“Ladies, your first competition is in one week, so you must try your hardest during these last few practices that we have!”. My coach explained, her voice echoing through the gym. And so, we put up our hair and got into position. The music started and we were bouncing and running and flipping around the gym, performing well for a cheer team of our age. The soft hues of blue and silver on our uniforms stood out against the deep black. We only have one week left, so I have to try my hardest! The sweat was gleaming on everyone’s faces by the time we were done. We’re going to do great!
“Ow!”, I yelped as my mom put my hair into a tight ponytail. “You don’t have to pull so hard!”. The sparkly bow glittered in the light, my hair swung from side to side and bounced with every step, and the bright red lipstick contrasted against my dark eyeliner and mascara. The uniform itched and scratched, and the shoes were a bit too tight. We hopped in the car and were on our way to the competition. The smell of gas drifted through the open windows and I was sweating from the thick clothes and the stress of our first competition. The music was too loud and the road too bumpy. This drive could not be any longer.
I walked up the steps and into the auditorium. The vastness of the ceilings made everything else seem minuscule in comparison to the different scents of pretzels and cotton candy and hot dogs being made. We followed the signs and traveled the length of one of the hallways until we found others in my team, waiting for the rest so that we could practice. Only 3 more hours until my very first competition. When everyone had arrived and was in proper performance style, we began practicing. My team and I had practiced for so long before this moment, working as hard as we could to ensure we’d succeed. My family was there to support me, giving me flowers and buying me some food. As long as they’re here, we’re sure to do great! My team and I tumbled and flipped, doing our routine with confidence and perfection. There’s no way we could mess up now. The cold of the concrete underneath my feet hurt whenever I did a trick, but we could handle it. Only 2 more hours until the competition! We took a break to make sure everyone looked their best, tightening ponytails and fixing make-up that was ruined or smeared. We moved to a larger, gym-like room that was filled with hundreds of other people from several other cheer teams. We practiced more and more, doing better and better each time we went through the routine, trying to impress the older children. The anxiety and stress were beginning to form on my team’s faces, as this is our first competition and we are surrounded by hundreds of older kids with more experience than us. One more hour until the competition begins. Others were also beginning to look worried, and some looked frightened. We kept practicing and practicing, doing our stretches and drinking lots of water. And finally, after what felt like ages, the first team was ushered into the performance waiting area. After 5 minutes, they were called onto the stage, the cheers and calls of the crowd drowning out the voice of the announcer. Team after team was sent to the performance waiting room until eventually someone came and grabbed us. We strode over to the waiting room, continuously telling each other that everything is going to be okay. “And now, from PEAK Athletics, I present to you, the Lynx!”. We pranced onto the stage, waving and smiling at the audience and going into our formation. The music was blaring as I took a deep breath and began to perform. My team was doing great, the judges were impressed, and the audience was cheering. There’s no way we could mess this up now. The other girls on my team backed off to the side as I and another girl were running across the stage to do a trick. Thump. My head hurt as it whacked against the stage, then another thump could be heard near me. Oh no, I ran into her! I messed everything up! There was a split-second of silence in the audience that was interrupted by several gasps. I quickly leaped to my feet and helped the other girl up, and we both ran to our next positions. There were several cheers from the audience. We finished the routine strong, yet I could still feel the heat of embarrassment creeping through my body. We struck our final poses as the music came to a halt, the applause drowning out the panting from our exhaustion. We walked off-stage and back to the waiting room, walked behind the curtains, and sat down to watch the rest of the performances. Our coach came over and was practically glowing as she said, “You ladies did wonderfully!”. I was very doubtful of that, considering I ran into someone in front of the whole audience. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life. After watching the rest of the performances, we exited the auditorium and were allowed to go and find our families. I sprinted over to my mom and jumped into her arms, then gave both of my grandparents a hug as they handed me a beautiful bouquet of fresh-smelling flowers. I was becoming stressed again, thinking of the moment when I ran into the other girl on my team over and over, but when no one mentioned the stupid, embarrassing moment that I had in front of hundreds of people, I realized, nothing was really as embarrassing as it seems.