How Cheerleading Is A Sport

Most people have an activity that they highly enjoy and would recommend to other people close to them. Some activities that people enjoy can be educational while others are more of a hobby. An activity that is educational that I enjoy doing is cheerleading. I have been a cheerleader every year since I was seven years old. Needless to say, I love the sport and everything that has to do within the sport. Cheerleading is a sport that teaches discipline, assertiveness, and how to form bonds with other people. Cheerleading for females officially began in the 1920's at the University of Minnesota. In addition, NFL teams started using cheerleaders to add a little support in the 1960's. It more than likely originated a little earlier than the 1920's,
however, for females it started in the 1920's. I find cheerleading to be an enjoyable activity because of the team, the crowd, and all of the activities you do while cheerleading. I enjoy cheerleading because of the team that you are on.
Over the years, I've cheered for multiple teams. Furthermore, all of the teams I have been on are filled with unique and diverse people. However, the most important thing is that you can trust all of your team mates. Trust is vital for all teams that you are a part of. Whether it is football, basketball, lacrosse, et cetera. If the team doesn't have trust, regardless of talent, it will not be a winning team. Everyone is at risk during any time while cheerleading to be injured and you have to trust everyone around you that they will try their best to keep you and themselves as safe as possible. Also, when you are on a team, you get the chance to become closer to the people who are around you. You get to practice with your team, you compete with your team, and you perform with your team. Sooner or later you end up closer than you once were. That is my favorite part of being on a team. Normally, by the end of a season you all have grown to be a cheer family that are still going to be close even after the season is
over. Another element of cheerleading that I find enjoyable is the crowd.
Fans are what keeps you going when it is sweltering hot outside and you just want to run inside and take a nap. They cheer you on whether you are good or bad. They want to see you do your best and hit every single beat that drops. You hit a stunt on beat and the whole crowd gives you a standing ovation. Performing at halftime during a football or basketball game is the best. The crowd isn't as judgmental as a competition crowd can be. You drop a stunt and recover? They go crazy! They're the best crowd to perform in front of, therefore, making your performance 110% better. Of course, you're going to be nervous when you perform in front of a crowd. Sometimes I get those little butterflies in my stomach right before we hit the floor. However, once you get out there and start doing your thing it all melts away and is replaced by a wave of up most confidence. I love performing and screaming to the point that by the end of the game my voice is replaced with a sound similar to the scraping of wood. If you go home with your voice not sounding like every vocal chord snapped, then you didn't do the best you could
have! Lastly, I enjoy cheerleading because of the many elements within it. Some examples include stunting, tumbling, cheering, running, et cetera. The sounds of the crowd cheering as you hit high up in the air with only 3 girls supporting you. The split second that you just defy all gravitational pulls radiating off the earth. Also known as the best split second in the whole world. Being able to bend your body past the maximum it should be bent. Going one inch further every time you bend backwards, so you can land your flip on the competition floor. Having 3 people below that you and you alone have to trust not to drop and severely injure you while you are in a stunt. There are a lot of "wow" effects when it comes to cheerleading. Stunting and tumbling are the top two that the crowd goes wild for! Because every crowd loves a team that can hit their tumbling and stunts and hit them well and to the beat of the music and not just whenever they feel like it. Every crowd loves a team with some spice in their britches!
In conclusion, an activity that I find educational and enjoyable all at the same time is cheerleading. The three main parts I personally enjoy the most include: The team, the crowd, and everything you do while cheerleading. Don't get me wrong, I love all parts of cheerleading, however, some more than others. Also, I see myself cheerleading for many more years to come. Cheerleading has been a crucial part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has always been my outlet that I can plug in and just relax. I know I always have a support system when it comes to that part of my life. A good portion of my identity is derived of cheerleading. My life would not be the same without it. In addition, I can guarantee that I would have been a completely different person if I had never started doing cheerleading. My thanks go out to the early founders of the sport, and I have no idea what I would do without it.