Two and a Half Minutes

By Blake Smith

The crowd is screaming. Like, literally screaming. Deafening yells and multiple
air horns fill the arena. Familiar chants of WANT S.O.M.E!? GET S.O.M.E! are being
recited between rhythmic claps and we are taking our places on the mat to a pump-up
song chosen by the DJ. Blinding lights block our view of the audience, which reluctantly
becomes hushed as the announcer says in his booming voice, And now, Spirit of
Missouri Elite! And for a second all is silent. We are shifting nervously in our spots,
prepped for the music to start at any second. Our hearts are pumping insane amounts of
adrenaline through our veins and I exchange determined looks with both of my bases, and
my front spot.
Lets kick some ass, I say with venom. Theres more in what I said than pride
that I have for my team. Its more mess with us and see what happens. More, no one
touches my team, and try to get on our level.
Yeah. Its more like that.
At this point the crowd has erupted into cheers again and our parents and coaches
and other team members in the audience are screaming for us to nail another routine.
There are literally less than milliseconds left until our music starts. We only have two and
a half minutes to prove ourselves worthy of another trophy, another domination over
another one of our rival teams. I grip my bases shoulders with vengeance, feel the firm,
ready hold of my back spot around my waist, and look down at the placement of my foot,
waiting. Then, the music starts.
* * * *
I first started cheerleading in middle school. It was the cool thing to do. Im pretty
sure thats when the whole popular cheerleader thing became a stereotype. Ive been
dancing since I can remember and my best friend at the time and I decided we wanted to
try something new. Our moms would talk about it and deem it worth a shot, and so we
found MAC Cheer. It was a new program, just starting when I was trying out and it was
there that I first learned to cheer. As an eager sixth grader with a background disciplined
by dance, I quickly latched onto the energy and skill that was cheerleading. The program
didnt last too long, as is a challenge for lots of cheer gyms I would later find out, and by
the time I was in high school I had moved to a new gym and joined a new team.
Spirit of Missouri Elite was where I flourished as a cheerleader. Its where I
formed my most fond memories of cheer, and where I was challenged and thus shaped
into the best cheerleader I could be. I met some of the coolest girls, and worked with
some of the most awesome coaches known to cheerleading while I was a member of
Spirit of Missouri. And it was with this team, that I would contribute to us getting a bid to
U.S. Finals.

* * * *
Our trained bodies jerk into action with the first note of the first song. Our heads
immediately start counting in 8-counts: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, to the beat of the music. We
bounce once, twice, and Im thrust into the air, free of all contact with my team members,
for my toe-touch basket toss
1
. I ride the throw as high as I can then snap my legs out and
back in for the toe touch. As Im in the air I watch the other girls on the mat throw their
standing tucks
2
, or execute their running tumbling passes. I arch my back on the way
down, then fold neatly in a v-shape for the cradle. My teammates absorb my catch in the
solidity of their practiced arms then we are off, transitioning to a new formation for the
next part of the routine. Of the four basket tosses and the 8 different tumbling passes that
filled the first two 8-counts of our routine, we move to four separate clumps of stunts
about to take place. I am once again clutching the shoulders of two different bases
3
, and
with the 2 counts I have to breathe I gulp in as much oxygen as I can. Immediately I am
thrust into the air again, back-tucking into a plank position on my stomach in the arms of
my bases with the assistance of my front and back spots
4
. We bounce twice to the music
and I pull myself upright, knees to chest, as my bases catch my feet. I push off their
shoulders as they hoist me into the air for an extension full-down
5
. I sit atop 8 small
hands, arms wide, making faces at the audience to show them that this is nothing, this is
childs play. We are only just beginning.





1
A basket toss is a stunt where one girl is literally thrown as high in the air as possible. The girl that is thrown, also known as the
flyer, usually executes some skill in the air, such as a toe touch.
2
A standing back tuck requires a lot of skill, as you get no momentum from running. You jump up and rotate backwards in a curled
ball position, landing standing on your feet after one rotation.
3
A base is a team member that does most of the heavy lifting, assisted by a back spot and sometimes a front spot. There are most
commonly two bases to every stunt that stand facing each other and share the weight of lifting a flyer.
4
Front and back spots assist the bases in lifting the flyer. The back spot stands at the back of the stunt, parallel to the flyer, and grips
the flyers ankles, helping take some weight off of the bases. The front spot does the same as the back spot, facing the stunt.
5
An extension full-down is a stunt where both bases arms are fully extended and the flyer is standing on both feet. On the cradle,
when the group throws the flyer up to catch her, the flyer spins in a full circle one time before landing in her groups arms.

