- Jan 21, 2015
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By: Shane Womack
More often than not, cheerleading doesn’t get the credit it deserves. After being in the sport for nearly 20 years, I can honestly tell you that it was the best decision that I ever made. I never thought that a decision that I made when I was 13 and in 6th grade would ultimately be the best thing that ever happened to me. Cheerleading has shaped me into a hardworking, dedicated individual and I see these qualities day after day in everyone that gets involved. Cheerleading is much more than the skills that are taught to be put on a sideline or mat. There are many “life skills” any athlete will learn if you let them get involved.
10 Reasons Why Cheerleading is the Best Sport
1. Teamwork
Cheerleading is unlike any other sport or activity in the world. While the sport has it’s individual skillset, the sport is just one big puzzle piece that links together athletes within a two minute and thirty second routine, a group dance or even a sideline cheer. There is definitely no “I” in team when it comes to any aspect of cheerleading. Cheerleading pulls together every type of athlete and let’s them learn to truly work together as group and further their skills. One of the best “life skills” out there in my opinion.
2. Confidence
Once anyone catches that ‘bug’, they’re immediately hooked. Ask any cheerleader around. Cheerleading build self esteem and confidence, and there’s nothing more powerful than inner strength. You’ll often see any cheerleader bust out a move, stunt or an 8-count nearly anywhere. While it takes lots and lots of practice, there’s nothing more rewarding that seeing a young girl or boy with that light in their eyes by doing something they truly love.
3. Athleticism
Cheerleading is quite possibly one of the most challenging athletic activities. It pushes boundaries and challenges every individual to strive to better themselves. I’ve seen it first hand in my experiences with the sport. I never gave up, even after injuries and always strived to be the best athlete I could be. It also helped me have a huge family of supporters around me that pushed me daily to work harder and harder.
4. Family
Cheerleading is family. There are so many unbreakable bonds that this sport can offer anyone. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have half of the friends that I have now if the sport hadn’t brought me into such a fantastic group of people. I know that at any given moment and nearly any city, I know someone involved in cheerleading that I could call for support or advice and that’s one of my favorite things about getting involved.
5. Social Skills
In an age of electronic devices, video games and distractions, developing social skills is an important life skill. Get them into an athletic activity that creates a social environment. Any cheerleader that I’ve ever met has always been an outgoing and outspoken leader. It’s important to meet new people and getting an athlete into a cheerleading facility or on a team with 20+ athletes will only help them in the long run!
6. Hard Work
Cheerleading teaches hard work and the great thing about this sport: it just doesn’t happen overnight. Any average cheerleader can spend years working and developing skills depending on how dedicated they are or which team they dream of being a part of. We all know that with hard work comes rewards and there are tons of rewarding goals that come with being in this sport.
7. Goal Setting
Want your kid to dream? That’s exactly what happened to me. I didn’t know how far I would go at the age of 13, but I can tell you that I quickly set my dreams for the stars. I didn’t take no for an answer, set my goals and ran with it. There’s no goal you can’t hit and if it wasn’t for competitive cheerleading, I wouldn’t have gotten that college cheerleading scholarship or be where I am today.
8. Scholarships
Dreaming of college? There are collegiate cheerleading programs all over that offer scholarship opportunities to aspiring athletes. Just one more step in helping you hit those dreams, all you have to do is work hard, set goals and plan ahead! Start looking at colleges that you’d be interested in and see what they have to offer.
9. Acceptance
The world is changing and kids can be who they really are. Sometimes that can lead to a negative situation at school or home. I’ve seen it time and time again and cheerleading is truly an outlet for anyone that wants to be involved. The athletes of this sport are incredibly accepting of everyone and it’s rare that you’ll find someone involved in cheer that doesn’t treat you like family!
10. Dedication
It’s probably my favorite “life skills” on the list. If you’re truly dedicated to cheerleading, you can do it as a hobby, it can help put you through college, or you can make a career out of it. It’s up to YOU. There really are no limits.
Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked for life. I don’t know of any one that’s gotten involved with this sport that can say anything negative about their decision. Some cheerleaders participate for a few years and some do it for the rest of their lives. There’s no limit to where you can go once you get involved in any team activity, but you’ll always feel at home with cheerleading. Give it a chance and remember to set your dreams high. This sport can really take you anywhere you want to go.
The post 10 Reasons Why Cheerleading is the Best Sport appeared first on CheerDaily.com.
