Cheering About Cheerleading

Once you enter the 9 panels of carpeting velcroed together on a spring floor, there’s no turning back.  Competitive cheerleading is a major sport.  Well, at least it is to me.

I am a member of an all-star team in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.  I have been cheering since I was just 6 years old.  My mom was a cheerleader in high school and college, as a captain.  She probably nudged me towards the sport and I’m glad she did.  It’s time consuming, exhausting and dangerous, but I think it’s all worth it.

We practice for about three hours a night, twice a week.  To some, that’s not a lot and to others, it’s annoying.  I love the feeling of “flying” when I’m thrown into the air.  I’m one of the “flyers” – the girls who get tossed during the stunts.  How could my parents not get nervous?  Well, my mom was a flyer, so she understands what it’s like.  My dad is the nervous one but I think he tries to hide it.

You might have seen some cheerleading movies like Bring It On or Fired Up! The teams in those movies are cheering for their school just like at most schools.  But my team doesn’t represent a school and we only compete against other all-star teams.

Some people don’t consider cheerleading a sport, which I find annoying.  It’s just as much of a sport as any other.

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