Personal Narrative: Rocket Cheer

There I was up in the air. There I was standing up on two girls hands’ high in the air with my back spot holding me tight as the crowd stared in aw. I was in a huge building, looking down at a blue mat. One mistake and I fall hard to the ground, and disappoint everyone around. I was sweating like a pig, I felt a drop of sweat hit my neck as I went on. I ran in fear, jumped nervously, all while I tried my hardest, but will it be enough…

There is a lot of ability and strength that goes into cheerleading. Cheerleading shows the idea of good sportsmanship, shows how to work well with others and learn how to get along with people that are different than you. Our team once had a problem with

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.

Cheerleading began for me at the age of twelve. In the past I had played soccer, basketball, softball, did ballet. Basically every activity my mom could possibly put me in. All of those activities were okay, but cheerleading became something that was special to me. I first began cheering in middle school for the Hazelwood West Junior Wildcats. I cheered on the team throughout middle school literally dedicating all of my free time to cheerleading. I lived, ate, and dreamed cheer. I went on to continue cheering throughout my high school career, cheering for all Hazelwood West athletics, including: soccer, football, basketball, and wrestling. I was a hardcore dedicated athlete, and I had spirit like no other. From

I first became involved with the sport when I was 9-years-old and will probably continue with the sport until I graduate. Being a part of this team has shaped me into the person I am today. I have become a role model for my younger teammates. I am someone who can motivate them to work their hardest and help them achieve their goals by guiding them. I have spent many hours, whether it be during practice or after, coaching these younger teammates, or girls trying out for my team, in order to help out my coaches and show these girls that if they ever need any help I will always be available. This has taught me to step up and be a leader, which is something 9-year-old me would have never

During my elementary years, my second home was at the cheerleading gym. Each week, I would spend over sixteen hours in Shrewsbury, PA practicing with my cheer team for competitions. I was a member of Titanium Athletics, an allstar cheer team that trained to compete against other teams all over the country. Cheer was essentially my entire life for five years, and I had no idea how much my family and I would be impacted when I quit.

They say a team is like a family but, to me, this beyond true. When I transferred to Northwest Catholic last year as a junior, I knew no one at this school. I was so intimidated about the school year and starting over that I had the fear that every high school student had; fitting in. Fortunately, I had decided to join the cross country team and my worries went away. I was immediately welcomed onto the team and found myself surrounded by encouraging teammates and coaches. I made friends who I believe I will keep in touch with for a lifetime and gave me the confidence I needed to, not only make it through, but thrive in my junior year. I know I have not been on the team for a long time but the sense of unity, friendship and encouragement that

I started taking tumbling classes to work and improve my skills. During the summer, I started all star cheer which greatly improved my skills. That taught me that people I don't know can become your best friend. Also I learned how to handle disappointments and being replaced better. Throughout the season I grew a lot, I learned many new skills. During competition season I learned to never give up. Even though I could barely breath, I had to give all my effort. If my team wanted to win we had to work as one. If one person was struggling, we all were. We were united as

I have told a few little white lies through my lifetime. One that I can remember happened back in elementary school. I started doing competitive cheerleading back when I was about 6 years old and continued to do it until I graduated from high school. When I was in 4th or 5th grade I remember telling my friends I knew how to do a back flip. Everybody believed me and wanted to see me do one during recess and I was scared because I just started to learn how to do one so I did not have it perfected yet. When they asked me to do one I always came up with an excuse. One day I decided I was not going to come up with excuses anymore and just do it. During recess I remember everybody coming over to me and asking me when I was going to do it so I decided

From being a cheerleader I can say that it’s been exciting being able to cheer, and do our routine in front of crowds.It can be Scary trying new stunts and tumbling. It is definitely a major learning experience, from learning new cheers to learning life lessons. Trust is one thing all sports have including cheer. Trust is also life lesson you can learn, especially flyers. One reason flyers have tons of trust is they have to trust their bases to catch

Cheer takes a lot of my everyday life.Sometimes all I think is cheer and what I’m going to do at the game or practice.It is a hard task to fufill , but in the end its all worth it.I just tryout to feel the rush when I see that I have made it on the team.The lloks and joy of all the girl that have made is a joy that know one has really felt until you meet the cheerleaders when the sign is

Cheerleading is a sport that is very difficult because you have to pick up people, do jumps, tumbling you could get hurt really bad if you don’t do something right. You can cheer at a football game or at competitions, at football games you cheer for the football player and 3nd quarter you do your routine in front of your coach’s and your Family and friends. At competitions you cheer in front of anyone that you don’t even know and in front of judges instead of football teams going against each other your going against other cheer teams to win that big trophies and a jacket its really hard to get those. Did you know cheer was first invented November 2, 1898 and they called it “yell leader”? When you join cheer you become family with your team

I’ve since then participated in many community and club activities but Cheerleading has stood out by far. I started Cheerleading when we moved here and have been in the program to this day. With my own Mother as our coach it proved difficult to rise in levels due to her thoughts of “favoritism.” But at age 15 I became my Mother's successor and took over the program. While balancing my other two jobs, being a Gymnastics teacher and pizza baker, this became my favorite. Leading a 100 cheerleader program is no joke but it’s became a habit over a job. The ability to change a child’s perspective on themselves and other people is why I love leading this group of cheerleaders. My kiddos, I hope one day, will rise above me to become leaders in their own ways and cultivate an even better future for our community as I have.

Cheerleading means the absolute world to me. Despite what people say and think, I know it is one of the most complex, dangerous, challenging, and fun sport there is. Ever since I was 7 years old, I wanted to be a cheerleader. I watched so many videos of cheer and practiced their moves and motions in the basement with my younger sister. When it came to the stunts, there was nothing more fascinating and exciting than that! I wanted to watch every second of how those girls held one another in the air, how the fliers turned and twisted their bodies to make those shapes, and how they could be so graceful and stay in the air like that. I would then do my best to imitate the fliers by holding my leg up in the air, standing on a chair and trying that way. The very best thing was always the tumbling. Everyone was flying in the air. Twists, back flips, and legs were the only things I saw. I didn't know the names of them back then, but I couldn't be more intrigued by

I am a cheerleader who cannot dance. A cheer routine consists of three main components, stunting, tumbling, and dancing. I have been cheering for over six years and still have no rhythm. Every year when it comes time to learn our choreography my coach already has my spot. It does not offend me because I have learned to overcome and find pleasure with my inability. Choreography is the best day of the year for a cheerleader. You get to learn a whole new routine and find out what the year holds for your team. While everybody else gets to learn the new dance for the upcoming season I sit with my coach. While I may not have beat I do have good ideas and my coach always lets me voice them during the dance. In the end while my teammates preform the