By: Shane Womack
More often than not, cheerleading doesn’t get the credit it deserves. After being in the sport for nearly 20 years, I can honestly tell you that it was the best decision that I ever made. I never thought that a decision that I made when I was 13 and in 6th grade would ultimately be the best thing that ever happened to me. Cheerleading has shaped me into a hardworking, dedicated individual and I see these qualities day after day in everyone that gets involved. Cheerleading is much more than the skills that are taught to be put on a sideline or mat. There are many “life skills” any athlete will learn if you let them get involved.
10 Reasons Why Cheerleading is the Best Sport
1. Teamwork
Cheerleading is unlike any other sport or activity in the world. While the sport has it’s individual skillset, the sport is just one big puzzle piece that links together athletes within a two minute and thirty second routine, a group dance or even a sideline cheer. There is definitely no “I” in team when it comes to any aspect of cheerleading. Cheerleading pulls together every type of athlete and let’s them learn to truly work together as group and further their skills. One of the best “life skills” out there in my opinion.
2. Confidence
Once anyone catches that ‘bug’, they’re immediately hooked. Ask any cheerleader around. Cheerleading build self esteem and confidence, and there’s nothing more powerful than inner strength. You’ll often see any cheerleader bust out a move, stunt or an 8-count nearly anywhere. While it takes lots and lots of practice, there’s nothing more rewarding that seeing a young girl or boy with that light in their eyes by doing something they truly love.
3. Athleticism
Cheerleading is quite possibly one of the most challenging athletic activities. It pushes boundaries and challenges every individual to strive to better themselves. I’ve seen it first hand in my experiences with the sport. I never gave up, even after injuries and always strived to be the best athlete I could be. It also helped me have a huge family of supporters around me that pushed me daily to work harder and harder.
4. Family
Cheerleading is family. There are so many unbreakable bonds that this sport can offer anyone. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have half of the friends that I have now if the sport hadn’t brought me into such a fantastic group of people. I know that at any given moment and nearly any city, I know someone involved in cheerleading that I could call for support or advice and that’s one of my favorite things about getting involved.
5. Social Skills
In an age of electronic devices, video games and distractions, developing social skills is an important life skill. Get them into an athletic activity that creates a social environment. Any cheerleader that I’ve ever met has always been an outgoing and outspoken leader. It’s important to meet new people and getting an athlete into a cheerleading facility or on a team with 20+ athletes will only help them in the long run!
6. Hard Work
Cheerleading teaches hard work and the great thing about this sport: it just doesn’t happen overnight. Any average cheerleader can spend years working and developing skills depending on how dedicated they are or which team they dream of being a part of. We all know that with hard work comes rewards and there are tons of rewarding goals that come with being in this sport.
7. Goal Setting
Want your kid to dream? That’s exactly what happened to me. I didn’t know how far I would go at the age of 13, but I can tell you that I quickly set my dreams for the stars. I didn’t take no for an answer, set my goals and ran with it. There’s no goal you can’t hit and if it wasn’t for competitive cheerleading, I wouldn’t have gotten that college cheerleading scholarship or be where I am today.
8. Scholarships
Dreaming of college? There are collegiate cheerleading programs all over that offer scholarship opportunities to aspiring athletes. Just one more step in helping you hit those dreams, all you have to do is work hard, set goals and plan ahead! Start looking at colleges that you’d be interested in and see what they have to offer.
9. Acceptance
The world is changing and kids can be who they really are. Sometimes that can lead to a negative situation at school or home. I’ve seen it time and time again and cheerleading is truly an outlet for anyone that wants to be involved. The athletes of this sport are incredibly accepting of everyone and it’s rare that you’ll find someone involved in cheer that doesn’t treat you like family!
10. Dedication
It’s probably my favorite “life skills” on the list. If you’re truly dedicated to cheerleading, you can do it as a hobby, it can help put you through college, or you can make a career out of it. It’s up to YOU. There really are no limits.
Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked for life. I don’t know of any one that’s gotten involved with this sport that can say anything negative about their decision. Some cheerleaders participate for a few years and some do it for the rest of their lives. There’s no limit to where you can go once you get involved in any team activity, but you’ll always feel at home with cheerleading. Give it a chance and remember to set your dreams high. This sport can really take you anywhere you want to go.
The post 10 Reasons Why Cheerleading is the Best Sport appeared first on CheerDaily.com.
