OT How Did You Get Involved In Cheer?

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I grew up in open gyms teaching myself to tumble, and then moved to competitive power tumbling and trampoline. We moved to California and there were no gyms anywhere near us that offered power tumbling... A friend had an all star program running out of a school gymnasium and convinced me to join. I spent the year tumbling back and forth across the front, pretty sure I was the only tumbler. That was my freshman year. I did my high school team and some sketchy, park practicing all star my sophomore year, and when I got my license I said "I want to join THAT team". I spent my junior and senior year at what is now Nor Cal Elite in San Jose, which was a two hour commute each way. I look back and think it was crazy (as an old lady I hate making that stupid drive now) but it was worth every minute.
 
My mom was a cheerleader all through middle and high school, then did 1 season of college cheer. She then coached competitive high school cheer. I had no choice but to be surrounded by cheer every day, and so I fell in love with it. Allstar cheerleading has always been my passion, and so here we are now.
 
When I was like 14 I was really into a fan base and made a Twitter for it and I became friends with this girl that did all star cheer in Virginia. She tweeted a link to a YouTube video of TGLC and Smoed at worlds and I was sooo amazed with it. I considered joining my high school team as I was starting HS and it was a couple weeks before their try outs but then I found an all star gym and decided that it seemed like a better fit for me so I tried it out. Absolutely loved it and I’m so glad I came across that YouTube link. I only did it for two seasons as it was too expensive for my family but it was a great experience. I still follow my gym and they just announced their third location and the gym as a whole has improved so much since I was a part of it, I love seeing them become so successful. I wish I was still a part of the actual cheering part but I love catching up during NCA and all of the big comps :)
 
As a "Wild Child" which my mom would call me, I would often get scolded for flipping from my top bunk to my guest couch bed in my room. Or for flipping off of fences and trees, gates pretty much anything with the surface to tuck off of lol.

Eventually she had too many near heart attacks and had my aunt enroll me in gymnastics. After a couple of months I began to excel and was offered a spot on the boys gymnastics team. My aunt who was a former cheerleader and a rec coach noticed my skill and put me on her Pee-wee rec team as stumbler essentially and then as a flyer when I aged up to 14-U rec because I was so tiny. I did both gymnastics and cheer for a couple of years until I began to fall out of love with gymnastics.

I eventually quit gymnastics and solely focused on Cheerleading and Dance. Cheered Pee-wee through Sr Rec, High school and All-star Cheer where I was a flyer up until my first year of Intl Coed 5 in 2009. Couldn't cheer in college because I was in the Music Program (Marching, Pep, Concert Bands and Woodwind Ensemble). I started coaching all-star at age 19 in 2006 and I'm currently an active coach, choreographer, judge and consultant.
 
I was a cheerleader for pewee football, school
Basketball And highschool.

my daughter was taking gymnastics one winter and wanted to try Allstar after watching them practice at her gym. We didn’t sign up as it was pricey and she was in 1st grade. Our town started a competitive rec team the next year and she Fell in love. After 3 years we moved To Allstar. Now starting her 3rd Allstar season.
 
Not sure why but I was always thought cheering would be the end all be all of activities for me. Unfortunately, both of my parents worked long hours and the answer to trying all star cheer was always a hard no. But in fourth grade the big town next to me started allowing the girls from our little school to do rec cheer. I absolutely loved it. Cheered my heart out until mid high school when the bullying got bad and my mom got sick. I never convinced my mom to drive me over to the local all star gym, but I adored every fnl and every opportunity I got to take the field with school. And I'm loving watching my little cousins who are now in all star and getting to be their biggest fan.
 
I guess I should share my story too. When I was five years old, I apparently asked my mother if I could try cheerleading. I had done a summer gymnastics season the year before, and she let me because I liked the floor best of all. She signed me up for a sideline rec group, and he next year I was in a competitive rec league. Here I am a million years later, still enjoying everything this sport has to offer me. Neither me nor my mother can figure out where I got the idea in my head, but I’m glad I did!
 
I messed up and missed dance sign ups when CP was 3, but the rec cheer sign ups were later, so she started Performance rec at 4. She did rec until 12, then moved to All Star. She ended up having to take last season off due to joint pain and a knee injury (her knee was basically dislocating every time she tumbled, and even after therapy, she needs to be careful of impact), and is now looking at being a college mascot, although it won’t surprise me if she decides to cheer this year if there is a team that can use her in a non-tumbling role. I did parent team 2 seasons ago, but COVID stopped it this season (usually we meet during the time between the end of the regular season and perform for the Summit send off. I am hoping to do parent team this season-and am avidly waiting for the day that Open 1 becomes a thing :).
 
I messed up and missed dance sign ups when CP was 3, but the rec cheer sign ups were later, so she started Performance rec at 4. She did rec until 12, then moved to All Star. She ended up having to take last season off due to joint pain and a knee injury (her knee was basically dislocating every time she tumbled, and even after therapy, she needs to be careful of impact), and is now looking at being a college mascot, although it won’t surprise me if she decides to cheer this year if there is a team that can use her in a non-tumbling role. I did parent team 2 seasons ago, but COVID stopped it this season (usually we meet during the time between the end of the regular season and perform for the Summit send off. I am hoping to do parent team this season-and am avidly waiting for the day that Open 1 becomes a thing :).
I hope she can find a team(and hopefully so can you!) Happy accident though, am I right?!
 
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