Thinking About Quitting... (i Need Advice Respond Asap)

[colorora]

sooo, i know what you're about to say "stick with it!!! it'll be worth it" but this is different.

first, a little bit of backstory, this year I joined my school's cheer team, i enjoyed it so much that I am considering joining my local allstar team. but over the past few months, its becoming downright stressful, I won't bore you, but i just feel that I'm dragging my team down, I know this isn't the case but over the past month, I've been crying every practice, its becoming very not fun, very quickly. I feel terrible even considering this, because we're so close to competition but it's becoming too emotionally tolling for me. there have been nights when I've cried myself to sleep over it, but at the same time, I love my teammates and coaches, they're so supportive and would not like it if left, i feel like I'm letting them down either way, advice please? Coaches need an answer by tomorrow.

 

[dawgshow]

Why are you stressed? What do your parents say?

 

[colorora]

Why are you stressed? What do your parents say?

I'm stressed because compitetions are coming up and I still cant get the dance down, I feel like I'm useless and letting the team down, my mom says its okay if I want to quit and she's proud of me for sticking with it this long, she can see how upset I've been getting recently.

 

[dawgshow]

If it's just the dance, then I'm going to say suck it up, practice at home, practice at the gym/school in front of mirrors or have someone record you, go out and rock it! Your team needs you. If you leave they'll have to rework the whole routine. Sounds like nerves are getting the best of you.
In the end, though, only you can make the decision. Good luck.

 

[CheerItFullOut]

...you can get through anything. I ask you this... When life gets hard (and it will get harder than learning a dance or a routine) are you just going to quit everything?! Trust me when I say.. (Outside of regretting quitting... You'll regret it even more when you start to see a habit of when things aren't coming easy for you, it will be easier to give up. )The mind and body can do anything sometimes, it's the heart that needs convincing. You're a strong and kind individual (I can tell by your mindset you really want what's best for your team)... If this IS true.. I'm willing to guess they would rather have you around than win 100 trophies. Value yourself.. Value your team... And perhaps lay off yourself a little. You made the team for a reason.

 

[Beans100]

It sounds like you are just being hard on yourself. Look, coming from someone with terrible self-esteem, I know what it's like to stress out over not being perfect and ultimately feeling like crap. Chances are, no one else is judging you the way that you are judging yourself. The standards I set for myself are unattainable. I know this now. I hope you'll realize it eventually.

Remember, cheer is meant to be fun. Focus more on that aspect, and the rest will feel better.

 

[purplecheer]

If it's just the dance, then try and learn it. But if being at cheer is too hard on your emotions, then quit.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

For almost all newbies in any intensity level sports like Gymanstics, Cheerleading, and competition dance you're going to have your days. The important thing that you want to do is to speak up! don't go to practice all down on your self. Talk to your coach or captain and ask for a private practice to go over the dance and anything else you're not getting. Once you do that practice, practice, and practice until you get it right. Also, not every competition is going to be perfect. you're going to mess up at some, and do flawless at the next that's just how it is. The team won't be mad at you. Why? because chances are someone else messed up too.

But honestly, if this is taking an emotional toll on you and seriously causing you to loose sleep at night and to stress excessively talk to your parents and have a meeting with your coach with your parents included to talk about options. It will honestly look bad on you to quit because you don't get the dance. The reason why is because it will hurt the team as a whole not just you. If you're a small team especially it will be difficult to re-block pyramids, and stunt sequences etc. As stated before in the above comments, Cheerleading is meant to fun. It will be stressful at times especially for a competitive team, but nonetheless its meant to be fun and unless you plan on making a life long commitment to cheer and want a career out of it, there is no reason why you should be so hard on yourself about a dance! Cheerleading should not be taking such an emotional toll on you. Cheerleading should not make you nearly depressed, or so unhappy that you're stressing. Best wishes to you!

 

[Mamarazzi]

I'm with @dawgshow . Record the dance at practice and go home and practice, practice, practice, until you can't get it wrong.
@colorora I'm about to Mama you right now, so get ready-

How dare you think of quitting. We don't quit. That's not who we are. We struggle, we push, we HURT, we go home and we cry ourselves to sleep, but we DO NOT quit. Not an option after making a commitment, so I suggest you figure out Plan B, boo. Nothing worthwhile ever came easy to anyone. Matter of fact, the only worthwhile events in life are hard-fought, never just handed to us. Sucks, but it's truth.
Your coaches and your teammates want you, so even if you've given up on yourself for the moment, you get your @$$ out there and you do it for THEM. Regret is a real b!tch. You can't ever get that time back, no matter what you do, and if you quit because it was just hard, you WILL regret it.
So I recommend that you pull your chin up and hold your head high. Otherwise your crown will slip off, and that is not a good look. In this family, we don't let our crown slip, princess.

