It's always hard to give up something. It's even harder to make that decision when it's something that has a. been a part of your life since you were little, and b. something you have been dedicated to for over five years.
Cheer has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. And I started seriously working towards it when I was a sophomore in high school. I had goals for what I wanted to accomplish with it. Over time those goals changed but I never let that stop me.
I sustained quite a few injuries since my time in the sport. That didn't hold me back either. I have a torn meniscus in both of my knees that I never had to get fixed surgically, I have rolled and sprained both of my ankles multiple times, I fractured one of my ankles and had a bone bruise in the other, my rotator cuff range of motion has been compromised, my back began to hurt around year 3, etc., etc.
For as much work as I have put in the last few years, it was a big mental game as well. I had highs and lows. But for the most part it felt like lows. I was always battling myself as well as competing with other people for a spot on the teams. This took a big mental toll on my body and it was something I had to evaluate for myself this year.
I never imagined that I would hang up my cheer shoes before I was 21 because I always imagined doing it for as long as possible. Giving up cheer was not something that was an option until I reached my goals. But this year something happened that made me re-evaluate my decisions. I started taking a horse back riding class this semester and instantly fell in love. It was something that I realized I was good at and that I enjoyed and something that was mentally calming rather than mentally stressful. However, I knew I couldn't continue to do that along with cheer. I took some time to evaluate my options and ultimately decided that doing the equestrian team was something that was a better option for me and something that I wanted to do.
Ultimately, the equestrian team is not something that will happen until next semester but I did decide to give up cheerleading. It was something that was taking more of a mental and physical toll on my body rather than a positive effect.
Like I said, giving up cheer was not something I imagined happening this year or anytime soon. The highs that I had were the best feeling in the world, but it didn't outweigh the lows. It took something even better coming along for me to realize that it truly was time to let it go. Even though I didn't achieve the goals I set out to, I am okay with that because I am excited about what's to come with my new organization. The transition has been surprisingly easy and I'm looking forward to doing more next semester.
Anyway that's a little life update for y'all, hope you enjoy ;)
Comments