Drama At Work...

So I currently work at Casey's in the town I live in. The store is about 3 minutes from where I live, so it's pretty convenient. Convenience is probably one of the only reasons I do not quit working there. The other being that I have to pay my car payment. Everytime I go to work it seems like there is more and more drama. People have told me, "You'll have that at any job." Well, it get kind of ridiculous when the main woman starting drama is in her 60's. Seriously now, can't she find something a little more interesting to fill her time with that to start drama between a couple of college students? Things at Casey's were pretty good when I first started there. I got along with a lot of the people, and actually became close friends with two of my co-workers. One of them is no longer at the store becuase this woman, we'll call her Jan, has brought in two minions that are driving everyone away. These two minions are her favorite, even though they do less than everyone there combined. This sounds like I'm just trying to find something to complain about, but honestly, we go through employees like it's nobody's business. We get a new worker every other month or so. Those of us who stick around (which is me, my friend Nikki, and a couple of older people) are all getting fed up. We've all come so close to quitting, and would have, if we had had solid other options for jobs. So this woman is the "1st assisstant manager" and she thinks she is the shit. If I wouldn't get fired, I would definately tell her nothing is bad ass about being the assisstant manager at Casey's! She walks around with her nose up in the air, like she is better than everyone. HELLO, YOU WORK AT CASEY'S FOR GOD'S SAKE! I could see having a little arrogance if you were the owner of the business or maybe a district manager, but seriously, you're the assisstant to the manager.

Well that's my bit of venting!

First Semester, Coming to an End!

As my first semester as a college freshman is quickly coming to an end, I begin to wonder what it is I want to do with my life. A question I believe many students ask themselves frequently. I have been asking myself this question since my junior and senior year in high school. I have had so many ideas of jobs I've wanted to have including cosmetology, teaching, nursing, social work, special education, etc. For some reason, everytime I think I know what I want to do, I change my mind or talk myself out of doing it. I know people say, "Just do what makes you happy," but I really don't know what is going to make me happy. I really enjoy cosmetology. Hair and makeup have always been an interest of mine. For some reason though, I feel like I won't be able to make a substantial living in that field. Teaching is a good career because you are off for the entire summer, but do I really want to teach? Making the decision of what career you want to pursue is a hard decision, and will definately affect you for the rest of your life. Maybe I'll just work at casey's for the rest of my life...NOT! I wish life could be easy, and that I was just born knowing exactly what I was going to do, knowing that I was going to be really good at it. No, that's not how reality works, is it? Sometimes I just wish I could go back to high school and cheer forever. Not be in high school, just cheer in high school. Maybe I will be a teacher so then I could find a position coaching cheerleading. For those of you who are going through the same thing I am, good luck to you!

My Cheerleading Career, Finished.

So as those of you who read this blog know, I cheer for SWIC. Not anymore. I had to quit. I know that it's terrible to be a quitter. I have never quit anything before, and I feel terrible about it. I had to do this though. It was really taking away from my job, but more importantly, from school. I was definately slacking in my classes becuase of the super late sunday night practices. Not to mention the fact that I'm a procrastinator anyways. I love cheerleading don't get me wrong, but I'm here for school, and I couldn't let this get in the way. I also have a problem doing something if I can't be 100% committed to it. All of these reasons combined are the reasons that I quit cheerleading. I would probably be more upset if I knew that I had some kind of real future in cheerleading, or maybe if I had a scholarship, but neither of these cases are true, and so I had to end my relationship with cheer.

More Than Meets The Eye

I know the things people think about cheerleaders and all of the stereotypes that people believe. People think that cheerleaders are stupid and only think about which boy they are going to sleep with next on the football or basketball team. They think we're fake, stuck-up, and snobby. My question to everyone is, why do people choose to believe these lies? Yes, I will admit that some cheerleaders live up to the stereotype, but most of the things that people believe about cheerleaders come from movies. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to believe everything you hear on the TV and on movies? People not only think bad things about female cheerleaders, but they tend to think that if you're male and you cheer you MUST be gay. This is not true people! Not all male cheerleaders are gay, and just for the record, you have to be very strong to be a male cheerleader. I'm not sure why people have such a large misunderstanding about cheerleaders. We work hard, and we are very dedicated to our team and to each other as well.

Let me give you an example of some cheerleaders who do not fit this stereotype. A few weeks ago my cheerleading squad volunteered our time to work at a 3k run in Troy, IL. The run was a memorial for a young soldier from the town who was killed in the army. He was 24 years old with a wife and a baby and his life was taken from this early to soon. My cheerleading squad, along with my coach, her daughter, and a family friend volunteered ourselves to pass out water to the runners during the race. We had to wake up at 5:30 am and be at the race by 6. We could have stayed home in bed and not gone, but this was something we wanted to do. The community was emotionally affected by the death of this soldier and it felt really good to know we could help out and honor this man at the same time.

So I'd just like everyone to know that some cheerleaders are not the way you think they are. We are not just a bunch of stuck up bitches who like to ruin people's lives.


This is a picture of my squad after the race had ended!

SWIC Cheerleading Try-outs.