 

[purplecheer]

Cheer should be FUN, not STRESSFUL. If you aren't enjoying it, and not just because you are bored or over it. If it is truly making you that sad, then quit. I'm all for commitment but not when it can affect your mental health.

 

[CheerBank]

My thoughts are in line with those above who say push through this and don't quit, especially if it is just the dance that it stressing you out. My oldest developed anxiety issues out of nowhere at the end of her time cheering but made it through her final season because of the support of her coach, teammates and family. If however you have been hemming and hawing with your coach/team over whether or not you should quit and this has been going on for a while, you owe it to them to make a decision so they can either know you will be there with them for the rest of the season or that they can move on without you and make the necessary changes.

I'm curious where you cheer, because most states are finishing up with their school competition season this weekend if not over the next few weeks, and you mentioned that school competitions are just about to start for you.

 

[SarahS]

How dare you think of quitting. We don't quit. That's not who we are. We struggle, we push, we HURT, we go home and we cry ourselves to sleep, but we DO NOT quit. Not an option after making a commitment, so I suggest you figure out Plan B, boo. Nothing worthwhile ever came easy to anyone. Matter of fact, the only worthwhile events in life are hard-fought, never just handed to us. Sucks, but it's truth.
Your coaches and your teammates want you, so even if you've given up on yourself for the moment, you get your @$$ out there and you do it for THEM. Regret is a real b!tch. You can't ever get that time back, no matter what you do, and if you quit because it was just hard, you WILL regret it.
So I recommend that you pull your chin up and hold your head high. Otherwise your crown will slip off, and that is not a good look. In this family, we don't let our crown slip, princess.

I love this. I'm saving this for future reference. You managed to fit about 37 life lessons in there, and were both direct and forceful while managing to show just how fiercely you love the wanna-be-quitter. Seriously, the love is so very apparent.

You're my favorite. [emoji7][emoji7][emoji7]

 

[cheer25mom]

I'm with @Mamarazzi. At this point in the season, you suck it up and finish. It sounds to me like your teammates and coaches are being nothing but supportive. YOU are making this stressful, and only YOU can change your own attitude about it. YOU have to decide that ,win or lose, it will be ok as long as you give it your best. Your coaches and teammates feel like that is enough. Trust in that, do the best you can, and have fun! In the immortal words of Elsa "Let it go". Get rid of the negativity. I am all for leaving a toxic environment that is emotionally damaging, but that doesn't sound like it applies here.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I'm with @dawgshow . Record the dance at practice and go home and practice, practice, practice, until you can't get it wrong.
@colorora I'm about to Mama you right now, so get ready-

How dare you think of quitting. We don't quit. That's not who we are. We struggle, we push, we HURT, we go home and we cry ourselves to sleep, but we DO NOT quit. Not an option after making a commitment, so I suggest you figure out Plan B, boo. Nothing worthwhile ever came easy to anyone. Matter of fact, the only worthwhile events in life are hard-fought, never just handed to us. Sucks, but it's truth.
Your coaches and your teammates want you, so even if you've given up on yourself for the moment, you get your @$$ out there and you do it for THEM. Regret is a real b!tch. You can't ever get that time back, no matter what you do, and if you quit because it was just hard, you WILL regret it.
So I recommend that you pull your chin up and hold your head high. Otherwise your crown will slip off, and that is not a good look. In this family, we don't let our crown slip, princess.

Ah, it wouldn't be an advice thread without a Lombardian speech from one of our Board moms.

I'm watching this thread just so I can find this again.

 

[AngelsMum24]

@Mamarazzi said it best! This late in the game, it's time to put your big girl panties on and deal with it. Practice that dance with a friend from the team or captain. Practice at home in front of the mirror. Your team is counting on you and quitting right before competition is selfish. You've made a commitment, see it through! You won't regret it when you walk off that mat and realize you did it...together, as a team! You'll also feel pride in the fact that you finished what you started, despite the obstacles. If you choose not to do it again next season, that's ok. You gave it your all and honored your commitment and finished with integrity!