I always wanted to be a cheerleader when I was younger. My great-grandma got me Indiana University (I will excuse her poor choice in schools since everyone knows Purdue is where its at) cheer uniform when I was like 2. I looked super cute in it and I wore it EVERYWHERE. When I was in first grade I became friends with a girl who did cheer, dance, and gymnastics. I wanted to do that too. I asked my mom and she told me that I was too old to start that now. That if I had wanted to do cheer, dance, and gymnastics I should have said so when I was 2 because starting in first grade was just too old. I would never be able to catch up. And she told me I was too fat. So to get me to lose weight she started me in basketball the next year, and I played all through freshman year. I was ok, but I never really got into it.
I went to a junior high where to be a cheerleader you had to have a back tuck and a back handspring, and stuff like that. I had never been able to learn how to do a freaking cart wheel. I had never cheered. I couldn't dance. I knew I could never be a cheerleader at my school no matter how much I wanted to. I wasn't long before I got into a bad crowd. I started smoking (cigs, I have never done drugs), drinking, cutting, I just wished that I was dead. I was that girl who wore all black and wore eyeliner so I had raccoon eyes. I hated cheerleaders and thought all of them were skanky hoes. It was just a bad time for me. My parents knew I was on a downward spiral and pulled me out after 8th grade so I could go to a much smaller school in the next town. But I was still playing basketball in my old town. Towards the end of my 8th grade year my grandpa decided to take me to my future high school to watch a basketball game so I could see if I could make the team. I didn't watch much of the game. I was distracted by the cheerleaders. They did cool stunts. They danced amazingly. They looked so perfect. It brought me back to a time when I dreamed of becoming a cheerleader. In the following months my parents found out I was a cutter and I almost completely quit (I completely quit in 2010). I stopped wearing my eyeliner so thick. I withdrew from my old friends. I was ready to start a whole new chapter in my life.
At my new school I was considered a freak. I would come to school in themed outfits. I would be a hippy chick, a goth, a rocker, or country depending on my mood that morning. I showed up to class one day wearing green capris, a purple cami, and carried around Barney because I thought I was making a statement. I thought I was being cute by carrying around a purse with the kitten from Aristacats. What the hell was I thinking? Thank God I grew out of being such a freak.
I only knew one girl when I switched schools. I went to church with her aunt and she was in my grade. I had gym class with her, and one day I asked her why she was wearing a bow in her hair. She told me she was a cheerleader. I was surprised. She didn't look seem like the cheerleading type. She was pretty in her own way, tall, skinny but she was NICE. I thought all cheerleaders were supposed to be the queen bee of the school and be an uber bitch. I made the comment that I used to want to be a cheerleader when I was younger but didn't because I couldn't do even a cart wheel. She told me I should try out for basketball season and that she didn't know how to do a cart wheel either. I was completely shocked. I had no idea that someone could be a cheerleader if they couldn't do cart wheels, and round offs, and back hand springs, and stuff like that. I decided that I should go for it. Just to see what it was like.
When I went to the first tryout practice I found out that I had to learn 3 sidelines, the school song, a dance, a toe touch, a herkie, and a hurdler. I was completely over loaded. I didn't know how to do any of that stuff. I asked my only friend if she could help me. She came over to my house and worked on the dance with me and I learned the sidelines and jumps during the other 3 tryout practices. I asked a senior on the squad to help me with the school song. I knew the dance and the sidelines pretty well for tryouts. My jumps were a hot mess and I barely knew the school song. I was one of the middle girls to tryout. I watched a few girls go in to talk to the coach and all of them came out saying they had made it. It was my turn next. I was expecting that I wouldn't make it. Somehow, by the grace of God, the coach let me on the squad, but only if I kept working as hard as I had been. I was so excited. I met with one of the seniors every day during study hall for the rest of the year to work on the school song, motions, dances, and sidelines. I leaned so much from her. She taught me that if I wanted to get on the same level as her, that I needed to work twice as hard as everyone at practice and then practice for hours at home.
My first game was terrifying. I didn't know most of the dances, so I had to clap most of them. I knew the school song, for the most part. We have a pretty hard school song and with me having zero dance background it took me 3 days to learn just it. I didn't know a lot of the sidelines. My jumps sucked. I loved it though. I loved the uniform, feeling like I was a part of something. Everyone was so helpful and understanding my first year. I had another cheerleader come over to my house and help me on sidelines. I had to work so hard outside of practice to learn the material. But by the end of my first season I knew most of the dances, cheers, and sidelines. I was amazed how far I had come. When my coach told me that making the squad was conditional on how much I improved I knew I had to work my butt off to prove to her that I wasn't wasting her time. I am proud to say that I think I made her very proud to have me on her squad, and I am so happy that I chose to follow my dreams and become a cheerleader. I may not be on the same level as a competitive cheerleader, but I am happy with what I became in such a short amount of time.
