Real Cast

So last Wednesday I was pulled out of class to go to the doctors and get my real cast on. Well let's just say there's nothing too great about it. It practically goes to the end of my forearm and makes even the most simplest tasks impossible.

The only good thing from it was that I got to get it purple so it matched my uniform somewhat. Well my liner doesn't even fit over my cast :( I had to buy a plain black long sleeve shirt that would fit over my cast, it was awful...

Luckily I only have to keep it on for two weeks, then I get a removable splint that I can take on and off. Thank goodness cause showering with a bag over my arm is getting kinda old. Anyway I can't do much typing cause it takes a little longer than usual, hope everyone had a good end of Football season or start of competition season!

Senior Night spent in the E.R.

Last night was Senior Night, a special night where the seniors on the football and cheer teams walk down the field with their loved ones and are announced to everyone. Well thank goodness I'm a Junior because I spent that night in the Emergancy Room.

Let me just explain what happened. So we were warming up for the game, I was throwing some simple tumbling passes while waiting for everyone to arrive. Since it was Senior night the seniors were going to perform their senior dance during Halftime. But they didn't want to leave the 4 Juniors out so we were going to do our halftime too. Well when the seniors were warming up the dance I warmed up my tumbling. What a mistake that was...

When I went back in my back handspring I heard a snap, when I stood up I realized my whole thumb was sideways. I looked at it and started just hyperventalating, then Maddy came over and started screaming "oh my god, oh my god!" over and over again. Our Spirit Advisor Shawn came up to me,  took my hand, and led me to the trainer. She made me a splint out of popsicle sticks and taped it and iced it. Surprisingly I remember being really calm, probably because I was in shock.

My parents were called and I went to the Emergancy Room. X-rays confirmed the break and I was given a shot to numb my finger up. Then the doctor had to set my finger, which was probably the worst part. Now I'm in a temporary cast until Wednesday and I get the real one. I'm thinking purple!

Ugly temporary cast

Luckily I made it back to the game by 4th quarter and got to see all my friends. Also my advisor said I can still do sideline cheer! Countdown from 4-6 weeks starting now!

The Poof.

It's one of the icons of all cheerleaders. You'd know someone is a cheerleader as soon as you saw them with this, you can't miss it. We work so hard for it, and give it so much effort. It's the cheer poof.

If you're a cheerleader you'd know what I'm talking about as soon as you read the title. These are just a few of the pictures I found when I typed in cheer poofs, but there are so many variations it's hard to focus on only one.

I remember the one time we had to wear a poof for our homecoming game, I got up about half an hour earlier than I normally would just so I could get the poof right. It defines cheerleaders that simple buldge of hair on top of your head that seems to stay perfectly in place. Trust me, it takes alot of work to make that all come together.

There is probably over a can of hairspray invested into making sure that poof does not come. Generally, it's mostly for competitions and you need to see what you're doing when throwing a tumbling pass or putting up a stunt. Your cheer hair has to stay in place.

The perfect poof is one of the most difficult things to achieve as a cheerleader. The bottom of it has to be teased and hairsprayed to get the correct amount of volume so it's noticeable. However the top has to be slicked back with every last strand of hair in its place. Then the whole thing has to be hairsprayed over and over again until it's as hard as a rock.

Even though alot goes into making the perfect poof, it gives you and your squad alot of bonus points. Looks are also being judged on the mat. If you present yourself in the perfect cheer mannar it only adds to your score. Being a cheerleader isn't only about the skill and drive, but it's about looking good while being crazy athletic. We do our sport, and look good doing it :)

 

Homecoming 2012!

It comes and it goes, another year, another homecoming completed. And boy did this one have it's ups and downs.

It started off at 5:45am when I got up, and already my hair was being stubborn. We had to have our hair in a high ponytail with a large poof, but of course mine was being difficult and In needed my mom to come help me. I got Starbucks in the morning too which made my day even better :)

I sat in 2nd period anxiously awaiting my early dismissal so the cheerleaders could go warm up, but it never came. Finally, I asked my teacher if he'd gotten an e-mail about those who were supposed to be released early from class. He walked over to his computer and looked out the window and said "well they're some girls who are dressed like you on their way to the gym," and I was freaking out that I was gonna be late so I left and sprinted to the gym. Luckily, I was on time and every stunt and tumbling sequence hit in warm up and we were all confident in our performance. The rallies' went well, the first was always a bit nerve wracking but once you get over those performance jitters you learn to have a fun time and just relax.  So many people complemented me on my skills, as well as remarking how well the cheerleaders did during their performance.

After school ended my group of friends had a little tailgate of our own. First Paulette had to fix my poof, because it was just a mess. She's an all-star cheerleader for East Bay Sports Academy so she knows what she's doing.

 

Then, Rachel, Maddy, Reed, Ben, Paulette, Taylor and I all went to In 'N' Out for lunch. Mmmm those hamburgers tasted really good :) And after that we went to Ben's house until we had to leave for the game.

We perofrmed in the beginning of the game, and after. The first performance went really well and everyone hit their stunts. Well remember how I was supposed throw my tuck for the game on the turf. Well I decided I wanted to wait for the last performance to try it, especially with Windy there.

That is not what happened... at all. About a minute and a half before the final quarter ended Windy came down to the field to help me warm up my tuck. On the very last one before I was about to go on I let go of my tuck and my feet landed too far behind me. My ankle snapped in an awkwardly bent direction and I knew at that moment it was too far.

