You see us, all the time actually. In class, on the big screen at football games, walking around campus with our special navy blue obnoxiously obvious athlete backpacks, but do you really know all of the work, preparation and dedication it takes to be a Penn State Cheerleader?

Ahh yes cheerleading, the sport that most people don’t consider a sport. Well, as often as people underestimate the work cheerleaders do, do you think people look into their argument? If they had, they would see that my team and I devote over 10 hours for practice each week, endure many physical fitness tests, and not to mention the madhouse that is Gameday.

I am writing this blog, not to ridicule those who do not believe cheerleading is a sport, but to share my experiences as a Penn State Cheerleader and the impact that it has had on my life. As an introduction to the many topics that I plan to discuss, I have been hoping to start off with a simpler event that I took part in.

After the grueling and intense experience that tryouts was, we had a short break period over the summer before actually beginning our duties. My first ACTUAL event that I was assigned to was called the Greater Susquehanna Valley Penn State Alumni Association 40^thAnnual Pig Roast. Quite the mouthful. Waking up at 6 in the morning was not an ideal situation for me, but I had to be at the Sports complex by 7, so there wasn’t much time to waste. As soon as we all arrived hair and makeup all done, we boarded the buses and headed out.

After a promised one-hour drive, turned to two, we finally arrived at our destination. I was so nervous. All of us freshman were. It was our first event as a team, how could we not be? We warmed up our basic skills, which to the untrained public seemed pretty intermediate, and headed to the building where the event was being held. We walked in and set our bags down, then were instructed to walk outside and have conversations with the members of the association. As simple as that sounds, it seems to be one of the most difficult parts. You have to be engaging and upbeat, but you also have to remember you are a representation of your school. A huge school. A huge school whose name you need to uphold.

After walking around for almost two hours, just getting to know the members as well as their association with Penn State, it was finally time for us to perform. I was terrified to say the least. People always say that if you are nervous about something, then you really care about it and that is evident for me in everything I do that involves cheerleading because I am always nervous. Even this Pig Roast, one of the easiest events we will do all year, made me fearful.

As we started to perform all the dances we have worked on all summer, my nerves started to calm. I had so much fun being out there and performing for all these people who I knew supported me.

This is why I love what I do. Not only is it fun to learn new tricks and to be able to show off my skills to my Penn State community, but I also get to meet new people and experience new things. This event provided me with not only a taste of what it’s actually like to cheer for a school this large and this influential, but little did I know what the next weekend, my first football game, would have in store for me.