This past Thursday, the 16th, SWIC held a cheerleading clinic for all males and females interested in cheering for Blue Storm. My coach made the clinic open to all current SWIC students. Those of us who are already on the squad ran the clinic while my coach watched the new girls. We were taking a minimum of five girls and three boys; we had 18 girls show up, which was a surprise to us. The girls were split up in to groups of who could tumble and who could not. The prospecctive cheerleaders were taught a cheer and three types of jumps called a toe touch, a hurkey, and a pike jump. It was obvious from the beginning of teaching the girls who was capable and who was not. I know this sounds harsh, but to be a cheerleader, especially one who competes, you have to be able to keep up and catch on quickly. I will be nice and not call out any of the particular girls who were not cheerleader material, let's just say we knew right away who we wanted on the squad.

The world of competative cheerleading is intense to say the least. Squads prepare all summer and all basketball season just go to competitions, not to mention all of the time spent working on cheers and stunts and such for basketball games. Competing in cheerleading is just as difficult if not more difficult than any other sport.There are so many rules and guidelines to follow it's unreal. The National Cheerleader Association takes competitive cheerleading very seriously. Since all of the dances, stunt, and tumbling sequences in a cheerleading competition are very intense and possibly dangerous, the NCA has laid down many rules and to how you may do certain things, and what you may not do at all. Cheerleading is dangerous no matter what level you are at. There are children and young as five years old. If those little girls do not learn cheerleading safety at the young of an age, they will never care about how dangerous cheerleading and competing can be until they or someone they compete with or against is seriously injured. I wish that everyone would take cheerleading as seriously as I do. As cheerleaders, our support would go way up, and the amount of people mocking us would go down. Everytime someone says something rude about cheerleading I want to ask them to come to practice with me and do what I do, and then see what they think about cheerleading.

Cheerleading: #1 Most Dangerous Sport for Girls?

Many people think that cheerleading is an easy sport, which involves only jumping around, yelling, waving pom pons, and being peppy and bubbly. Yes, those are major aspects of cheerleading, but what many do not know, is the physical strain it can put on those involved in the sport. According to a recent report by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, cheerleading is now the number one "serious injury" sport for girls. According to the previously stated report, 65% of all catastrophic injuries that happen to girls, happen on their high school cheerleading squad. http://www.momlogic.com/2010/05/cheerleading_most_dangerous_sport.php

Cheerleading is becoming a serious sport, one that is both dangerous and requires the athlete to be in good physical condition. Yes, I know you're thinking you've seen quite a few heavy cheerleaders dring high school basketball or football games, but let me tell you, I'm sure they aren't able to do nearly as much as those who are in good physical condition. I will admit, I'm a few pounds heavier than I was when I was a freshman, and those added pounds make it difficult for me to do some of the things required on my squad. Needless to say, I need to get in shape. I know I am not fat though, so think about how difficult it would be for a heavy person to do a backhandspring, or a double toe touch. My coach even has a weight limit for our flyers. Go above her limit, sorry, no more flying for you. This may sound harsh, but speaking from a base's point of view, it's hard on my wrists and my shoulders and arms to hold someone up in the air for a given amount of time, without adding on extra weight.

So anyway, back to cheerleading being dangerous. If you do not have the proper coaching in your background, or do not listen to what your coach tells you, you could become seriously injured by many of things cheerleaders do. Let's focus on tumbling for a second. Yes, all of those gymnastics moves, flips, etc, look really cool, but they are also very dangerous. One wrong move such as not staying tight during your routine, putting a hand or foot in the wrong place at the wrong moment, could all cause life altering injuries. One could suffer from back or neck injuries as a result of not being careful. Not to mention the people who come out of cheerleading with bad wrists, kness, and ankles. Stunting is also a very dangerous feat. Three people holding one person up in the air is not something that should be taken lightly. One wrong move from any one person in the group could result in everyone getting hurt!

I know many of you are thinking I'm probably just exaggerating about how dangerous cheerleading can be. I'm not overreacting, cheerleading can be fun, but if you don't take it seriously, it can really screw up your future. Check out this video and see that I am not just being over dramatic.

Cheerleading

I have decided to blog about cheer leading. I am a cheerleader for Blue Storm at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, IL. I cheered in grade school as well as in high school. Cheering is something I am very passionate about. I would like to use this blog to help others see why cheer leading is important to me, as well as why it should be considered a sport, just like basketball or any other sport recognized by people today. I hope that others find this blog useful, and that it may be helpful in changing the minds of individuals who feel that cheer leading is a pointless activity and a waste of time. I will be posting photos, videos, and links to cheer leading websites, as well as cheer leading stunts, gymnastics, and dances. Seeing as how I am on a college cheer leading squad, I will also be trying to post videos of my own stunt group and tumbling sessions. When a cheerleader is told his or her sport isn't really a sport, it's just as hurtful as it would be to tell a basketball player or any other athlete that their sport isn't really a sport. If cheer leading isn't a sport, then why can you watch cheer leading on ESPN? Also, if cheer leading cannot be considered a sport, then what do you consider gymnastics? It's an Olympic sport, which is part of what cheer leading is all about. I hope that most of those who read this will change their minds.