Confessions of a Cheerleader

What comes to mind when you think of a cheerleader? Short skirt. Pom pons. Ponytails.

Look a little closer. Now what do you see? Bright smile. Enthusiasm. Energy.

Now take a good long look. At the person inside the uniform. Chances are you are looking at an amazing young woman who has the world in the palm of her hand. She's smart. She's confident. She has great self esteem and sense of self worth. She feels good about herself and wants to share that with others. She is a team builder, a team leader. She encourages people. She not afraid to be in the spotlight, or make mistakes. She wants the world to be a better place. She's athletic and energetic. She's not afraid to go after what she wants. She's competitive.

A friend of mine commented this week that he always told the cheerleaders that they should be out on the field instead of on the sidelines. And now that his young daughter has taken an interest in dance and cheerleading, he feels he's being punished for wanting her to play sports. My first reaction was 'sidelines?' Ask any cheerleader, and she will tell you that she is in fact the center of attention, despite her position on the field or court. She definitely doesn't feel that she is on the sidelines. And then I started to reflect a little more on the subject.

As a former cheerleader, I spent 4 years of my life dedicated to my sport. I lived and breathed cheer squad. 24/7. 365. For 4 years. It's one of the few year round activities a girl can be involved in. Spring time marks try-outs for the new year. In the summer, the new squad meets to learn the routines and get into shape for the season. Cheer camp also falls in the summertime. And then fall begins football season, followed by basketball season. And on top of that cheerleaders are also involved in assisting timing for swim meets and track meets. Oh, and by the way we also help to run the concession stands for the baseball/ softball season. It's never ending. In a good way. You are a team. You are held accountable. Yes, there's drama. You can't put 20 girls in a room together and not have drama.

But I think cheerleading is more than something you do for 4 years in high school. No, I'm not talking about NFL. I actually went to college and have a real job and real boobs. But being a cheerleader is an essence of one's personality. It's who you are. I'm energetic and enthusiastic. I have a hard time saying no to a proposal that intrigues me... Grand Canyon, the Gatorman Swim, Boston to Big Sur, running four days across CA, etc, etc, etc. I support my friends and family and am always looking for ways to help someone out or be involved. I have volunteered countless hours - not only at races, but in a (people) hospital as well.

And I think that those 4 years taught me a lot about who I am and what kind of person I want to be. I learned that I don't always have to care about what other people think, and I can choose whose opinion I deem to be important to me. I gained enormous self confidence and the ability to stand up for myself. I am willing to take risks and accept challenges, even when failure seems possible. And nine times out of ten, I succeed. I took a risk and applied to vet school in my second year of undergrad. I got in (against all odds). I took a risk and moved to AZ after only 3 months with my man. Nearly 5 years later, here we are. Still happy, still looking to the future. I took a risk and took up running and then triathlon. And you know what? I'm pretty good at it. Or so I think. I'm not the best, I'm not the fastest. But you damn well better believe I achieve the goals I set out for myself. Because I'm confident. Because I work hard. Because that cheerleader inside me continues to tell me that I can do it.

So next time your daughter tells you she wants to be a cheerleader, cheer her on. And remember all the strength and flexibility and energy may turn her into a pretty good triathlete one day. Go team!