7 Cheerleading Lessons
I would never have pegged our family as the cheerleading type, yet during our year in Orlando (2014), we dove head first into a cheerleading squad, pom poms, glitter eyeshadow and all.
Top Seven Cheerleading Lessons I Learned.
It's about the team.
If ONE person is missing, the team can't practice or compete. This isn't football, friends. There are no players sitting on the bench waiting for their turn. In the game of life, when you are part of ANYthing, there is likely no one to replace you. If you commit, then you have to show up.
To be a true competitor, you MUST condition yourself and be ready.
We had our littlest of the littles doing 5+ minute wall sits and running laps like you wouldn't believe. For what culminated in a short 3:00 minute routine, these girls had to be in top-notch shape and expect the unexpected. They had to be ready for any curve thrown at them. A perfect example of this is when I was in charge of music during a routine, and someone had reset a button on my phone, which was being used to source the music for their routine. It came time for me to start the next segment of music for the girls, they were left holding a VERY awkward pose, with flyers up in the air and the strong bases quivering to hold up said flyers. Nearly 1:30 minutes later, we finally discovered the problem with the music and? Because they were CONDITIONED, they were STILL holding that pose!
Sometimes, it's all about the glitter, the sparkle, the bling.
It is a little much, I'll admit. The first time I saw my little princess, dolled up in competition makeup, I gasped out loud. However, sometimes in order to stand out from the pack, in order to let your light shine, you have to do something recognizable. It's not about the makeup, but metaphorically there's nothing fundamentally wrong with adding a little sparkle to yourself in order to stand out a bit. When you're up against a proverbial giant who is in competition with you, it doesn't hurt to beat them out with some bling.
Confidence sometimes looks like too much attitude.
The confidence that you'll see on a competition floor during a cheer meet is a sight to be seen. Often interpreted as sassy attitudes, I for one admire some of these little itty bitty chickas for their self-awareness and understanding that they are enough, they are beautiful, and they are about to kick butt on that mat! If only us grownups could carry some of that same panache and attitude.
Precision and calculation matters.
People often forget to give the credit that is due when discussing cheerleaders. Each and every position from the bottom to the top is crucial in a routine and EACH move is created for the common good of the squad. If one tiny move is performed incorrectly, the entire thing falls (quite literally). In most areas of our lives, we have some wiggle room when it comes time to "do our thing" yet with cheerleading, there is no room for mistakes. Don't underestimate your contribution power.
Sometimes you have to take a bow.
No, not the big cheer hair bows you're thinking of. Cheerleading bows to football. Everyone knows it, yet no one wants to talk about it. In programs across the United States, cheerleading is looked at as the activity (often not even referred to as a sport) that little girls do to occupy them while their brothers play football. I hadn't personally witnessed gender bias in the United States, until Mia joined the cheerleading squad and I became involved in an organizational / administrative role. I can only hope that as more and more powerful girls begin to join tumbling and cheer squads, this attitude and mentality will begin to change. Sometimes it's necessary to get on with your task at hand, quit whining about the inequality and just do your thing, woman!
Getting along is crucial.
Cheerleading is the anthesis of women being required to get along. I have much to say on this topic, but the consistent effort and energy it took to maintain a level of healthy banter and mutual respect between all of the mamas in our cheer squad was --- in the end --- a thing of beauty. Everyone jokes that "at least we weren't as bad as Dance Moms" but we sure weren't far off the mark. Cheer moms somehow have a tendency to bring all of the drama to the table, but the reality is, it's just a bunch of mama bears protecting their own. If only we all brought that same level of fierce to our every day lives and really used that energy to make a change in this world!
Ok wait ... there are actually eight things.
But I already made the graphic above which says SEVEN so ... consider this last one a bonus.
It's about more than just sideline cheering.
It does no good to simply stand on the sidelines and give encouragement to those in your life. You have to be willing to also put in the work to truly BE there as a support system, whether that means going outside of your comfort zone or putting in more hours than you imagined would be needed. Sometimes that means sending cards or picking up the phone. Sometimes it means being there EVERY SINGLE DAY and other times it means getting on a plane to step alongside someone who needs you.
What is something surprising that you've learned from a sports event or league that you've been involved with? What other lessons can you draw from the sport of cheerleading?
