Think About It

This was just a thought that I had yesterday at cheerleading practice, while we were working on different stunts and jumps. What are we thinking? We've made a sport, similar to gymnastics, full of things God probably did not intend our bodies for!

Let's start with tumbling. I'm pretty sure we walk on our feet, and learn to do so as children, for a reason. Yes, sometimes its necessary to jump to get from point A to point B... but really, flying backwards, landing on your hands, snapping your feet down, and standing up... what purpose is there? None, but the sheer enjoyment of doing it. How about jumping into the air as high as you can, pulling in your knees, and flipping over to land on your feet again without your hand ever touching the ground, called the back tuck? Nope, can't think of a reason for it either! Then, there's the ever-ominous standing full, managing not only to do a complete rotation of hips over head in the air to land on your feet again, but also pulling your weight so you complete a full rotation (think of spinning in a circle while you're standing up) all at the same time... Is there a purpose? No. Is it fun? Heck yes!

Then, jumping. My coaches' favorite part of practice, it seems. Lifting your body up in the air, and pulling your legs up as high as you can, then snapping them back down to land with your feet together before gravity brings you to the floor. Yeah. It's not nearly as fun as it sounds. In fact, if you didn't stretch right, it HURTS. Badly. It takes a lot of muscles to jump like that, either in a toe touch, a pike, or a hurkey or hurdler. It's all difficult if you don't have splits down to the floor... And even with splits to the floor, it can be hard. I know my flexibility is pretty high... but its all in the explosiveness and power of your legs as you jump that makes it a good jump. Now, is there a purpose? No, not really. Does it acheive a common purpose? No, not really. But is it fun? Heck yes!

Now, the best part. Stunting. Did God intend people to lift up other people in stunts? Probably not. And if we weren't intended to lift people in stunts, we definitely were not intended to work in flips and turns and pulling your leg as close to your leg as possible into the mix. A hundred and ten pounds isn't much, that's true, but when there's no way for the top to shift her weight without endangering the stunt... it can get kind of heavy. Hands burn from friction. Eyes, shoulders, noses, lips, stomachs, even knees (if you're talented) can get hurt in the process, and that goes for all people in the stunt. But actually, stunting is my favorite part of cheerleading, even though this was the aspect that broke my nose... That's another story in itself. But over all, people were not really intended to take up other people in stunts. But is it fun? Heck yes.

Okay, so is there anything that really makes sense? Yeah, to cheerleaders, because we love it. But to anyone else, and even when you really analyze the different aspects of it? Not at all. The same could be said for gymnastics, but I'll let Sarah tell you all about that! I have literally given blood, sweat, and tears to cheerleading... I've had a broken nose, torn a ligament in my elbow, strained hip flexor, pulled muscles, bruised in the arms, legs, chest, and shoulders. I get so sore I can barely walk, I run until my lungs hurt, I lift weight until my arms give out, and I jump until my legs shake. That being said, would cheerleading be worth it to most people? Probably not. But to me, it is worth that, and probably more. It seems to be my only sanity right now, taking enough time so that I'm not bored, and taking enough time so that I feel like I have to rush, which is a feeling I actually like (another point to discuss later). When you think about it, it doesn't make sense... but in the end, once I walk off that competition floor for the last time, I'll just... smile because it happened...