Although you probably think it's the end of the world, it isn't. Yes, you're disappointed, it was something you really wanted and your disappointment is a natural reaction. But you can't dwell on it or beat yourself up over the outcome. You have to try to deal with it and move on. It's kind of like falling off a horse, you can get up and vow never to ride again or you can pick yourself up, get back on and try to figure out why you fell off in the first place.
Turn it into a learning experience. Now is the time to start thinking about the next try out. Don't waste precious time on what you can't change, if you want to be a cheerleader, set your goals and go for them with all that you have.
Below you'll find some helpful tips on how to learn from a try out experience. They were written by a wonderful and talented woman who had her heart set on being a pro cheerleader. When she first wrote me that she hadn't made it, I was immediately impressed with the way she handled it. She didn't blame any one else, but instead had analyzed the situation and constructively outlined where her weaknesses were and thus she knew exactly what to work on for the next time.
- Don't watch the girl next to you. I wish I wouldn't have and I was told not to and I forgot about that advice by my instructors. They said, don't look at the other girls. The two to my left were always ahead of me, they were flamboyant and hauling butt and it scared me so I didn't perform well at all. I didn't hold my facial expressions, smile, etc. I knew the routine but I was so intimidated and worried about what they were doing that I just lost it.
- I was so embarrassed I wouldn't even look at the judges. We had to perform the same routine 3 times without the music stopping or us stopping, just keep going forward and we wound up face to face with the judges. I turned my head. How stupid. Maybe if I would have looked in their eyes and smiled they would have given me another chance? So, no matter how bad you think you did, don't be so embarrassed that you don't look at those judges in the end and smile big. I didn't use my best asset.
- Practice performing. We were all so worried about getting me limber, into the splits, perfect kicks, leaps, turns, etc. that we didn't do much choreography and I didn't perform for my instructors. That was the first time I had danced without a mirror or outside of a studio. If you're not used to performing, you had better practice. Also, don't think that you can jazz up the movements when you try-out and not while your learning. Do it as you go.
- Intimidation. Man is there a lot of it. Someone should warn people how competitive other women are and how much they try to intimidate! No one spoke to me at all and all they did was give me the evil eye until a reporter started talking to me and then interviewed me. Then everyone wanted to talk to me. It was crazy. Warn the women who haven't done this before. There is enough going on without having those attitudes thrown at you when you're not expecting it.
See, regardless of whether you make it or not, there's so much can learn from trying out. Take that knowledge and make it work to your advantage. And remember, don't give up on your dreams, they do come true.
Note: Special thanks to Carrie for sharing her experiences and wanting to help others. I think she definitely has the "heart and spirit" of a Cheerleader.
