Starting something new when everyone around you has been doing it for much longer can be intimidating. Competing against these people can be terrifying. Some White Station High School (WSHS) athletes only recently started competing in their sport.
Kaitlyn Threatt (12) reconnected with cheerleading her senior year for the first time since fifth grade. Having watched the cheerleaders from the student section at football games, Threatt decided to try out at the last minute for the cheer team during her final year at WSHS.
“It’s my last year, you know,” Threatt said. “I did try out freshman year but then I didn’t make it, but then I was like, ‘Well like, why not try again, it’s my last time.’”
The first football game of the season is one of WSHS’s most attended sporting events of the year, which can be intimidating for a first-time high school cheerleader. The bright lights, chants and cheers of the crowd and the tight movements and dances fed into Threatt’s first-game nerves.
“I remember the first game,” Threatt said. “I was so scared because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh everybody’s going to be looking at me. But then I just realized, after that game, nobody pays attention to us in real life. So I was like, ‘If I mess up, it’s going to be okay.’”
When Threatt joined the team, she already had established relationships with some of the other cheerleaders. As she adapted to the dynamic of the team, Threatt was able to build other connections with her teammates, contributing to her season experience as a whole.
“I feel like since I already knew people I just kind of, like, clicked in,” Threatt said. “Everybody on the cheer team tries to talk to you and get to know you. So I think [getting to know the team] is easy because everybody’s pretty welcoming and, as long as you’re nice back, it’s pretty easy to fit in.”
Cailee Williams (10) has played softball since sixth grade and understood the rules of the game and fit in the team dynamic. In her ninth grade year, Williams decided to try out for the wrestling team despite her inexperience in the sport. Williams’ experience in wrestling was very different from her experience in softball.
“At first I was nervous because I knew nothing about wrestling,” Williams said. “I had never even watched a wrestling video before. But then I started to get on the mat, I started to get to know everybody, and I was a very quiet person, so I was still nervous and anxious. But as it progressed to my 10th grade year, I started talking and I got to know everybody.”
In a sport that is focused on technicality, the process of learning and applying new rules and skills can be difficult and overwhelming. There can be a learning curve for newer athletes, especially in competing against more experienced athletes.
“[Starting a new sport] was definitely, I would say, stressful,” Williams said. “You would just have to be confident in your skills … I lost my very first match. I want to say she had two years on me, and it was very scary.”
As Threatt continued cheering throughout the football season, she was less tired and able to do more athletically and technically. For anyone thinking about starting a new sport, Threatt suggests being positive and smiling. Williams suggests staying dedicated is key to success.
“One thing I’ve learned [is] to take accountability,” Williams said. “At the end of the day there are no excuses. Push yourself as hard as you can and never give up. No matter if someone’s talking bad on you — this girl’s a four time state champion — it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, know your stuff and push yourself to the best of your ability.”