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Personal Narrative: New Girl On The Team

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Recommended: Essays on negative parental pressure on young athletes

Julia Young
English 1010
Larson, P.3

Personal Narrative The professional boxer Muhammad Ali once said, “I hated every minute of training, but i said ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion.’ ” This quote became relatable the moment I looked back on the start of my cheerleading “career”. My older sister Aarika cheered for Brighton while I was in 7th grade, she tried convincing me for months to join a team and finally I agreed. I wasn’t very excited, I wasn’t thrilled having to be thrown into something I didn’t know anything about, and I was absolutely terrified about being the “new girl” on the team. I remember that first practice, walking into the gym and being shaken by the loud blaring music and girls running around …show more content…

I was comfortable with this room, considering I had tumbled here years before. We started to stunting, I was thrown in a base. My arms ached, my shoulders throbbed, my legs trembled. After an hour of learning how to throw and hold another girl in the air, it felt as if I could barely hold up my own body. Practice was miserable, I grabbed my water bottle and phone and sprinted out of the gym as fast as my tired legs could move. I cried to my mom the whole drive home, begging her to take me off of the team. She told me to not get frustrated, she said if I hated it after a month she would take me out. I solemnly agreed and pushed myself into another month’s worth of what I thought was going to be hell. I went in with a negative attitude, but I remember walking out of that gym after every practice having accomplished something new. After a few months my jumps got higher, my stunt group had the highest basket toss, I got a back-tuck. Everything fell into its place, and I finally discovered what I loved most. I am so grateful I never quit after that first practice, cheer has shaped who I am today. I’m now a captain and three year cheerleader at Brighton, 2 year United Spirit Association All-American Athlete, and planning to cheer in college. Cheer has given me so much, my best friends, a great relationship with my school and a positive high school experience. I have no idea who or where I would be today if I decided to quit that first horrible practice. Never give up, most things don’t make sense in the moment, but it was will always pay off in the long

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