As a young girl, I remember cheerleading always seemed to be portrayed as a beautiful, fun, inclusive, popular, sport. It was a sport that made girls look cute, with decorative outfits and shiny pompoms that sparkled like stars when they shook them. Cheerleaders wore makeup that elevated them to the most beautiful girls in class, tops that shouted the team they were cheering for, and skirts that were so short they broke school dress codes (yet were still allowed).
That’s what I saw in cheerleaders growing up and, as a girl, I really wanted to be one. It was a dream I always fostered, even though I never became one until I came to Brandeis. Even so, at first, I did not want to commit to cheerleading at Brandeis. What if it was too time consuming, what if they didn’t like me, what if I absolutely hated it? Then why did I ultimately choose to do it? I guess you can say it was a way to finally fulfill what little me had always wanted to do and to be. So, I went to that first practice and have never turned back.
People always made cheerleading out to be easy, so going in, I expected it to be just that: easy. It was not. I’m a 115-pound girl who is a base, lifting other girls into the air, throwing them with so much force that when they come back down into my arms, I grunt with the knowledge that my body is going to hurt in the morning. But I always set the pain aside. Mostly because one huge rule in cheerleading is: “DO NOT DROP YOUR FLYERS!” The possibility of concussions and broken or strained limbs is a constant threat. However, cheerleaders would still tell you it’s worth it.
The first time I realized cheerleading was worth it was when I had my debut competition. I’m not exaggerating when I say that blood, sweat, and tears were all a part of my competition preparation. I even had a memorable moment of smacking faces with the other base and losing part of my tooth. It was a nightmare. But that first competition, we won first place, making all the hard work worthwhile. Discovering cheerleading was fulfilling was unexpected, me being pessimistic and all. I never want to know what it would have been like if I never went to that first cheer practice.