Cheer Team Reflection

When I was in middle and high school, I was always a member of the cheer team. Being a part of a team gave a feeling like no other and it is not something that everyone has the chance to experience. When I got to college, I decided that it was time hang up my cheer uniform due to various reason. My thought process and character have definitely been impacted by this change because seeing a sport compared to actually doing it is different in many different ways. I have used myself as an example, people I have been on both sides of the fence. Participating in a sport versus watching said sport gives people a different point of view in the aspect of teammate appreciation, a sense of involvement and the realization of effort put into performing.

Participating in a sport will usually make team members feel as if they are a family. People tend to make lifelong friends and they are able to relate to people who understand what they might be going through. Being on a team gives the amazing sense of others always having your back because, at the end of the day, you all have the same goal. There is also feelings of trust and support. The only way to win in through everyone executing their part of the best of their ability, and as the cliche says, a team is only as strong as its weakest link. It is important for these bonds to be built, because not only does it make the team stronger, but it also helps people mentally when they know that they have people to confide in. When a team member is behind on work, it is understandable and people are more willing to help. A spectator for any given sport usually misses out on team bonding experiences and they lack the appreciation that teammates usually have towards each other. When someone does not have

On a team, the players always know what the biggest events are because of most of the time, they have to participate in them. They are always in the know because teams have to constantly be alert and represent the school they attend in a positive way. They get into events for free, interact with their peers, and have a heightened sense of school spirit. Whether it is performing in the sense of cheering or getting a ball around in the sense of every sport, a team member will always be involved no matter what. People in the school and from other schools know who the athletes are because they interact with each other through games. Team members are also displayed on social media due to their involvement and they can even be recognized due to their accomplishments. They also have to participate in almost every event because absence is usually not accepted, so they always know what it is going on. In comparison, a spectator may not feel that sense of involvement if they do not force themselves to do things. They have to figure of all of the big events on their own, pay to participate and they may not have that the same interaction with peers. Spectators are not required to be at every event so they may miss out on certain things and then it is harder to get back into knowing what everyone else may know. People who are not deeply involved also have to make themselves popular in different