My Final Moments As A Chelsea High School Cheerleader

I walked off the floor with sweat dripping from my hair. So many thoughts flew through my head that I couldn’t focus on anything. My junior year of basketball felt like it ended as quickly as a blink. It was as if in seconds we went from the stars of the state tournament to the embarrassments of it. I tried to forget the disappointment of it but it still will not leave. My desire and love to win games comes from the more apparent hatred of losing them. Junior year we had a chance to win a state championship, but we lost that chance. That was when I realized that I had one chance left to win. Senior year our basketball success would only be as rewarding as we would make it. The pressure placed on ourselves was substantial, and we faced trials on the road to success. In the end, we stood alone, crowned as the champions, not letting our chance slip away.

Junior year of high school I had reached my limits and had become clinically depressed. I had no interest in school, and I had considered quitting my schools cheerleading team. I felt alone and underwhelmed with where I had imagined my life was going to go. My dream was to become a state champion with cheerleading and to place in the top 10 at the National High School Cheerleading Championship, I had already made amends with the idea that it was an unreachable goal. I had completly given up. Ready to quit, one of my teammates had taken notice in my dismissive persona, she had also brought it to the attention of the rest of my team. They began to push me harder then they he'd ever pushed before. They helped me realize that I was great again.

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.

Again, tryouts came for the next greuling school year. The only difference from last year, I was prepared. I knew the cheers, I knew the feeling of standing in front of crowd so ecstatic from a winning game and I knew the feeling of a crowd sitting at a loss for words in the face of defeat. I knew my goal and I was absolutely determined to reach it. I could only be described as a lioness on the prowl and the Varsity squad was my prey. Just as anxious as the year before, though this time with a hint of confidence, I made my tryout a culmination of completely everything I had learned from my wildly experienced past. That night, I reached my ultimate goal and earned the prized name of Varsity cheerleader. The next day I practically walked around with an enormous V on my forehead, honored by the position. With all this positivity, I knew there was something to come. That same summer, I hadn’t received a lucky chance to become even a contender in the

From the time we step on that field to the time we drag ourselves off it, things need to be done quickly and efficiently. I believe that not only would I be able to make the most of our time, but I would be able to keep my section in a good mood while doing it. Despite my friends’ exasperation when it comes to my cheesy sense of humor, it often acts as a means to boost morale. For example, during sectionals when everyone is tired and sunburnt from the day’s practice, I’ll be sure to crack a joke or two to lighten the mood and have them walk away with a slightly better attitude. Not only that, I’ll even be sure to cheer them on and act as their personal cheerleader when it’s a little too hot or the practice is a little too long. As you might have guessed from the rest of my essay, I have developed strong relationships with the people in my section. Not only have I known Maggie and Abbie since our middle school days, but Kaitlyn acted as my mentor freshman year, and Kyle and I have become good friends after this past concert season. I believe that with these relationships my section will not only accept my authority, but they will respect it as well. As I care a great deal for my section, I will enjoy being able to push them to be the best they can be, and the upcoming freshman will just as easily become a part of

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.

It was that time of the year again, football season. Football is a sport in which I am very passionate about, I never knew I could or would be so passionate towards something, until one very specific game. It was a Saturday afternoon, the breeze was just right, the temperature was just right; not to cold and not too hot. Being the first game of the season I didn’t know if I was going to play or not. However, I was proven wrong Coach Smith hollered “Shawn!” I stood up startled at first and right then and there I knew that was my moment to shine and shine is what I did.

I remember the gut wrenching feeling looking at the bright computer screen on that Wednesday evening not seeing my name. The confidence I had a minute before was all taken away in an instant. I didn’t make the middle school cheerleading team. I know it seems like a first world problem, but I wanted more than anything to make that team and when I found out I did not make the cut I was devastated. I had worked so hard to put myself in the best position possible. I practiced motions, jumps, and even smiling until my cheeks went numb. Unfortunately, this did not do much in terms of getting put on the team.

