All-Star Confessions Of A Cheerleader

[coachlex1019]

Retired cheerleader confessions:
- When my boyfriend and I started dating, it was the first year my gym had a coed team. We definitely broke the no dating teammates rule. My mom was head coach. Not sorry about it.
- I used to get SO mad at people who left our gym for HS cheer (unless the HS team was good, which was not the case the vast majority of the time). Especially if they started cheering at our gym and knew nothing when they first started. Also not sorry about it.
- I used to get really mad at people who didn't remember choreography. You know there's a problem when I knew my own part, plus 10 other peoples parts from reteaching them what they SHOULD have remembered.
- Once I became point dancer and jumper, I got really defensive any time formation changes were suggested. What can I say, I was fierce...
- I never shaved my legs between competitions. I only would shave the night before.
- I judged everyone by how well they did their competition makeup.
- Even if my team did terribly, I was always satisfied as long as all of my stunts/tumbling hit. JUST KIDDING - if you were the one girl who bailed on tumbling or dropped a stunt, you knew to stay out of my way.
- I considered quitting cheer after a really bad mental block and a team of mostly new cheerleaders. It was a tough year, but I stuck it out. Mainly because my mom made me.
- I hate watching competition videos of myself. For some reason, it is always painfully embarrassing, even if I am by myself and even though I did pretty well that day.
- I used to try to walk around the competition venue in an intimidating way just in case I ran into anyone I would be competing against. Let's be honest, I'm not even 5'1". I wasn't fooling anyone

 

[azune]

Additional confession:
I'm the athlete that never cheats on conditioning and hates everyone who cheats. Last week for school cheering we had to run 4 laps through both levels of the school and 6 people cheated so as a senior (since our coach wasn't there yet) I made everyone run a 5th lap. And said next week we'd run an extra lap for each person who cheats the next time. We came in 3rd last year at States. And we certainly won't win first this year when people cheat on simple conditioning like running.

That's me all the way. I know it's dance, but I was a Co-Captain of my team, and I made my team work hard. If anyone ever cheated we all were punished. Needless to say, we won nationals for the first time.

 

[lovexyoux234]

1) I hardcore stalked every team we were competing against, jotted down notes, watched videos, etc. I was pretty good at determining where we'd place
2) I always watched the teams before us and the teams after us. I'd rather know what we need to do, than go in blind. As a captain, I liked knowing if I needed to pump up my team a little bit more, or relax a bit
3) When I hurt my back and couldn't tumble for a while, I was kind of happy because I was able to have those extra counts to breathe
4) I judged teams on their uniforms (and still do)
5) I was the crazy obsessed cheerleader girl in my gym.
6) I miss the competitions, the hair, the make-up, the winning. But i do not miss practices. or losing. i hate losing.

 

[bestbackspot]

When my school team and I are in the bathroom before games at visiting team's stadiums, if we see any of the other cheerleaders we say things like "Ugh, Coach made me take off my Worlds ring!" "Should I throw my full tonight? Idk I'm kinda tired." A little siking out never hurt anybody...

Also I secretly LOVE the little dance we have to do to our fight song. I'll deny it if confronted but deep down, it's my favorite.

HAHAHAH that's so funny I'm totally doing that tonight

 

[njallday]

Retired Cheerleader Part 2:
People hear I was a cheerleader and say 'They never would have guessed, you're smart.' or 'I can see it-you're so positive.' When they say the first, I'm only half-insulted because I think of some of the girls I cheered in High School with who I routinely wanted to punch in the face every time they opened their mouth. Then I think of the smart ones I know and I feel like I have to defend them.

Every time I got to practice for allstar, I was so excited because it was something I'd wanted to do. By the end I was so burnt out from wasted money (for practices where people just didn't show up, and I'd spent 5 hrs round trip and a chunk of change getting up there), people not showing up, quitting, dropping out. But I miss it again, even though I know I'm so out of shape and my body could barely handle level 2 (tumbling wise, anyway lol). Plus I'm 23 and just don't have the time.