Going back all the way to when I first hurt my ankle I was diagnosed with tendonitis in my right ankle. For 6 weeks I couldn't tumble, jump, or even walk on it because it had to heal. I went through intensive physical theropy, and wore a boot full time! But after tryouts everything seemed to be going better, until that day...

I performed in the routine, but every movement I made sent a sharp pain through my achiles tendon. I walked off the field so the seniors could do their senior dance, and burst into tears. I was then carried off the field, and to the medical bench to get it taped and iced. Just my luck, I was doing so well with my tumbling too... and now history repeats itself.

I talked to my physical therapist and he said I need to ice, ibeauprofen theropy, and do my ankle stretches. Otherwise I'll be back in the boot, which means no driving. And if I don't, and my tendonitis gets worse and I can't seem to make it better, there is a potential I could never walk again.

Not the homecoming I was expecting... Let's just hope my ankle heals!

Football Banquet and Pre-Homecoming Make-Up!

Today we had the football banquet, which is where all the cheerleaders and footall players get together and have a big dinner and just bond and stuff. The cheerleaders also get on stage and do a couple cheers to pump the football players up for the Homecoming day. It was our first year on Varsity, so we were super excited :)

To start off that day we went around decorating lockers with the names of the football players on paper footballs. There were only 3 girls on Varsity there to help with the decoration, Serenity, Taylor, and myself. We had to cover the whole school with football player names by ourself! But it was a good time to just hang out and be close with my girlies :)

Then we got food from Boston Market served to us at the banquet, did a couple cheers and exchanged presents. The football players got us cute little make-up bags with make-up in them! I'm not one for a lot of make-up, but it's the thought that counts, right? :) Even if it was probably one of the football players moms ideas... whatever! Then we got them little bags of candy and each senior member got a T-shirt.

After that we went home, and Maddy came over to my house to help me pack for the Ranch. We ended up doing our make-up in preparation for the big game tomorrow and got a little side tracked. It was pretty goofy make-up too! Lots of eye liner and eye shadow, giant wings of sparkle silver eye liner that crusted to our face. We ended up washing it off the minute we put it on, but it was still fun :)

 

That was my Thursday! And yes, I am posting this after Friday, so we did have the Homecoming game already. More to come later :) Just got home from the Ranch so I have no spare time! Will post soon though :)

I am... BACK!!

Yesterday was the most frustrating day of tumbling I've ever experianced. But that makes me want to work that much harder to make it a better one the next time. Since Homecoming is this Friday that "next time" needed to be today.

My coach Windy is so wonderful, she came and met me at the school so we could throw some tucks and I could get back into the action of tumbling. Sadly we wanted to go on the DVC field which is where I'll be performing, but the gates were locked.

So we went to College Park's back fields. Mind you, that's straight grass. But you know what, I was willing to try anything from that moment. It was a little awkward when I was warming up round-off back handsprings but once I started tucking it just came to me. I did about 4 or 5 by myself, no spot or anything. I'm feeling confident about friday! Hopefully I can go down one last time and secure that confidence.

I'm just so happy I got my mojo back. Icing wrists and ankles right now and healing my body, but ready to tumble my heart out. Shout out to all the cheerleaders who thought it couldn't be possible, but had the heart and dedication to make it possible. Remember, nothing is ever impossible<3

Tuck, Tuck, Tuck!!! And there it goes........

Yesterday was our last Monday practice in the gym before Homecoming. We were gonna have to run through the routine full out atleast 5 times so we know we could get it perfect. Well at first we just did stunts full out and stuff so we would be sure we could hit those. Because we perform a rally in the gym and there's no mats for us, just a paper thing anti slip thing so we don't get the gym floors dirty. So no flyer hits the ground, otherwise that'll sting alot worse than if we're on the turf (spell check). And basically our stunts were hitting so we got a couple minutes to warm up tumbling for the only 4 tumblers there are. I asked Kat to spot me on a round-off back handspring back tuck and she said I was good to do them by myself.

I have never gone for it by myself without a coach standing there, but suddenly I got this huge burst of confidence. I was committed to doing that tuck in my pass, and guess what.. I landed it! I was the happiest girl ever! I just did a round off back handspring back tuck all by myself and it hit! I knew the next day I would have tunbling practice so I figured just go and practice getting it perfect and I'll have it for the game on Thursday :)

Boy how wrong was I.. I get to tumbling today with the mindset of it's gonna happen and what happened was the exact opposite. Just my round off back handsprings were awful, there was no way I could throw a tuck out of that! And when I got the confidence back to just start throwing them again I didn't get my chest up fast enough or I'd reach for the ground. If I did that on the field it wouldn't stick at all.

I was literally ready to give up and walk off, I was so frustrated by this point I wanted to change my tumbling pass and be done with it. Maybe I'll never get my tuck. Fine whatever.

That's not what I wanted though... I knew I wanted that tuck. Whether I got it by Homecoming or by the last game of the season. I want it by the end of football season so I can show off my skills, because I have worked so hard and I want it more than anything.

My coach offered to come to DVC with me tomorrow and start spotting me on them just so I'm prepared for the game on Friday. If I'm tucking well then maybe I'll throw it at the game. But I don't wanna risk any injuries. Maybe give it another week? I want to tuck so bad...