My Life as a Youth Cheerleader

My name is Kaitlyn and I’m a 13-year-old cheerleader from New York. Four years ago, I became a cheerleader in elementary school and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. It all started in 2010 when my older sister, Cherelle (who is now a professional cheerleader), volunteered at my school to be a cheerleading coach because my school did not have a team. My sister thought it would be a totally awesome idea to make a team because I had always wanted to be a cheerleader and she was also a cheerleader. She thought it would be a great way for my classmates and I to be physically active, make new friends, and learn new skills. I was very happy she wanted to build a team because I had always dreamed about becoming a cheerleader. My love of cheerleading started when I was a little girl. My older sister started cheering when she was in fourth grade and I can remember attending her competitions as a young child. I would watch her and her teammates dance, cheer, and tumble. It was awesome to see and I couldn’t wait to have a chance to follow in her footsteps! I have to say that the “Bring It On” movies helped to inspire my love of cheerleading, too. The stunts in that movie are incredible! They were unlike anything I had ever seen before. It helped further my interest in the sport. As I watched my sister perform, and when I became a cheerleader myself, I began to see cheerleading as more than just a sport. Cheerleading gives young girls the opportunity to follow their dreams and build self-confidence. I was friends with older girls who were on cheerleading teams and I really admired the amount of confidence they had. It seemed like every time I met a cheerleader, she was very confident, outgoing, and fun. I had to believe that cheerleading was the reason. Cheerleading also gives girls a chance to meet new people and make new friends. I saw the way my sister was able to make amazing friends through her team and I was really excited to have that opportunity. Cheerleading also taught me how to be a team player and how to be a leader. I was chosen as the team captain during my second year of cheering and I had to learn how to be a role model for the younger girls on my team. It also helped boost my self-esteem. In our team’s second year, we entered our first competition and we won first place! I had never been in a cheerleading competition before and it was really scary at first. However, once I got out on that blue mat my fears melted away and I easily performed my choreography. My team rocked and it was one of the best times of my young life! There are so many things that I love about cheerleading but my favorite part is definitely making new friends. Cheerleading gave me the opportunity to meet a ton of new girls that I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet. Being on the team helped us to get to know each and eventually become friends. Right now, I am hoping to make my high school J.V. cheerleading squad. My ultimate dream is to make the J.V. squad and move up to varsity during my sophomore year. The auditions are in spring and I am preparing as much as I can by stretching and practicing my jumps. Maybe one day I’ll even become a professional cheerleader just like my sister!