SO kids… basketball season has finally come to an end and "march madness", also known as the rush to get ready for cheer and dance nationals, has begun. As a cheerleader or a dancer at this time, you're one of the following:
(1) Panicked.
(2) Excited.
(3) Convinced we're taking home that championship trophy for the third year in a row.
Personally, I'm all three, but I'm only going to talk about option (3). I joined the team in September of my freshman year. I was a softball player and a "drama kid" from middle school on. We didn't really have a cheerleading team at my high school, but I always loved school spirit at games. So when cheer held open try-outs, I showed up on a Sunday wearing my black soffe shorts and black sports bra and gave it a whirl. Somewhere between Lauren almost making me tear up while teaching me the fight song (yeah, had to get a serious High V lesson) and putting Joanna up in libs, I was hooked. I got a call from Brett that night and I joined up as an alternate.
The following February, all 20 something of us traveled to Infinity, a gym in Virginia, to get choreography for Nationals. Somehow, I ended up rolling around on the floor in the front of the dance with Lauren. Yeah, not quite sure what they were thinking. A month later and we were hitting our stunts and our pyramid and I thought we had nationals in our back pocket. I didn't tell anyone at the time, but I thought we were taking home a huge trophy and I would be bragging to my friends about how I was on one of the best cheerleading teams in the country.
In April, we woke up at some absurd hour to put on make-up and do our hair and then hit the mat. The second we were in warm-ups, the panic set in. I looked around at the other all girl teams and was amazed. How were girls my size doing all that crazy stuff? We warmed up our routine and about 30 minutes later, pre-lims were over. The next day, everyone performed in finals and then all 13 teams sat on the mat and waited for them to announce the winner. They started with 13th place, we got 11th. I was shocked. Even though I had seen all the teams and deep down knew they were better, I was still so surprised. Everyone looked excited, because we hadn't placed last. I wanted to cry.
It took me about two weeks to finally put the week at Daytona in perspective. It was our first year at competition, about eight girls on our team had never cheered before (myself included), and we had no idea what to expect. My mom and dad popped in my head. After my freshman year season where we went 17-1, they just repeated to me over and over "It's not about winning". And it's really not. I would cheer and put all the blood, sweat, tears and drama in every year, even if I knew 11th place would always be the outcome.
And despite it all, it's March 13, with nationals less than a month away, I still think we will be top 5. I guess its that childhood optimism that comes when you begin a new sport. Or maybe, Charlie Sheen and I have something in common. "Duh, winning!"
