Cheerleading is for Oldies

I say Cheerleading is for Oldies (and anyone else for that matter) but in the Cheer World 16 seems to mean old! So I guess that means if you are 30+ then you are Ancient & require a Zimmer frame (sorry!).

I read the forums, the Twitter, Youtube and Facebook posts. People worrying that they are ‘past it’. I say…. You are never too old to have fun. I started Cheerleading at 18, later than many, but lots of my friends have been much older.  

University Cheer has grown massively in recent years (Future Cheer University Nationals outgrew the original venue) and many of these Cheerleaders are new to the sport. Almost every University now has a team. Outside of this I have seen multiple Adult competitive and recreational teams cropping up. Including parent’s teams for certain clubs (I have been trying to encourage my Mum but it she has not agreed yet!) Cheerleading does not have to be about winning and World Championships it can be about personal achievements & goals as well as fitness, fun and friendship. However, for the more competitive Oldies out there I believe that hard work (inside and outside the Cheer gym) can create results…. But be prepared to work & sweat.  

The biggest block I hear is ‘I’m too old to tumble’. I agree it is hard, I went to some tumble camps last year and the athletes around me were significantly younger. We were working level 1 & 2 skills and they were throwing themselves around the mat, pushing their bodies to improve. Maybe I will get hate for this but I often find children are fearless, they don’t know what pain is and go for it! I am a coward; going into a handstand I am scared of flicking my legs up too fast and landing on my head. But it is time to face my fears. A friend of mine (with no previous experience) picked up tumbling in her mid-twenties. I am ridiculously jealous of her beautiful handsprings, walkovers and back tucks. That girl is my inspiration. If she can do it why can’t I… or you? This year I have made a New Years’ Resolution to learn some tumbling skills (my cartwheel, dive roll and dodgy roundoff are not going to help my team’s tumbling score!). Three gymnastics classes down, some improvements already, updates to follow!

If you are looking for a new sport to try that works out your whole body, challenges you and promotes team work then give Cheerleading a try.

Thanks for reading!

X

P.S Squatting is good preparation for try outs ;)