cheerJust like in any other athletic team, every cheerleading squad has a captain. Captains act as a bridge between the coaches and the teammates.

1. They connect two different sides of one single river, and they get walked all over as well.

The cheer captain gets to be the bad guy, when her optimistic “one more time, I promise,” is quickly followed by “OK, let’s do it again,” and “Shhh, the coach is talking.”

2. When problems and disagreements arise within the team, it is the captain’s job to make them like water under the bridge, long-gone and something to smile about.

The cheer captain knows how to share ageless wisdom in the right moment:
“Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong.”
“You earn your trophies at practice; you pick them up at competitions.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

3. And when the team has to cross the bridge from practice to performance, it stands on the captain’s shoulders.

The cheer captain never gives up motivating: “Smile! Hit! Do it right! Pull! Louder!”

4. As Isaac Newton once said, “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” Similarly, every good squad captain takes it upon herself to tear down walls and build up bridges between the individual team members, as well as between the team and the coaches.

The cheer captain is always ready to share good advice: “Try it this way! Point your toes! Lock your knees! And, follow the rules!” How about giving a pat on the back to your squad’s captain–after all, she’s got yours!