Part of the reason why I love staying active so much is because I grew up doing sports my entire life. I was a competitive cheerleader for ten years, and in high school I ran track. I am going to only focus in on my time as a cheerleader because this consumed such a large portion of my life, and has shaped how I view myself and my health today.
Contrary to to a typical misconception about cheerleading, there is a highly competitive and athletic nature to the sport. There is a strong focus on stunting— lifting others into the air— and tumbling—the types of flips you could associate with a gymnastics floor routine. The higher the level of difficulty and execution of these components, the better a team will score. The Universal Cheerleading Association provides very detailed score sheets that judges follow to determine the winning team. Many doubt the seriousness of cheerleading because they think a judge will watch a routine and pick the one they like the best, but after taking a closer look at at score sheet they will see that the criterial for winning is highly objective.
Me Doing a Backtuck
Throughout my time in high school I would compete at the High School National Championships , where hundreds of teams across the country would come together at the ESPN World Wide Sports Center in Orlando, Florida. This was definitely a high-stress environment and very overwhelming to first time participants. My team would work from August all the way until February to perfect our routine and showcase it on this large nation-wide stage. I would say my favorite part about being a cheerleader is the adrenaline that comes right before competing at a an important event.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest downfalls of this sport was the toll it took on my body over the years. During my junior year of high school I sprained both of my ankles and one of my thumbs and it became hard to maintain the skills I had worked for years to obtain. My team would practice Monday through Saturday and have competitions on Sundays, so it was especially difficult to recover during the season. Studies have come out that cheerleading is the most dangerous sport for females, and I do not doubt this, knowing what my teams had to endure over the years. While I loved my time as a cheerleader, the accumulating injuries are why I am glad I am retired. Now, if I am in pain or sick I do not have to push myself to limits I am not okay with. I really enjoy having the ability to be in control of when and how often I exercise. I am happy to have gone through this experience and grown as much as a person and an athlete as I did, but I am especially glad to have moved on from this chapter in my life.