“The cheer competition was a good and fun experience, and we were able to learn from it”

The nervous feeling of the cheer competition got to everyone from Olivia herself to her coaches. She was told to take a deep breath to calm herself  down right before they’re routine, but that was harder said than done.  Talking to other teams is forbidden. There is a sense of awkwardness amongst most of the teams and a shared sense of competitiveness and tension. Olivia admits the sense of relief people feel when watching the other teams mess up or fall. Olivia explains that when you see a girl drop from another team you feel somewhat of comfort that it’ll make your own score look better. This feeling is immediately over run with a sense of remorse for feeling this way, but this is the reality of high pressure situations. Olivia was very proud of her team and the dedication they showed. Even with some questionable deductions the girls were able to make it to state. Completing a goal some athletes may never get to achieve. Even though this experience caused much anxiety, it helped me learn how to prepare for similar situations and deal with stress.