I want to coach so badly, but it just doesn't fit in with my other life dreams right now. And I doubt anyone would want to hire me if I only cheered 3 years (2 HS, 1 allstar), and never had experience at big competitions. But I WANNA DO IT..

sometimes i think we're almost the same person...

everyone who i am friends with now who didn't know me in my former, cheerleader life laughs and stares at me with wide eyes when i say i used to be a cheerleader. every. single. person. they tell me how it's so not my personality and if they had to choose a sport for me it'd be soccer... really?

and i really, really want to coach but like you i'm more on the "inexperienced" side with only 3 years of all star (and probably 6 or 7 of school/pop warner - and you can't coach a school team here without being employed by the school). not to mention as an underemployed 22 year old who works 3, sometimes 4 jobs a week, i'd have to give up sleep to fit it into my schedule. maybe one day when i have a real job with normal hours... a girl can dream.

 

[Jj:*]

i wish my teamates saw how much talent they have

 

[LEXICHEERLEADER]

I also may or may not have witnessed a friend stuffing her backpack with free tampons in a bathroom in the Milkhouse at UCA nationals. And I may or may not have encouraged her to take more because, you know, those things are expensive back home...

they are perfect for a bloody nose...stick a tampon up there after getting kicked in the nose by a flyer!

 

[keepdreamin]

- People who aren't cheer obsessed hate sitting by me at comps bc I talk through the whole routine "that was good, that was ugly, i like their unis, cool music, omg they almost dropped that girl, wow that was a high basket". Seriously I feel like my teammates want to kill me.

 

[NJ Coach]

sometimes i think we're almost the same person...

everyone who i am friends with now who didn't know me in my former, cheerleader life laughs and stares at me with wide eyes when i say i used to be a cheerleader. every. single. person. they tell me how it's so not my personality and if they had to choose a sport for me it'd be soccer... really?

and i really, really want to coach but like you i'm more on the "inexperienced" side with only 3 years of all star (and probably 6 or 7 of school/pop warner - and you can't coach a school team here without being employed by the school). not to mention as an underemployed 22 year old who works 3, sometimes 4 jobs a week, i'd have to give up sleep to fit it into my schedule. maybe one day when i have a real job with normal hours... a girl can dream.

Where in NJ are you?

 

[cheerisloving]

I'm that girl who doesnt wear white socks. Ever. It freaks me out, and i have never gotten in trouble for it the 7 years I have been competitive.

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

-I love the smell of spray-tans
-I can't STAND it when girls wear spandex that is 6 sizes too small.
-I would rather see a "bigger" girl in the air with a needle than a fetus with a dorito. You can find bases to put her up, I promise it isn't impossible.
-I think that couples on the same team dating is awkward
-I have a competition shirt from every competition I've been to and when i go to college my mom is making them into a quilt
-I whined and begged for my mom to buy me a 300$ letterman jacket that I swore I would wear.. I've worn it 5 times in the year I've had it

 

[CricketCheerMom]

-I love the smell of spray-tans
-I can't STAND it when girls wear spandex that is 6 sizes too small.
-I would rather see a "bigger" girl in the air with a needle than a fetus with a dorito. You can find bases to put her up, I promise it isn't impossible.
-I think that couples on the same team dating is awkward
-I have a competition shirt from every competition I've been to and when i go to college my mom is making them into a quilt
-I whined and begged for my mom to buy me a 300$ letterman jacket that I swore I would wear.. I've worn it 5 times in the year I've had it

I am going to have to make 3 quilts by the time mine goes to college!

 

[Ellemaisie]

If there's a party the night before a comp, I'm sorry coaches, but I'll be drinking (I'm 25).

On the other hand I judge teammates if they were at the party as well and can't keep up the next day. Harden up and keep track of what you're drinking.

I may or may not have attended competitions dressed in my old team's gear to get in for free to support them. I also just might have failed to stop staff at the event from assuming I was a coach for the team.

I might also have snuck loose or spare competitor bands to friends wearing team shirts to get them in for free too.

 

[keepdreamin]

-I would rather see a "bigger" girl in the air with a needle than a fetus with a dorito. You can find bases to put her up, I promise it isn't impossible.

THIS <3

 

[keepdreamin]

Another confession:
I think I'm the only allstar cheeleader who has never got a spray tan or been to a tanning bed