I refused to cheer too much because I know it would drive my focus away and it was best to stay humble. I reminded the offensive team this because it would be our hubris if we let our victories envelope our heads. By the end of the final quarter, we had won our game by only a 2-point conversion. The cannonade from my chest was still lunging towards the outside world. Throughout the game I feared failure, yet I overcame it. Realizing that my role was more influential than I known previously, I adapted to the pressure. I reflected on my own performance and knew I could do better. There was so much I could improve on and I was determined to be the

It's 3:30 in the morning on a Saturday and I’m awake. I get up and head to the bathroom to get ready for the big day. Today is Arcadia and it's the very last field show I will ever march with some of my best friends. I can’t wait to see them. It’s 4:45am and I’m in the band room half awake but overly excited for the long day ahead. Andrew, Becky, Matthew and I ride together on the way to Arcadia high school to get ready to perform our field show, “The Final Chapter” later on tonight. Once we get there we meet up with the others to go watch the day bands perform and to buy food and pins. It's our last Arcadia. The time finally comes for the Riverside Kingsmen to take the field, all I can do to remain calm is think through my drill and my music we’ve got one shot let's make it count. Before I know it we’re done and I have performed the last field show I will ever be apart of, but that's not a scary thing it's an exciting moment because I played my heart out and and hit every flank like a boss! We’re off to get our scores and see who won Sweepstakes, they announce third, then, second, then first, then Sweeps...we did it! We won sweepstakes and ended our last year with a bang! My friends and I are celebrating, laughing, crying and taking it all in. Weeeee just did it together! We eat, load up and are on the bus ride home, everyone is either playing games and talking or asleep. It's 2 am and i’m finally home and in bed

In SGA, an E-board’s secretary duties involve keeping an accurate recording of all meetings and holding a record of all paperwork throughout the length of their office term. The skills required for that position are organization, written and verbal communication skills, and punctuality. Along with the position, each year at graduation, every E-Board member is given a task to complete during graduation ceremony; my task was to write a one-minute speech that coincided with the senior class gift I was to present at graduation. I had experience in making public speeches in front of a crowd but never in front of thousands of men, woman and children on such a memorable day. So upon delivering my speech, I had written and rewritten my speech making sure my message was clearly stated and my speech flowed. I practiced every single day before graduation and the morning of graduation. Anxiety had filled by body causing me to sweat and feel waves of heat before walking on stage to deliver my minute-long speech. However, once at that podium and under those blinding lights, I delivered my speech with confidence, ease and clarity, just like I practiced, making that experience the biggest and scariest yet, most fulfilling task I’ve ever

Working with a person to reach a common goal is used everywhere in life and is another lesson I learned. Platinum was tremendously close, which lead to great chemistry and produced exceptional results most of the time. With us all wanting to achieve success badly, whenever something went wrong in a stunt or pyramid we would often blame others for our mistakes. Very quickly I learned blaming others and putting them down was not going to result in success. There was an instance my third year at Kansas CIty Athletic Cheer where I did not get along with a certain individual on the team. We bickered and she got on my nerves extremely easily. I knew that outside the gym I did not have to like her, but since they were a teammate I had to respect

My apprehension only seemed to grow as the time dragged on. Suddenly, I heard our school name. Adrenaline rushed through me as we ran out onto the mats with gaudy smiles on out faces. The music thundered behind us as we jumped, stunted, and danced. It felt like it was over in a heartbeat. The experience as a whole left me utterly exhausted; so much in fact that when it came time for awards, I was quite frankly too worn out to care. We had done our best and there was nothing we could do to alter our fate at that point. Still, I couldn't help but attempt to play back our performance in my head. "We were nowhere near as natural or well put together as the other teams." I muttered. As it turned out, I was correct. We placed last in our

My first day in cheerleading was stressful, because I felt afraid but I was happy because I was making part of a new team. I always wanted to be a cheerleader. My trainer introduced me to all the teammates and he said that I was going to be the new flyer so I got really excited because that sounded really cool and I felt like I was going to experience lots of adrenaline and that’s what I like, my trainer and teammates helped me in everything and throughout the weeks I learned very well and

I was running down the field, my heart pounding like it was going to jump out of my body. The crowd was cheering loudly, my excitement was escalating, we were so close to winning the Rugby Ohio State Championship game. I was so close to being part of something that we, as a team had worked so hard to get to. The seconds were ticking away and in those last few seconds all I could think about was all the hard work I had put in to get to this exact moment in my life. All the hard work I put into being part of a team that had bonded, and grew together to get to this moment.