team to success.
This year however was interrupted countless times due to the pandemic. Everything had changed and truthfully, I didn’t know exactly how to lead during these times as I was struggling to figure it all out myself. It was new for everyone. We rarely had our full team there, and we simply didn’t have the time to execute the same rounds we had before.
I don’t want to get too much into details but despite everything going on in quite literally the whole world, we did the best with what we could.
Senior Season…
This was my last year to leave my mark on the mats, and I was prepared. With the addition of two new coaches, even I didn’t know exactly what to expect but I knew I was stronger than ever with a fire burning beneath me.
Football season flew by, but that’s because I only cheered two games due to the fact I was quarantined the majority of the season with Covid. As unfortunate as that sounds, I didn’t care too much as competition season was what I truly cared for.
If you would’ve asked me four years ago the reason why I cheered, I would’ve undoubtedly said the games but over time, that love and passion grew for the sport of competitive cheer itself.
Competition season came and I was SO excited. To be in rounds, to compete, to lead, to end strong. With all of the new experiences and unknowns, I’m proud with what we accomplished and thankful for my coaches for being mentors, emotional support systems, and friends.
What I Learned…
If you got this far, you might have picked up on all of this by now but in case you just skipped to the end for the life lessons- here’s my takeaway. To start, I didn’t wear a cheer skirt to school once, I wasn’t popular in any way, shape or form, and I like to think I am a kind person so you can throw everything the movies “taught” you about cheer out the window. What I did learn though is cheerleaders are some of the hardest working, most passionate athletes I’ve ever met. They put their bodies through so much to not only entertain their crowds but take home a well earned trophy in hopes of advancing on after their trip to districts someday.
So, You Want To Cheer?
I can safely say cheer was my favorite part of high school. It gave me a place to leave my worries at the door for two hours and better myself not only for personal benefit, but for my team- my family. It is a hard sport. So much blood, sweat, and tears will be put into everything you do, but the adrenaline rush you’ll get approaching those mats for the first and final times is worth it. Regardless of whether or not you decide to cheer for yourself, I hope you’ve gained a new respect for the spirit-filled girls you see on the sidelines. They are hard working, and both physically and mentally stronger than you may ever know.
