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Cheer/Gymnastics
hi. you always give good answers so I wanted to ask your advice. here's my problem (sorry its long):
i'm going to be a freshman in HS next year. i tried out for cheerleader and made it, and i'm really excited because i love cheer. i've also been asked to be on varsity gymnastics. i kinda dont want to, because i've been doing gymnastics forever and im kinda sick of it. plus it will be a lot of work to do cheer and gym, not to mention im taking all pre-ap classes. but i know the coach will be really disappointed if i dont do gymnastics and i'm scared to tell her i dont want to. and part of me does want to do it, because some of my best friends are and it might be kind of fun. we'll have a really good team next year with a good chance at state. plus, if i quit gymnastics now, it would be pretty much impossible to go back to it if i changed my mind later.
so here's where it gets complicated. at my school, we can't have more than one athletics period. so in order to do gymnastics and cheer, i would have to change my schedule halfway through the year. first semester i would do cheerleading, and only go to the before-school gymnastics practices (7:00 am - ugh). but second semester (when gymnastics season starts) i would change to 1st period gymnastics and not go to cheer practice at all. it sort of works out, because cheer is basically over after football season (we only do a couple basketball games and they end in february). After february, cheerleaders really don't do anything.
so now for the problem. i really, really want to be head cheerleader. and i know our sponsor and a lot of the girls want me to, too, because (not to sound conceited, but) i'm like one of the only cheerleaders that can motivate people to work and be fair and postive and encouraging. most of the others are just bossy or negative or lazy. and i really want it to be a good year for our squad. BUT.. now some of the girls are saying that they wont vote for me if i do gymnastics, because the captain should be there the whole year. which i can sort of understand, but i WILL be there during the time we're actually cheering. once i start the gymnastics schedule, they wont be doing anything at cheer practice anyway. and i think the people who are saying that are the ones who want to be head cheerleader themselves (the bossy mean ones).
soooo... what should i do? forget gymnastics so i can have a chance at head cheerleader and keep things happy and positive? or do gymnastics and let someone else be head cheerleader? please dont tell me to do what i want, because i dont know what i want! i just want someone to tell me what i should do. haha. thanks!
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Do what you want!
LOL, just kidding you a bit, there. ;-D
So your question is long. No worries, for you have yet to meet my lengthy answer...
Listen, though the schedule you came up with is confusing (as it always is when trying to work two things like this into one schedule) it sounds like the right option to me.
Personally, no matter what, I wouldn't advise quitting gymnastics unless you absolutely hated it or something. Why? Obviously you are VERY good at it to be asked to the varsity team your freshman year.
Being that good can land you a scholarship for college. (Scholarships are not for sure things, but definitely worth applying yourself for.)
Now, cheer can also do this for you, but you obviously have more gymnastics under your belt, and, not to sound rude, you are likely far better at it than cheer.
(Varsity... remember that... that's a privilege for a freshman... no matter how big or small your school... that means you are damn good and only getting better...)
So about head cheerleader.
Yah, you're probably right. They surely want that spot, and such girls will say whatever she feels she has to say in order to discourage you.
What does that mean? They're intimidated by you. Not that you're scary, but because you have talent. Obviously, you are good at it and have great potential.
All year cheer is really pointless to do since I don't think you should give up on gymnastics. I know you won't like this, but EVEN if you don't get voted head cheerleader, don't give it up. (You don't have to be uninvolved in cheer in order to allow someone else to be the head...)
As for extra cheer practice when you DO have time for it, try attending cheer camp during the summer. You can stay brushed up on your cheer skills, plus maybe learn some fresh new things for your squad from others at camp.
Something else you should do? Talk to your cheer sponsor and ask her(?) thoughts on this whole thing. She wants you on the squad, she will help you sort it out so you can be without quitting gymnastics.
Remember this- As well as the sponsor, a lot of girls want you on the cheer squad. Those same folks think you would be THE ideal candidate for head cheerleader.
Only SOME of the girls say they won't vote for you. SOME doesn't matter verses MAJORITY vote.
NO MATTER WHAT. Remember: You are positive, a motivator, fair, and encouraging in cheer. That is what cheer is all about. If you stick with that, you've already succeeded. Think of the bossy, negative, lazy girls... that attitude is where they've already failed.
You're obviously and awesome gymnast, and you don't need to give that up to succeed in cheer. If you give it up, you may be losing a lot for yourself in the future. I wager at the rate you are going with it, gymnastics will lead you through open doors to your future.
Whatever you do, don't forget to do cheer because you enjoy it, not because you feel you need to be head of the squad. Otherwise, what's the point? I mean, really?
It's good to have that goal in mind, but not the end of the world if you don't reach it this coming year. There's always the next year, and two more years after that. :-)
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. No matter how you shake it, you should already take pride in your acheivements. You deserve to.
So this is way longer than I had planned. I hope it was helpful to you in making your decisions, and didn't make things more confusing, sound like a dull history lecture, or even worse, sound like Mangy Momma's After School Special. :-]
ygs-29/f
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Talk to your coaches and ask thier advice. It seems to be that at least for this first year, doing both might be a good idea, and fun.
Although I don't know the culture at your school, as a general rule I can't imagine that a freshman has a very good shot at captian, no matter how great and positive she is. It simply wouldn't be precieved as being your 'turn' yet, and you would be lacking in at least some experience that the older girls will have. Best to respect that, and be realistic about it, even if thier attitudes are not what you would wish them to be.
You have a few more years left to work at being captian, likely a better change next year anyways and a some learning to do in order to be a great one. Right now what you should focus on is keeping your options open and exploring all avenues.
If you don't feel quite ready to give up gymnastics, talk to both the coaches about your plan to do both and make sure they are on board. If they are and think it is possible, give yourself one more year of gymnastics. It will only make you a better cheerleader anyways.
Of course, if you REALLY just don't wanna do gymnatics, just be friendly and honest with the coach.
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