Since I was a little girl in pre-k I had always dreamed of being a cheerleader. I had always watched them at the St. Peter’s pep-rallies and couldn’t wait until I got to be up there too. Little did I know, I would never be a cheerleader.

I can still remember it like it was literally yesterday. I had Shelby, Caroline, Alayna, and Catherine all sleep over the night before tryouts. We practiced cheers all night and even practiced stunts in the grass in my backyard. I, being he smallest one as usual, was the flyer. We felt very old and mature and thought we knew exactly what we were doing. Caroling said the expected 5, 6, 7, 8, and just like that they did a basket. Well here’s a little tip if you’re ever the back spot to a cheer stunt, PAY ATTENTION. As soon as they all threw me into the cradle, Shelby got distracted by a bird and I landed right on my arm. I was fine but I definitely held it against her for a good four days.

The next morning we all got up early. I however, got up an hour before everyone else because this was the first time my mom ever let me shave my legs. So not only was it cheer tryouts, which I had been waiting for since pre-k, I also got to shave my legs! Being 11, this was a really big deal.

Once everyone woke up my mom made us all breakfast, which is a rare occasion in my house. We had sausage, eggs, bacon, and toast. It probably wasn’t the best idea considering we were going to be dancing and cheering all around for hours, but we didn’t care.

Finally it was time to leave for tryouts and I could barely contain my excitement. I felt like I did really good in the tryouts and I was sure that I had made the team. Unfortunately that was not the case. I did in fact have an awesome tryout, but I also had a D in conduct and that was not allowed on the team.

It was heart breaking. All of my friends accept for me made the team. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I would still be friends with everyone. It was the most embarrassing thing.

Fortunately, the dance team coach loved me. The dance team wasn’t the ‘it team’ like cheer, but it was something. I made it on that team and from then on my main focus has been dance.

I’m not really sure how I would be today if I had been a cheerleader. I wouldn’t be on the Golden Blues and I wouldn’t have the friends now. As much as it hurt not making cheer, I can look back on it now and see that that was for the best and that it opened a new door for me that was better then anything I could ask for.