I went to a junior high where to be a cheerleader you had to have a back tuck and a back handspring, and stuff like that. I had never been able to learn how to do a freaking cart wheel. I had never cheered. I couldn't dance. I knew I could never be a cheerleader at my school no matter how much I wanted to. I wasn't long before I got into a bad crowd. I started smoking (cigs, I have never done drugs), drinking, cutting, I just wished that I was dead. I was that girl who wore all black and wore eyeliner so I had raccoon eyes. I hated cheerleaders and thought all of them were skanky hoes. It was just a bad time for me. My parents knew I was on a downward spiral and pulled me out after 8th grade so I could go to a much smaller school in the next town. But I was still playing basketball in my old town. Towards the end of my 8th grade year my grandpa decided to take me to my future high school to watch a basketball game so I could see if I could make the team. I didn't watch much of the game. I was distracted by the cheerleaders. They did cool stunts. They danced amazingly. They looked so perfect. It brought me back to a time when I dreamed of becoming a cheerleader. In the following months my parents found out I was a cutter and I almost completely quit (I completely quit in 2010). I stopped wearing my eyeliner so thick. I withdrew from my old friends. I was ready to start a whole new chapter in my life.
At my new school I was considered a freak. I would come to school in themed outfits. I would be a hippy chick, a goth, a rocker, or country depending on my mood that morning. I showed up to class one day wearing green capris, a purple cami, and carried around Barney because I thought I was making a statement. I thought I was being cute by carrying around a purse with the kitten from Aristacats. What the hell was I thinking? Thank God I grew out of being such a freak.
I only knew one girl when I switched schools. I went to church with her aunt and she was in my grade. I had gym class with her, and one day I asked her why she was wearing a bow in her hair. She told me she was a cheerleader. I was surprised. She didn't look seem like the cheerleading type. She was pretty in her own way, tall, skinny but she was NICE. I thought all cheerleaders were supposed to be the queen bee of the school and be an uber bitch. I made the comment that I used to want to be a cheerleader when I was younger but didn't because I couldn't do even a cart wheel. She told me I should try out for basketball season and that she didn't know how to do a cart wheel either. I was completely shocked. I had no idea that someone could be a cheerleader if they couldn't do cart wheels, and round offs, and back hand springs, and stuff like that. I decided that I should go for it. Just to see what it was like.
When I went to the first tryout practice I found out that I had to learn 3 sidelines, the school song, a dance, a toe touch, a herkie, and a hurdler. I was completely over loaded. I didn't know how to do any of that stuff. I asked my only friend if she could help me. She came over to my house and worked on the dance with me and I learned the sidelines and jumps during the other 3 tryout practices. I asked a senior on the squad to help me with the school song. I knew the dance and the sidelines pretty well for tryouts. My jumps were a hot mess and I barely knew the school song. I was one of the middle girls to tryout. I watched a few girls go in to talk to the coach and all of them came out saying they had made it. It was my turn next. I was expecting that I wouldn't make it. Somehow, by the grace of God, the coach let me on the squad, but only if I kept working as hard as I had been. I was so excited. I met with one of the seniors every day during study hall for the rest of the year to work on the school song, motions, dances, and sidelines. I leaned so much from her. She taught me that if I wanted to get on the same level as her, that I needed to work twice as hard as everyone at practice and then practice for hours at home.
My first game was terrifying. I didn't know most of the dances, so I had to clap most of them. I knew the school song, for the most part. We have a pretty hard school song and with me having zero dance background it took me 3 days to learn just it. I didn't know a lot of the sidelines. My jumps sucked. I loved it though. I loved the uniform, feeling like I was a part of something. Everyone was so helpful and understanding my first year. I had another cheerleader come over to my house and help me on sidelines. I had to work so hard outside of practice to learn the material. But by the end of my first season I knew most of the dances, cheers, and sidelines. I was amazed how far I had come. When my coach told me that making the squad was conditional on how much I improved I knew I had to work my butt off to prove to her that I wasn't wasting her time. I am proud to say that I think I made her very proud to have me on her squad, and I am so happy that I chose to follow my dreams and become a cheerleader. I may not be on the same level as a competitive cheerleader, but I am happy with what I became in such a short amount of time.
“I loved the uniform, feeling like I was a part of something.” - I like this part a lot. It's so good to hear your story. How you wanted to become a cheerleader since you were young and were able to achieve that dream. Your way might have been swayed for a few times, but it's great to see you make your way back to your original dream. Thank you for sharing your story with us! It's inspiring.
ReplyDeleteJennine @ UESports.com