Breanna Fennell

Ms.Ingram
July 8, 2015
Sophomore year of High School was a great year for me to become more literate in
cheerleading. I have been cheering since I was a young girl and did not imagine that
cheerleading would help me grow into the young woman I am today. Every school year you must
try out again for cheerleading regardless if you were on the team for the previous season.
Cheerleading tryouts consisted of three days of nonstop learning, conditioning, and repetition.
My sophomore year tryouts will always be one of my most memorable events from high
school. I can sit back, close my eyes and vividly remember that Thursday afternoon; waiting
outside the girls gymnasium. Over seventy girls were outside just like me, with black shorts,
white T-shirts, and a number pinned to the front of our shirts. I was nervous knowing that we
were just another number to the judges when it is time to go into the gym and tryout. It was
fair game for everyone. We were given little to no time to prepare and practice everything that
we would be expected to perform in the matter of minutes. I was stressing out so much about
being sure I remembered every part of the cheer, chant, and dance so that I could hopefully make
the varsity team. On top of worrying about that, I was trying to keep my cousin who was trying
out for the first time to calm down and to not over practice. At this point im thinking to myself
Oh no. what if she does not make it? or What if she gets on varsity and I dont?, What if I
don't make either team? What will I tell my friends and family?.
The coaches did give everyone a pep talk before they began to call tryout groups one at a
time, they gave the general speech about how they wish they could choose everyone but they are

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limited and how they want everyone to try again next year if they do not make it this time. The
speech was meant to take the stress off and to help you feel encouraged but it just stressed me out
even more. I am so passionate when it comes down to doing something I enjoy such as
cheerleading which is why I was taking tryouts so serious.
Now was the moment of truth; time to tryout. I look around and see that girls that I
previously cheered with were in my tryout group and wanted to be on varsity. I immediately
knew that I had to step it up and stand out! I remember looking down at my yellow number tag
which was 4 that year, and I kept adjusting the silver clothes pin to be sure that while I was
trying out the judges would be able to see it. As the graduated cheerleaders that are helping with
tryouts open the gymnasium doors for us to walk in my stomach immediately drops as if I was
falling from the top of drop zone. To instantly catch the judges and my coaches attention, I come
in spiriting and yelling Lets Go Demons with one of the biggest smiles on my face. As I
position myself in the line, I double check my number on the front of my shirt, my shorts are
rising up a little from all the movement so I hurry to adjust. As Im standing there I can smell the
sweaty old gym smell mixed with the body lotions and sprays that the cheerleaders have put on,
along with the lotion I had to borrow from someone because I forgot mine at home. I was
surprised I did not have a headache at this point, especially with the fact I was at the end of the
line in front of this huge, circled, black fan. My hair was blowing like I was preparing for a
photoshoot close up.
As the judges discuss in a whisper, I stand in ready position with my hands balled into
fist on my hips. I was so focused on being very tight with my motions that I was starting to hurt
my hip bones from all the pressure to be sure I looked prepared. I smiled as we went down the

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row, showing our Toe touches and then personal choice of jump. I could feel my hands begin to
sweat as the girls before me were completing the first task of many. When I get nervous I begin
to have very bad gas, so im standing there with sweaty fist, a bubbling stomach and a huge
smile. I constantly would tell myself Stay tight!, Smile, Dont stress, just keep going.
When it was time to perform the cheer and chant as a group, I had to be sure that I
focused on myself and to not let the girls standing next to me distract me. This was my next
opportunity to stand out in the group and make sure that I am loud and Chop my words instead
of singing the cheer and chant. After going through the cheer and chant I felt more at ease
because I could only hear my voice and maybe one other girl which meant the judges noticed
that. The scariest part has yet to come. I could see the judges just writing with such a blank look
on their faces and the previous year cheerleaders surrounding the speaker smiling and giving us
thumbs up. At this point I am having mixed emotions and thoughts about if I was doing good or
not and then I began to get nervous when I could not even think of the first eight counts to the
dance I would be performing in a second. I almost let my smile fade away because I was
thinking so hard about the dance and praying that I could just get through this without messing
up. I finally stopped thinking so much and just focused as the past cheerleaders counted us in, as
soon as the music started it was like a light bulb clicked and I just started moving. I will admit
that I messed up and blacked out and some parts but no matter what I made sure to smile and hit
every motion as tight as possible. By doing that the judges could not really tell I was messing up,
and if they did I guess I redeemed myself by not expressing it on my face and continuing
throughout the routine. I was so proud of myself once I hit the last count of the dance, stood up
with a smile, and showed school spirit as we left the room.

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I could not believe that I had finally completed what I thought would be such a bad
tryout. Thinking back on performing in front of the judges, I realized how I had blocked the other
girls in my group out and danced as if I was the only one in the room. I was mixed with
excitement yet anxiety because I was unsure of if the coaches believed I did as well as I thought.
The list would not be posted until later that night and the feeling of walking up and seeing my
number under the Varsity 2011-2012 Cheer team was almost unreal. I almost cried because of
how hard I worked to make sure I not only learned the material but that I memorized it to the
point that I could perform it the best of my ability. I helped my cousin prepare for tryouts as well
which also made me feel a sense of accomplishment when her number was listed on the cheer
team as well. This night was the start of my continuous journey as a dedicated, hard-working,
and spirited cheerleader that would grow to be more literate in a variety of ways with the help of
being on the cheerleading team.

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