I have been a cheerleader for five years. I can not remember the times of my life where I was not a cheerleader, and it is hard to imagine myself doing anything else. I fell in love with the sport and the rush of adrenaline that it gives me. I am fortunate enough to have coaches that push me to my limits and teammates that share the same passion.
Cheerleading is never seen as a sport; it goes beyond shaking poms and chanting cheers on the sideline of a football or basketball game. In similarity to any other sport, cheer comes with sprains, breaks, concussions and more.
As soon as I reached high school, the most exciting thing for me was being able to try out for cheer. I was nervous, just like anyone would be for their sports’ tryouts, but soon after tryouts ended, I found out that I made varsity. Once I got the news of my varsity spot, I was taken aback and filled with an indescribable mix of emotions, mainly because a freshman on any sports’ varsity team is highly unlikely.
So far, my high school cheerleading experience has been a roller coaster. Recently, I sustained a concussion that affected both my mental and physical health. My concussion has been a heartbreaking and painful experience. I suffer from constant headaches, anxiety and difficulty concentrating, but the biggest detriment of the injury is that it takes cheer away from me.
When I was told that I had to miss at least two weeks of cheer, I was filled with an unbearable sense of frustration and anger. I realized that I would be missing out on a series of practices and football games, which would both set me back as a cheerleader and restrict my enjoyment of high school. The position that I was in made me feel like I was going to be missing everything. The other cheerleaders would be practicing without me, and I could only make unfulfilled wishes to practice alongside them. As much as I used to complain about having to go to practice and not being able to skip it and relax, there was a part of me that always knew how much I enjoyed it.
The ability to have something that you look forward to doing, and then having that thing taken away from you is disheartening. I have worked extremely hard to be the cheerleader I am. I never miss practices or any events that involve cheer, I try my best at every practice no matter if I am hurt or feel sick.
My concussion has been the biggest challenge throughout my five years of cheering, but I am extremely grateful to be able to cheer on the varsity team. I have met so many amazing people on the team who have made me feel comfortable and have helped me fit in.
My stunt group has especially been helpful in my recovery, they are the most welcoming people I have met. They have helped me grow as a cheerleader by teaching me the new skills that the high school does. They have also walked me through the process of how football games go, as well as pep rallies and assemblies.
They understand the fear of being new and not knowing what to do at a certain event. They are the people I go to when I need help with anything, because we are more than just teammates. We are around each other four days a week so we become close friends that understand each other’s struggles by the challenges we face together.
As I go through my recovery I am grateful to have my wonderful stunt group supporting me. I know I will come back with a confident mindset and enjoy the rest of my high school cheer experience.
