Cheerleading-Personal Narrative

Cheerleading started as a male endeavor in 1898, when a University of Minnesota football fan led the crowd in verse in support of their team. It was not until World War II, when men shipped out to war, that women took over. Then cheerleaders came to represent the American ideal of femininity: wholesome apple pie with washboard stomachs, perfect teeth, and flawless complexions. Stereotypes cast them as blond, petite, and impossibly perky. “From its humble beginning cheerleading has blossomed into a competitive athletic activity with a serious image problem” (Forman 52). But today’s post-feminist youth have put a new, diverse face on cheerleading. Cheerleading in America is no longer a matter of waving pom-poms, a cute smile and being overly

Starting from the introduction to the relationships currently held with the fellow cheer squad; also known as cheer try-outs. My enthusiasm for wanting to be a CAU panther cheerleader curved my ability

When I was 9 years old, I started this thing called competitive or all-star cheerleading. My goal at the time was to make it on a level 5 team and compete at the World Championship. Within my first 5 seasons I had a lot of trouble with my tumbling, which prevented me from moving past level 4. Before my sixth season I switched cheer gyms. My parents believed in my goals so much that they drove me an hour and half to and from practice two to three times a week. Within my first year at Tribe which was my new gym, my tumbling issues never got resolved. That left me on a level 3 team where I never believed I was good enough. The next year I was again put on a level 3 team. Now in my eighth season I was put on a level 3 team yet again. I wanted to quit, but my coach showed me that tumbling did not define me and allowed me to fall in love with the sport all over again.

Hi, I am Arabella, a junior in high school and a varsity cheerleader at Siesta Key High School. I am four feet and eight inches tall and a flyer on the cheer team. I often dress like a nerd, and do not care what other people think. I am dating the star football player at SKHS his name is Tom. Tom was not only a star football player, but he is also very good at soccer, basketball, baseball and volleyball. He is a liar and a cheater too. Anyways, people just call me Bella. I love sports and love spending my days off at the beach. I especially love Major League Baseball; Tampa Bay Devil Rays is my favorite team. I am a happy person most of the time. Who’s dedicated to my cheerleading career; and I want to get a scholarship for Northwestern

If everything was easy, then everyone could it and it wouldn’t be an accomplishment. Last year I joined an all-star cheerleading team, and that’s when I found out that this wasn’t going to easy that I have put myself out of my comfort zone. I was 17 years old and I was very shy, but I knew that you couldn’t do anything if you’re shy. Cheer was the best choice I had ever done by the second week of practice I was talking to everyone on the team they became my second family my coaches became so important to me they believed in every single one of us they pushed us to do our best and to never give up.

Today is September 17, 2016, almost a year since my accident and I’ve come a long way since then. My ankles healed and I’m back to cheerleading with no complications, I’ve even been going to tumbling and working on my back handspring, which brings us here.

I worked out everyday and practiced every chance I got. When the first day of tryouts came around again, I woke up that morning like every other day, but I knew today was different. I knew that today was the day I was going to redeem myself. When I got to the field most of the guys looked familiar, a few of them even joked around with me and asked "you're back for more?" Unlike the previuos year, I was ready for this tryout. I proved to everyone that doubted me and said I couldn't and I earned my spot on that team. The moment I saw my name on the team's roster was one of my proudest

When I was a child, I believed that my most important goal for my young life was to one day become a varsity cheerleader for my local high school. Nine years later, the day I became a varsity cheerleader, I made a promise to myself that I would never do anything to jeopardize my personal image or the image of my team because I knew that young cheerleaders were always looking to be just like the varsity cheerleaders, and also like myself. This aspiration of mine encouraged my volunteer involvement with the the local recreation department in my county that coordinates youth cheerleaders during each fall football season.

Adams, Natalie G., and Pamela J. Bettis. Cheerleader an American Icon. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. 2 April 2014

At the end of an 8th-grade year, the office called any girls wanting to try out for high school cheer. HIGH SCHOOL CHEER!! The next step of cheer, cheering at the football games, basketball games. I was excited to try out for high school cheerleading. Even cheering with upper classmen! The paper that was given to us had a bunch of words on it, it gave us choices like: “Just Football”, “Just Basketball”, “Football and Basketball”, and another one that said, “Competition, Football, and Basketball”. I thought to myself, “What was the competition cheer like?” No idea, but on the cheerleading Facebook page, there were new coaches. This was going to be their third year as a UHS high school cheer coach. They were also really pretty, and on the

Cheerleading is an activity that has built my levels of confidence, grit, and commitment to soaring heights. Being involved in this sport from such a young age, it has shown me the ups and downs of not only sports but many aspects of life. Such as, learning how to take responsibility for yourself and the role you’ve been assigned, how to be on a team and collaborate with others and learn how to compromise in order to develop a bond resembling a family. More importantly, how to relentlessly keep pushing forward and to not give up even when some undertakings appear to be grim. An elaboration of a time the lesson to endure benefitted me was when I dislocated my shoulder in a stunt. This experience brought forth a new aspect of my character and

Cheer stole my life away from me. We practiced mornings, afternoons, and weekends. All I ever did was run an incessant routine, having no time for myself, my friends, or my hobbies. This is when depression hit me. I struggled to balance school and my coach’s unrealistic expectations, and found myself breaking down slowly. My biggest dream became my biggest nightmare. Everyday, I wanted to give everything up, but something within me said no. This was my journey to competing nationally, 3000 miles away from home.

My mom became my cheerleading coach from 8th grade till I graduated from high school, I didn’t mind her being my coach, she had a lot of patience for 25 girls to be able to teach us cheers and stunts. As young as we were, we realized he more we practiced the better off we were and we would be prepared for the upcoming game nights. The basket ball games were during the week, usually we would have 2-3 games a week depending. We had practice three to four days a week working on our side line cheers and stunts and how we could improve them for game night. This introduced me to a whole new group of friends, but I loved cheer so much that I wanted to continue it through high school which I did till eleventh grade and then I stopped. I enjoyed this sport/play experience so much, it made me feel happy, have energy, to be able to make new friends and engage with others. I really enjoy learning new cheers or new chants for the audience. I loved cheering on the sidelines for the football players hoping it would make them feel good about their performance. Every year we would have SPIRT week where each day there was a different

I felt like I could do anything. The moment was extremely surreal. I hadn’t accomplished anything so arduous in my life. The crowd’s cheers were thundering through my body. I had so much adrenaline coursing through my veins that I wasn’t even weary. People were jumping up and down, screaming in victory, and clapping so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. I couldn’t believe that I had just won the State Championship volleyball game.

Running the same routine over and over since August 14, 2004 and it is now October 6th. Bodies are aching, feet are sore and we all feel as though