I’ve been wanting to write a pretty long blog post here to capture whatever I’ve learnt and been through for my past 3 years of cheerleading with more focus for this academic year. I’m never good with words when spoken, therefore I hope typing it out will be a better avenue for my thoughts.
I started out cheerleading during year 1 when our founding mother, Madelyn, was looking for people to restart our cheerleading team in Hall 5. I joined because of curiosity as well as wanting to be part of any Hall 5 community wherever I can. At that point of time, I never had good impression of cheerleading, my only exposure was a bunch of girls in secondary school holding poms poms and doing splits. So, it was natural I was amazed when De Lan went up on a shoulder stand with Wen Chuan. From there, curiosity became interest. However for that 1st year of cheerleading, fear became my biggest factor impeding my growth. I chose to hide it but never overcome it. Then HO came, I failed. I didn’t want to walk out of cheer with that kind of result after months of training.
Then comes year 2, I joined back. That cheer chapter in year 1 cannot be undone but it serves as a very good lesson. So I decide to write a new and better cheer chapter during my year 2. This time round I didn’t fail any stunts, I fulfill my goals. I begin to like cheer. But yet I felt something is very missing in the cheer culture of Hall 5. Something very elemental. Our cheer mindset is just not there yet. We’re too focus on only training for HO. There wasn’t enough pepper and salt. I know something was missing but just couldn’t pin point it until… going to Year 3.
Team Spectrum gave me an answer (Other teams might have other answers). Cheer isn’t just training for HO. Although yes, HO plays a major role. Cheer is about having fun, doing crazy stuff, improving yourself mentally and technically. Entertaining ourselves as well as entertaining people. Ranking and monetary rewards are additional things that comes along. But more importantly, I just like the idea of wow-ing people and having great fun with fellow team-mates. Kekekeke The feel-good factor.
But giving me an answer isn’t enough. And I’m glad Team Vikings let me experience some of these answers too. Sometimes, I learnt things from you all (be it juniors or seniors) when it comes to the cheer mindset, things like being proactive. I am quite a passive cheerleader haha, sometimes I need to 被动 if not I won’t 动. That’s why whenever I see people pull people to do stunts will I then follow.
I’m really thankful for everything and everyone. Although being a Captain can be quite tough, handling relationships and such. I’ve met problems, I faced challenges, but I never really do all these alone. And sometimes, you guys made things much easier for me. Chris once said to me “You have a good team”. Yea, ups and downs are unavoidable, but at least I’ve a good team to support me. Lucky.
Cheerleading is a team sport, something no one can ever do alone. Without people, nothing much can be done. For me, many people contribute to what I am now, therefore…
I would like to give my biggest Thanks to the coaches, De Lan for never giving up on us whenever the going gets tough, Wen Feng for exposing us to so many interesting stunts and involving us in the routine, Ah Fai for his patience and confidence booster, Si Rong for her sunshine aura, Kang Jun for his insightful words, Ah Dee for his action-better-than-words, Brian for his hand waves and Christopher for his gymnast coaching and guidance when I got lost like a meh meh.
Then also for the old Vikings, a big Thank you to you all, Jun Kang for his cameo appearance, Boon Liang for his 100plus and bread, Marcus and Grace for their mental support. Chris and Sze Jie for being my team mates for 3 years. As well as all the other old Vikings who started out cheer with me and got our 1st Top 10.
Thank you to the entire Vikings team, Liane for her mascot and super-high support during HO, Charmaine for despite-objections still want to perform with us, Ying Ying for her motherly role, Nivia and Indora for their super-high personality and amazing dance choreography, Hui Wei and Cheryl for being who they are, hiao-entertaining top flys who persisted despite high levels of injuries, Chris for (say liao) being great, Derrick for being the receiving end of my super-emo-times and knocking some sense into me, Sze Jie for being the ever-naggy-ex-captain and receiving end of my falling butt, Jia Da for being such a great co-captain and support, Tze Swen for his emo-but-I-want-to-win, Ronald for his lim-teh-poker-bonding session, jokes and tolong-tolongs, Zebra for despite being quiet does things good and faithfully, PohPoh for letting us relieve some stress by torturing him and super-boost loading power, Ser Kun for his sunshine and super-high aura, Justin for his mountain power, Wei Choon for taking up Vice Captain and being the receiving end of my falling butt, Darren for his I-want-to-be-best-mascot attitude, Xiu Rong and Siew Ting for their great photos and videos of us. Love you all deep deep.
I walked out of HO 2011 feeling proud of everyone.
I stepped down from Cheer 2011 feeling relieved it’s in good hands.
No regrets.
I don’t think I’ll leave the cheerleading scene just yet but definitely not playing an active role. I’ll come back and play whenever I can.
– Lina 🙂
HALL 5 CHEERLEADING 