Okay, mainly I made an account because I need help. I am on a senior level 4 team and honestly, I want to quit. I really just don't want to go to practice because I have lost all confidence in my flying and I have no idea what to do. I just can't quit though because we are 4 practices away from a competition, and I just can't do that to my team even though I really don't want to do it. Even though I feel like I'm making myself unhappy just for other people, but I want to be happy and I don;t know what to do, we can't really afford it either. I have had really bad practices for a while and I'm supposed to be one of the best flyers on my team but it's too stressful and I really don't want to do it anymore, it's so bad I feel like crying as I'm typing. Please help. ):
We had a flyer on a team one year that clearly hated it, didn't want to be there (great body positions when she hit) but was absolutely "over" cheer in every way possible. It was obvious. She would tell kids on the team she'd quit when she'd miss a practice (which happened with some frequency) but then she was back again.
Long story short, she was miserable and the team was miserable. She came down in many competitions and wouldn't fight to stay in the air. She just didn't have the confidence and didn't want to be there. She actually came down twice at a huge very important competition and just her deductions alone were the numerical difference between first and last place (and this was in late winter) and last place was how they finished.
She finally did quit (for good) in the middle of the next competition when she was told (after she came down again) that she wouldn't be going up for day two. They got in their car and left in the middle of the competition.
Now I can see how you don't want to let down your team 4 practices before, but that's plenty of time for them to fill someone in. This team had her quit during the competition (which I don't recommend) and they made a few adjustments and for the rest of the season (which was only day 2 and one more competition) that team was AMAZING. They were hitsville, USA.
The reason for that wasnt because of flyer skills, it was the teams attitude. They'd been as miserable as she was while she was on the team, when she finally quit for good (even in the middle of a competition) the change in the teams attitude was the difference. They didn't hold their breath during partner stunts and pray they'd all stay up anymore, they just went out with new confidence and killed it, and I think she ws probably MUCH happier not being with the team either because the longer she stayed, and fell, and never one time broke a smile the entire time she was in the gym (she really looked like she was going to cry 24/7) and didn't talk to anyone, the more the team got annoyed, or depressed or just off their game...or said things they shouldn't have either to her or about her. Frustrations were running really high after the last place finish.
So, for as long as this is, the flying and skills aren't the problem. It's the attitude and it's contagious, if you are miserable, they will be too and it will change the dynamics of your team. I watched it all year with this team. Do what makes YOU happy, because if everyone on the team (ESP a senior 4) isn't committed and happy to be there, it will spread like a cancer and only make you more miserable when the comments start coming out....and I'm sure they will, unfortunately....and you don't need that anymore than they do.
It sounds bad, but if you're really that ready to quit, staying on the team will let them down more than leaving it.
