This is Who I Am

My, what a week!! So many activities, games, and practices, I can't even seem to keep up with my own life! However, a busy schedule is, apparently, not a good excuse to temporarily cease reflecting on my experiences with CAS... Which, if we're being honest, is somewhat silly. Today, because I feel like deviating from the set template of talking about one of the eight learning outcomes, I am going to talk some about my favorite subject this week: cheerleading!!! There will be many wonderful videos, pictures, and loveliness in the future, so keep reading!!

Firstly, if you think cheerleading is not a sport, you are drunk on stereotypes and garbage, and you should go home. Cheerleading accounts for more than 2/3 of catastrophic injuries in women under the age of 21, and accounts for 9 deaths a year on average. Cheerleading is not like the NFL, where ladies in skimpy outfits dance all over the football field. We, the real, all-star and competitive cheerleaders, throw girls twenty feet in the air like it's no big deal, lift girls by one foot, then proceed to toss them in the air and catch the other foot, and tumble like the bad-asses we are. Let me tell you, a double full is not easy, and I doubt many of you could just throw a standing back tuck on the fly. So, if you are going to judge the holy grail that is competitive cheerleading, let me stop you right now by saying that you are wrong (unless, of course, your judgement involves cheerleaders being bad-ass).

With that rant, completed, we can now enter into the fun part of this deviation post. First: stunting. Stunting is possibly the most fun thing ever, in the history of the world. Also, making up pyramids on the fly is really fun. Pyramids in general are quite fun. This is one of my favorite routines from Youtube, and their pyramid is the bomb!! These are the California All-Stars Bullets, everyone!! Enjoy!

Pretty rad, aren't they?? I thought so, too!! You know what else is amazing about cheerleading?? Tumbling, that;s what!! I swear, there's nothing that gives quite the same rush as tumbling!! So, in the spirit of sharing my cheerleading feelings with you, this is a pretty rad video of awesome tumbling! Also, I decided that this video should include some great stunts as well :) Have fun watching! 

That's all the ranting I have for cheerleading today :) I think I have successfully elucidated the most amazing and wonderful phenomenon that is cheerleading!!

Have a wonderful day, and more reflections are a-comin'!! 

Jordy

Flipping Out

Considering that I am cheering at a basketball game tonight, I decided that in the spirit of being an amazing cheerleader, I would talk about my cheerleading experience today. Firstly, cheerleading stopped being something I simply "do" a very, very long time ago. After my second season, I became a cheerleader. Fundamentally, cheerleading is an integral part of who I am, is a basic part of my being. I'm 95% sure that if someone were to examine my cells, they would find tiny cheer shoes and bows instead of ribosomes and mitochondria. So, for me, this "action" (as defined by the all-mighty IB Gods), defines me. 

As such, I've spent many, many hours doing cheer, and have consequently completed a few of the target "learning outcomes" set by the IB. In fact, I have completed six of the eight learning outcomes through cheerleading. However, my time is limited. This means that, rather than forcing anyone to sit through a massive, hugely boring post, I will only talk about learning outcome number 8, "develop new skills." 

As is expected for someone who has participated in the same sport for almost 9 years, my skills have greatly improved over the years. Recently, however, I gained a skill that I have been reaching for since I was about twelve. This skill: the standing back tuck. For those of you not familiar with cheerleading/gymnastics jargon, a back tuck is one of these: 

They are extremely difficult to do, mostly because there is no momentum behind the trick, meaning that it can take a very long time for a cheerleader to achieve this goal, even after they have a round-off back tuck (unless they are male, in which case they just throw the back tuck and get it on the first try, which is really annoying). For me, developing this skill was a huge accomplishment. I had been trying for years to do it, and finally doing the trick without a spot (someone helping) made me so immensely happy. There is really no feeling  I have ever had to compare to actually doing the trick for the first time by myself. It's probably something like acing a really hard test, skydiving, and facing a charging lion, all combined into one gigantic feeling of euphoria. 

So, cheer has allowed me to develop new skills. And it's freaking amazing. And, for now, I think that's all I have to say on the matter. Hard work and perseverance matter, people!! six years after starting to work on this skill, I finally did it!! (although, that video up there is not me... I'll add one here in a few weeks). 

Keep working towards your dreams!!

Jordy