In the third grade I wanted to break out of my shell, step out of my comfort zone. Cheerleading seemed to be a step in the right direction, but I could not do it without Darliya, i've never really done anything without her by my side and i did not want to start. Eventually i had done enough begging to get her on board but after one practice I was the one who wanted to quit! I felt so left out because everybody knew each other, but Darliya would not let me give up. She was the only familiar thing I had on the team, the only person i knew, my little comfort zone. I was not used to interacting with anyone my age other than my sister, which limited me from doing a lot. I did not participate in school activities, or make friends with anyone other than my sister. I think that is why my mother agreed to pay for cheering, she , like I thought joining a team of new faces and personalities would help me get more comfortable with myself and others.
As I spent more time on the team I realized we were all there for the same reasons, and were working together to one goal. We were all working to be noticed and appreciated for our hard work. We want to feel important like any other sport. We push and pull each other at every practice, only to make us better at one, like a family. Feeling like part of a family was not the only reason i loved being on the team, there was a thrill to cheering. Late night practices, we all hated them but would never dare miss one. Running our routine over and over again, until it was permanent. The best feeling is hitting a skill we have been working on all season, we work hard to get where we need to be. Waking up sore from the night before, reminding us that we gave 110% at practice that night. Even cheering at football and