All-Star What Has This Sport Taught You?

[Marianne]

Cheerleading taught me everything. It taught me what it means to have a passion, and a special one that you can't really understand unless you are part of it. It taught me that I should't care what the world think about cheerleading because we know what it's really like. I learned that you can say you live for something when you come to think you hate it but wouldn't imagine your life without it. I learned that the cheer world is better than any world because we all understand how this sport takes such a huge place in our lives. Cheerleading taught me never to give up because everywhere I go, I always find an inspirational story. I always hear about an event that made the international cheer community come together. And I know whatever happens, whatever the USASF do to our sport, whatever team Suzie makes, we'll always be the best of the best because we're cheerleaders ;)

 

[L5cheermom]

As a parent I've learned to form my own decisions about my children's influences. The gym we started out in was very negative and created an environment of paranoia and suspicion toward other area gyms. My children quickly outgrew that program, but we were reluctant to move on to other area programs because we believed all the stories we had been told. Luckily one of our coaches left and went to one of the other area gyms. After much anxiety we checked out the new gym. We could not have been more pleased. All the horror stories we had been told were fabrications created to protect themselves from a superior program. I will never again let someone else influence me so significantly. Trust but VERIFY!

 

[angie]

As a coach, this sport has taught me quite a few life lessons. I never in my life thought I would become as close as I am with my teams. I'm not an emotional coach when my kids perform. I don't cry, I don't jump up and down like a crazy person, I just watch and smile. This year, my 5th year with my program, we started our first Level 4 team. These kids worked so hard for 6 months to prepare for their first competition. I almost pulled them before the comp because I didn't think they were ready. But they were. I had prepared them for it. And they made me proud. By the end of the performance I was in tears and jumping around like Coach Mike from FAME. I ran on to the mat and hugged each of the kids. They were crying too - because they knew they had done it. After they performed, a girl who has been with me for the past 5 years came up to me and just said "thank you." They won best stunts/choreography that day and kept me smiling for the rest of the season. My extra small senior team of 10 impressed me comp after comp. This sport has taught me to believe, achieve & dream. Anything can happen if you put your mind to it. ANd coaches - realize just how much of an impact your words and actions have on your athletes. It's YOU who instills them with the power to believe in themselves, even when times get tough. This sport has taught me that I am a coach because it's my passion.

how did they end up placing?

 

[angie]

cheer has made me into a completely better person, before i was depressed and shy and very anti-social, now im so much happier than i ever was before. I now know what it means to be part of something bigger in life, to have people that care about me, and how to work hard to get what i want in life. I have over 100 people that trust me and know who i am, they know my struggles and what i love, they help me when im down and encourage me to do my best. I love my whole cheer gym and the people in it. I couldn't imagine my life without cheer. I look forward to another great year at fierce being on level 2 and 4. Doing stuff my gym has never done before, seeing everyone i coach improve through the year and getting my tumbling skills even higher

 

[CoachMandiCF]

how did they end up placing?

They competed as a half year with 4 competitions this year and they won 1st, 2nd and two 3rd places at large national competitions :) I couldn't be more proud of a small first year Level 4 team.

 

[angie]

They competed as a half year with 4 competitions this year and they won 1st, 2nd and two 3rd places at large national competitions :) I couldn't be more proud of a small first year Level 4 team.

thats great!

 

[michelesagem]

cherish EVERY moment. whether it's those spent cheering, those spent with family, those spent anywhere. time goes by fast, things won't always stay the same, and tomorrow isn't always promised.

dedication/perseverance.. it's not always easy to finish your routine when you're hurting or running on empty, but you do because you know you have to.

commitment.. the number of times we've all said, sorry I can't, I have cheerleading. & I can honestly say, not one time would I rather have been anywhere else, but in the gym.

trust.. someone says they'll be there to catch you, and they are, but sometimes things go wrong and they're not, be "smart" about who to trust and when to trust (i.e. don't double down if you're already falling and it will result in a broken nose to a base/spot).

passion..nothing else in my life am I as passionate about as I am cheer. Nothing. and even though i'm too old, i'm passionate about the memories and years I had, and being a fan now, they're thing that will never be away and forgotten.

Obviously there is more, but these are four I feel double over into real life. One that I've learned since I graduated is the separation of the cheer world and the real world. & They both arent ALWAYS kind ;)

 

[Tribeboy89]

To push through your toughest moments because when you think you can't, you really can. It taught me teamwork and that you can be placed on a team with 35 strangers, but you leave with 35 friends for life.

 

[coldasICE]

The true meaning of unity. Though we may argue and bite heads in our gyms and even in our sports community, we are all here because we love cheer, and the way different gyms and teams and people who have never even met each other before are able to come together, especially in this sport, is truly inspiring.

 

[bestbackspot]

Cheerleading has taught me to be myself. That I can do just about anything. And everytime before I present in school or do something scary I think to myself "Most people would be scared out of their minds to do some of the things I do everyday at practice, if I can flip my body over a hundred times a day, I can do just about anything."

 

[whatsupWILLIS]

its taught me nothing is more important than your family (team)

 

[MaximumAllStars]

1. Don't take anything personally. Everyone, whether it's an athlete, parent, coach, employee, or employer, is always doing what they think is best for them. No matter the relationship, 99 times out of 100 the other person will put themselves before you. Don't take it personally.

2. Worlds is a great competition, but it's still such a very very small part of cheer. Don't put Worlds on a pedestal.

3. Don't burn your bridges. Cheer is a small world.

4. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Whether you are an athlete, a parent, a coach, an owner, or a gym, don't compare yourself.


I'm looking forward to a season full of change, opportunity, and a lot of great memories.