Finally reached 1,000 followers! Yay! :)

Dear Hard Work, I used to hate you. When you called my name, I heard you, but ran away from you. When I knew you were coming, I used to hide from you. When you influenced others to talk to me, I quickly made excuses to get away from you. Those extra sprints, those extra tumbling passes, those extra full-outs. Afraid of the pain because I didn’t want to get hurt. Afraid to fail, so I didn’t even try. Afraid of the shame you might put me through and afraid of your name because of what you have done to others. Who do you think you are? Making me so afraid of who you are? Reflection in the mirror, shadow behind me. I take one step and still, you’re ahead of me. Sweat on my face, tears in my eyes, scrapes on my elbows, and blood on my knees. I keep going. I heard you tell no lies. You turn the poor to rich, “F’s” to “A’s”, falling stunts to hitting stunts. Is there anything you can’t do? Now, look at me. You made me who I am today, and because of you, I have this, “never losing” “never giving up” attitude. Quitting? That’s not in my vocabulary. When they break for water, i keep going. When they sleep, I’m running my routine in my head. When they say that I can’t and count me out, i show them that i CAN. When I tell them about my dreams and they laugh, I make sure that i laugh last. I’m a dream chaser; that means I chase my dreams and nobody else’s. Only I can defeat me. It’s me against this work you put on me, and this sport they called cheerleading. There is no losing— I WILL NOT LOSE. I came this far and i’m not stopping now. Oh, Hard Work, my cheer coach was right about you, you do pay off. And because of that, i love you. How can i not? I am no longer hiding from you, I’m waiting for you on this blue mat under my feet, here to prove that i can throw any tumbling pass and hit any stunt you ask of. Matter of fact, where are you? I need you, because in hard work i trust.

(Source: cali--lady--fornia, via fluent-cheer)

The first stunt or tumbling of the routine. Leaving it all on the mat. Team first, a battlefield, a street fight. The feeling inside when you hit your tumbling pass. The silence before the storm. The storm. Self-discipline. 9,000 fans for a team with 20 people. Cheerleading is everything. An entire year on the mat, working through all the pain. Doing it for all of the alumni who wore the uniform before you. Team. Two-a-days in the heat. Sacrifice. What you think about 24/7/365? The silence backstage. The crowd so loud you can’t hear yourself think, the lights so bright all you can see is the mat below your feet. Worlds. No excuses. Nike Gridiron. Cheerleading.

(Source: cali--lady--fornia, via imacheerleader)