| Is All Hope Shattered With An Injury Before Tryouts? | |
| Inspirational and true Cheerleading story submitted By Cody Jefferies |
by
Cody Jefferies
The sport of Cheerleading has been claimed to be one of the most dangerous sports in America today. More injuries come through emergency rooms caused by Cheerleading than do football injuries. Injuries caused by the sport you love can be a badge of courage some display proudly, showing their commitment and passion, but what happens if injury occurs before your moment in the limelight? As in my case...
For the past year I have been more focused in my life than I have ever been before. My sights were locked in on earning myself a spot on my university’s Coed Cheerleading squad. When I decided to pursue this dream I was walking in blindly to what the next year of my life would bring me. I knew of the chance of injury but I never dreamed it would happen to me. Here I stand at my gym on the floor, readying myself to throw my newly learned round off backhand-spring. I count off in my head along to my music. I take my run and pull through my round off and glide through the motion into my backhand-spring. My hands make contact with the hard and unforgiving floor, and all in that instance it is over. I hear a snap as my right wrist rolls forward severely, do to my lack of getting square on my hands. Fear rushes over me as I begin to regain the vision that stars had briefly replaced. My hand was numb and my fingers would not move. I was sure I hand broken it. I went to my doctor, fortunately there was no break in it. Unfortunately there was a sprain that I would have to be off of just long enough to shatter my dreams...or so I thought at the moment.
As I drove home that night, I was plagued with anger. To think a whole year of work was completely undone in less than thirty seconds. I then began to calm down and think how lucky I was to be able to have done as much as I had.
When an injury occurs so close to tryouts, you can feel as though your whole world is falling apart and there is nothing you can do about it. I am a firm believer in optimism - I mean, we are cheerleaders after all. I have through all my life been told “When a door is closed, someone always opens a window.” I felt as though I had to take this fresh outlook on life and the chances I have been blessed with. Not being able to tryout is not the end of the world, of course it is disappointing but at least we have the ability to do what we have done. I have decided to work hard for my next year at college and go to tryouts the following year and blow the judges away with my skills.
When such a blow is struck in a cheerleader, or other athlete’s life, for that matter, you must tell yourself that there is a purpose this was not supposed to happen. You must find your reason to go on and try harder. Part of a cheerleader’s job description is to be able to find that glimmer of hope in the darkest of moments. Such moments as when we are in the 4th quarter of the big game with five seconds left on the clock, and we must still yell “ GO Team Win!!!!” and “ We Are Number One.” For many, this is the point where we give up and refuse to try again. One should pick themselves up and dust themselves off and get ready to climb that wall...well pyramid, again.
About Cody: My full Name is Cody Wayne Jefferies. I am 20 years old. I have been preparing to try out for Sam Houston State University's division 1 coed Cheerleading squad for the past year. I live in Texas. I am involved in many activities from art to theater (acting as well as technical work). I coach gymnastics and Cheerleading at my gym that I attend and also work in a local Video store. I am very involved in the community. I am an all around artist. I teach dance, I play the guitar, I sing, act, draw, paint, basically if it is artistic I do it.
*Note: Special thanks to Cody for submitting this story. Do you have a story or poem you'd like featured? Submit it here.
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