You’re waiting to be called you to the floor. You have so many butterflies in your tummy. Your coaches and teammates are hugging and reminding everybody to just go out there and have fun. You think to yourself, “I’ve got this!”. And just then, the announcer who always sounds bubbly, calls your team name and plays a song you won’t remember later. You’re walking on to the dark, deep blue mat. You can see it. The multicolored lights shining right in your eyes. You’re sure you won’t be able to see after this routine. You remind yourself not to trip walking onto the mat. You’re on the mat now and you’re SCREAMING and SHOUTING and WAVING and SMILING. Now, you really have to pee. You know that you won’t make it through the routine without peeing your pants. You get to your opening spot just as the lights begin to dim. Oh, goodness. It’s really about to happen. You’re standing there, whispering to your teammate next to you, praying that this will be a perfect routine. Arms by your side. Head down. Eyes opened? Closed? You can’t tell. It’s too dark. You just stand there in the pitch black knowing that there are hundreds of eyes staring at you and your team. THIS is what you’ve worked for for months. THIS is where it all begins. You’re still standing there. You wonder how long you’ve been standing waiting for the music. 4 minutes? 5 minutes? No. Can’t be. And then it happens. You hear the first word loud and clear and you pick your head up with pride. Showing how proud you are to be on that team. —- You’re halfway through the routine now. Woah. What hit? What fell? Did i stick my transitional tumbling? I don’t even remember. You look out into the crowd during some motions and see your parents and coaches screaming and shouting and jumping. They won’t have their voices later. Oh, yeah. The routine. —-You’re in the middle of your dance or lifting your pyramid and BOOM. That’s it. You did it. You hit a PERFECT routine. No flaws. You and your team set everybody down carefully, get off the floor, or whatever it takes to stand up, and jump. There’s tears in everybody’s eyes and pride in their hearts. You are so glad. You did it. You got first. No doubt.