by Sammi Wendling
Being a part of a team is a great reward, and is often one of the most important parts of participating in a sport. In cheerleading, you are especially close with the team you are on. You literally have each other’s lives in your hands! The team you are on is like no other team, and the members on the team become like family. While there may be rough patches throughout the season, in the end you will come out as a stronger unit.
Your teammates will push you and challenge you.
This is so important to both your personal growth as an athlete and the team as a whole. Cheerleaders especially will encourage you to do things you may think you could never do. This may be tough, but it is worthwhile! Having people on the floor challenging you to work harder, get new skills, and give it your all is an incredible feeling. Likewise, you are able to push your other cheerleaders in a positive manner and help them get new skills or get over a challenging obstacle they may face.
You will rely on them, and they will rely on you.
Teams are an equal partnership. You get what you put into the team; meaning that if you give your all, your teammates will reciprocate. As cheerleaders, you know just how important every single person on the mat is to your routine. It’s not just one person who makes a mistake- it affects the whole team. But, together, you will learn to trust one another, and rely on your teammates to get the job done. Each person has a job on the floor, and if a team is united, they will persevere. Your team will always have your back, one hundred percent.
You will learn how to understand other opinions, and will be expected to work with people you may not otherwise have gotten along with.
The truth is, not everyone on your team will be your best friend. There will be personalities that you get along with, and other personalities that you would normally never be around. But you are expected to expand your viewpoints and learn how to understand other opinions when you are on a team. Treat this as a valuable opportunity to grow as a person- in the end, you will learn how to appreciate the many different perspectives and personalities that make up a team.
You will never find a stronger group of people.
Once a team has a bond, they become unbreakable. Now, that doesn’t mean they will always win, or never have a setback. It is inevitable that the team will have challenges and struggles. But facing them as a group makes the team stronger. And once you have risen above the challenge, you can be sure that no other group is closer than the team you are on.
Print Version
Available in ‘Back Issues’
Digital Edition
Available through our App – just search “Inside Gymnastics” in the Apple App Store!
