Personal Narrative Essay: Walking Into The Gym Team

Walking into the gym, I could feel my heart racing. "You will do fine," my mom said as she grasped my hand. "All your hard work will pay off," she said as she hugged me goodbye. I could see in her eyes how nervous she was for me. It was true though. I had been preparing for an entire year for these tryouts. Still, my hands began to sweat as I recalled that I did not make the team the year before. I became sick from the thought of being as upset as I was the previous year. Even though I was prepared, imagining the judges and cheerleaders critiquing me made me want to leave. "You cannot leave now," I realized, as the cheerleaders began to teach us the routine. I told myself, "You can do it," and suddenly I was learning the cheers with everyone else. I began to smile at the thought that I was learning faster and remembering more than I did the previous year. Not long after, I began to question my ability as I noticed the strong abilities of the other girls trying out. Butterflies arose in my stomach as I realized that I had to perform exceedingly well compared to my competitors to impress the judges.

“Number twenty-three! You are up first,” said the captain. Suddenly, I began to feel anxious and somewhat sick. “Why me to be first,” I thought as I walked into the gym. Standing in the middle of the gym, I clenched my fist tightly and yelled the cheer. I heard my voice echo in the gym as I said the cheer loud and proud. I watched as the judges’ faces changed from concerned to quit impressed. I said to myself, “Don’t mess up now! You’re doing well!” I completed the cheer without hesitation. As I walked out the gym, my heart started to beat slower, my hands stopped shaking, and I began to smile. Even though I was confident in my performance, I was still nervous for the