Every Moment Counts Simple thoughts, feelings, and actions set the stage for an entire situation and its outcome. In cheerleading, competitive teams across the nation could justify that every move counts, physical and mental. A two minute, forty-five second routine can correlate to feeling like hours and includes days upon months of work. However, one common goal within every cheer team prevails, hitting their routine; mastering every skill flawlessly without falls or drops. The sun rises peacefully as the Prior Lake cheerleaders make their exhausting trip to the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, the place of the state’s largest competition. Looking over the pleather seats, sparkly bows cover the heads of the chattering cheerleaders. As the bus makes its early arrival, the overwhelming rush of hairspray fumes and the stench of the…show more content… Every cheerleader in sight presents a look of uneasiness, chalantly hidden by excitability in their faces. Constant sound expands through the whole building with intense cheer music and repetitive counting. The Jefferson coach approaches calmly and informs the Lakers of the stuck-up Maple Grove coaches’ immature complaints to the competition hosts about their placement in the “easy” division where Prior Lake and Jefferson stood. Offended but humored, the Lakers and their new Jaguar allies decide on a new goal for state; score higher than Maple Grove. They stroll confidently past the enemy team to the infraction check. The girls hold an awkward position while a manager walks down the line with clipboard like an untrusted prisoner getting searched for weapons. With bottomless motivation, the Lakers hit gracefully in their warm up and feel ready to advance onto the mat. The cold air becomes colder as the team relocates backstage. The captains soothe the team with a traditional prayer, and they breathe in deep and shaky,
