It had been a long week for all of us; never had we faced such a workload. After the team’s moral had been drug through the mud when tying for last place at the cheer competition just seven days before, and how hard we had worked in the subsequent practices, we were hungry for a win. After a long day at school, we were more than ready to head to Hayfield High School for our second cheer competition. You could see the excited and nervous looks painted all over the girls’ faces. We were ready. The bus picked us up over half an hour late, though we were worried about time, we all had a fun bus ride. The wind blowing through the open windows lifted our sprits as well as our ponytails. The fresh air cleared our minds for the challenge ahead,
The players of a high school football team were traveling home from their football game in Fernandina Beach, Florida. It had been a tough night. It was August and still hot. The game had lasted three hours, and the players had to play offense, defense, and special teams because there
The pressure was on. Myself as well as my middle school football team had been practicing for weeks to beat our opponent, Southport Middle School. They had beaten up the year before and it was our turn to pay them back.
The next seven minutes could determine what my 7th grade year will look like. 11 other girls, competing for seven spots on the JAJH Cheer Team. My hands were shaking, and I was so nervous inside. What if I don’t make it? What if I make myself look like a complete fool? Falling on my face, tripping, doing the wrong cheer, all of these factors were racing through my mind. But I had to plaster that smile on my face, black shorts, white shirt, bow, tennis shoes, I was ready. Routines rushing through my head, one after the other, over and over. Five, six, seven, eight, one… Three days of practicing and learning the material for those next seven minutes.
As if I had unconsciously alienated myself from the squad. But no matter what I did I couldn’t shake the quasi -mental abuse that I had endured from cheer phi earlier on. No one likes to feel like the black sheep. But being a rebel was embedded in my DNA since birth. After all the separation, stress, and burdens of my financial obligations. I had contemplated quitting the team. I figured that if I didn’t want to be a part of cheer phi and if I couldn’t afford being on the team then why bother. One of the cheer phi members overheard me discussing my plan to the coach .I immediately got defensive and was silent the whole practice thinking that they were happy that I was leaving.
I waited weary in anticipation of what name would break out of the happy-go-lucky collegiate cheerleader’s boisterous mouth as he was announcing the two lucky 2017 National Cheerleading Association All Americans out of all 4 Belton cheer squads. I replay this moment in my most vivid dreams, feeling the excitement of the halcyon moment grow greater and greater as the nerves and emotions grew stronger and stronger. A moment as imperative as this showed me in the most transparent way that hard, continuous work and growth pays off in many more ways than one.
But the pride had 110% confidence in their selves. This may have been one of the hardest/encouraging game yet, we knew we could not lose to them. In the middle of the 4th quarter our starting quarterback had gotten injured, everyone took off their helmets and got on one knee. There was no more sound of laughter, chanting, singing. It was all serious, a teammate to us is not just a teammate, he is family. The sports med crew had ran out there and helped him, we could tell he was in a lot of pain but we knew he would be just fine. Everyone prayed and hoped he would be fine. 10 minutes later the trainers carried him off the field we didn’t know what was wrong with him yet, but we still had to continue the game. There was 5 minutes left in the quarter and the score was 35-42 with the pride still in the lead. The time went fast, with the 4th quarter coming to a end. The pride had did it, they had one by a shocking touchdown. At the end of the game we all went to our injured quarter back. We all went on one knee and smiled at each other, we now knew we had a special bond, not only in football but in our
Walking out onto the opponent’s brightly lit turf field setting up for the kickoff of the second half just gave me the feeling that everybody knows, my hair starts to stand up, butterflies began to flutter in my stomach, and everything seems to slow down. Looking into the stands and seeing that our hometown fans had traveled four hours in order to outdo the home crowd gave me a sense of comfort. Looking into East Jefferson’s stands and seeing that our fans, despite having to travel all the way down south, outnumbered their fans by at least 70 people. I found myself thinking that this meant just as much to our town as it did to our school and team. This feeling would be just the motivation we needed in order to finish this game
The game is slowly approaching, making everyone itch to see the players back on the field. Giving it all they have got, the players practice as hard as they can day after day. The band is working diligently to put on the best performance of the year, while our cheerleaders practices their routines.
It was a brisk fall evening, and my seventh grade youth football team and I had traveled to Aberdeen to play the undefeated Chiefs. We had worked harder and longer than we ever had that week to show that we were a threat in the league and ascend from our third place ranking. We knew it was not going to be easy; the Chiefs’ team had the fastest running back in our division, and they had scored more total points per game than any other team in the Southeast Idaho Youth Football League. The field was neater and greener than we had expected in this town. It was a great day for football, and I was with all of my best friends. I knew going in that it was going to be a learning experience whether we won or lost that night because the Chiefs were
Both Pitman and Turlock High played hard at the Freshman Harvest Bowl on thursday, November 3. Pitman fought hard, but the THS freshman came out with a 27-0 win. After the second half, Joey Deloach, a THS______ said, “Slaughter, they have no chance.” After the last quarter ended, the Pitman admitted defeat, and respectfully congratulated the THS players. Miguel Rios,____for THS, and Deloach both agreed, “The offence played well, and the defence played really well, teamwork is why we won.”
After our loss to our school rival, the Panthers (red), with a score of 38-7, we created a synergy when we trained together. Our team, and I especially, moved passed the initial sadness. The Panthers (white) became the most determined, levelheaded and hardworking people on the football field. In fact, I was
Just before we arrived at the meet Coach Tuch had asserted to the team, “This is it, the day we have been training for guys. You truly need to give this one your all.” As soon as I knew it we were there. I felt like throwing up and crying all at the same time. It was cold, windy, and dry. The course was rough. As Shelby and I were warming up for our race we both knew that this was going to be one of the most challenging race of our lives. We were done and the race was about start as I heard Sydney yell, “ You got this girls let’s go!”
The most memorable achievement from my athletic career at Dakota High School is an unusual one. It is not an incredible play I made, or an exciting game that we barely won. Rather, it is the impact I made on the young girls watching me from the stands. Throughout my time as a cheerleader at Dakota, I have had the privilege of being a Mini Cheer Camp leader 5 times. During my time as a leader, I was able to not only help the young girls learn more about the sport I love so much, but also teach them to be confident young women. As a young girl, I attended the Mini Cheer Camps put on by the varsity cheerleaders. I remember looking up to these girls and wanting to grow up to be just like them. I admired their intelligence, their charisma, and,
Students spend four years of their lives attending high school. Going through high school is mandatory as it prepares them for college and strength to face “the real world.” Having part-time jobs has become the phenomenon among high school students and many students follow this trend as well. Moreover, there are some pros and cons attached with it. Though it may seem like working throughout high school is a bad idea, it could better prepare students for “the real world.” Although some people believe that the primary duty of a student is studying, I am of the opposite position. I strongly support the idea that high school students should work throughout high school. This is because they can earn money, become responsible and get
The team was ready, we had been working extremely hard for the past seven months for this. We were all in great shape and very rested. A few of the returning players were meeting me at my house to carpool to the final game of the state championship tournament. Everyone knew that the hard work had paid off when we won the semi-final game the preceding day.