1410 Lab 4<br />

Cheerleading

All-Star cheerleading has played an important part of my life. It is a sport made up of dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading skills. A lot of my people interaction and sport skills have been learned from this sport.

I LOVE ALL-STAR CHEERLEADING!!

I consider myself to be very good at this activity. I started engaging in this activity when I was eleven years old. Before then, I had previous elite gymnastics experience for about five years. I saw the all-star competitions on television and that is when I realized I would be pretty good at the sport. My mom called around to find me team to join and then we went to an open practice. I remember being vary nervous because the team practicing they were a few years older than me. Turns out I was one of the best ones; well that is what their coach told me. That year our squad was unstoppable, we won every competition excluding two and even one a national title. Our gym started out with two squads and the following year we stormed the nation with 7 squads.

Things just kept looking and getting better for our program. Things continues to go better for the gym, we became nationally known and we featured numerous times in AMERICAN CHEERLEADER MAGAZINE! I was able to meet new people, and even start competing individually for regional and national titles. I did pretty well for my division. I have the seventh and eighth graders across the state and nation a run for their money. As many trophies and banners I won, I always remembered to stay humble. There was some times where I did not always place first. It was something that I had to learn, there will always be someone better than you in the end or hold the same level of skill.

The only downside of this sport was that it was very expensive. With all the monthly fees, competitions, travel, uniforms, outside instruction, and camps, my parents paid well over $3,000 each year I competed. I would highly recommend this sport to any individual who has the drive to become a better person and who wants to get active in a GREAT sport.

In the future I believe I will end up coaching at program wherever I end up going to graduate school at, that is really my heart’s desire. In the end the best thing I have received from this life’s activity is the friendship. I met a great friend I actually competed against when I was eleven years old, at the age of twenty-one, ten years later we are still best friends till this day. Not many activities give you that opportunity to meet special people like the ones I have met.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS SPORT???

Look in the phone book and call gyms to see if this program is offered

When you find a gym you are interested in see what type of programs they offer according to you’re skill whether it be novice, intermediate, advance, or elite

Its great to be with friends, but be sure to choose a program that is right for you, and program that you will benefit from

BE PREPARED… If you have not been doing any physical activity its time to start before practices, which are usually high intense. You will want to be in shape so you will get a lot out of practices