* * * *
Practice usually went something like this: warm-up stretching for about 15
minutes, progressions of handstands, round-offs from the knee, and short tumbling
6

passes for 20-30 minutes, then drill the routine. That is, if we had finished learning it.
Otherwise we would be taught a new section of the routine; a new stunt, new transitions,
some new motions, and we would add it on to the part we already knew. Then we would
drill the routine. Over and over again, to perfect each individual movement. Everybody
knows that its the clean routines that win.
* * * *
I give the audience a pucker, a send-off kiss knowing whats next as my bases
toss me into the air once more for my full-down cradle. The second they catch me Im
popped back in to my upright, knees-to-chest position, poised to go right back in the air.
They throw me back into the extension and I move my balance completely to my right
leg as they covertly switch their grips from both feet to just one. On the right count I kick
my left leg up and catch it in my hand for a heel stretch
7
, waving at the audience with my
right hand like I do this in my sleep. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the other 3
groups hit their heel stretches in time with mine and I give the audience extra attitude just
before I am pulled down again. Both feet have returned to their proper base and as a
group we bounce once, then I flip head-first out of my group, my bases clasping my arms
for support. I land standing, feet together, and pause for one second for the audiences
reaction to our flawless stunt sequences before I am sprinting to my next position.



6
Tumbling is essentially flipping. It consists of frontwards and backwards flips and nearly everything in between.
7
A heel stretch is where you stand on one leg, then pull the other leg up as high as you can with your hand and hold it there. Lots of
flexibility and balance are required for a heel stretch.
* * * *
Its extremely difficult to get 26 girls to operate as one. Between size, skill,
technique, and individual style differences, getting each girl to put her arms at the perfect
45 degree angle just before a team toe touch, hold it there for exactly 2 counts, then jump
into the air for the same increment of time as everyone else, landing in unison with her
fellow teammates is, to say the least, challenging. And thats only speaking of jumping
together. The jumping section of the routine is the easiest to clean because its the easiest
area to make progress in. All awesome jumping takes is a little flexibility and some
strong legs. But try getting four separate stunt groups to do exactly the same stunt at the
same time. With 5 girls to a group: a back spot, two bases, a front spot and a flyer, a lot
can happen. You have to make sure the bases are the same height so the flyer isnt
lopsided when standing in the air. You have to make sure the back spot is tall enough to
reach the flyers ankles when the bases arms are fully extended, and strong enough to
take some of the weight of the flyer off of the bases. And you have to make sure the
frontspot is just like the back spot. All this to stunt safely and effectively. Stunts can
make or break a routine, especially depending on what level you are.
* * * *
Im breathing heavily now, but theres no way in hell I show it. Ive got that smile
on my face that shows the audience and the judges Im loving every minute of this. I hit
the couple arm motions that transition us into jumps and as a single unit we swing our
arms and we jump. Hurdler, land, standing back handspring. Arm motions move us to
new positions and we swing for a double toe touch. Theres nothing quite like feeling the
spring floor groan under the combined pressure of 26 pairs of feet hitting the mat at the
exact same time. Its quite a rush. And having finished our jump sequence, we move into
our cheer formation, preparing ourselves for the familiar noise that is about to erupt from
the audience. As loud as we can we begin chanting with our parents and coaches over
bells and whistles and various other sound effects in our music: Spirit of Missouri! Say
no more! Cause were once (jump)! Twice (pose)! Three times better than weve ever
been before (pause) yeah! 6-7-8 we count in our heads as we transition again. I gulp in
more air, preparing my body for the extreme energy its about to expend in this next
section. Its time to tumble.
* * * *
There are 6 levels in cheerleading that dictate what stunts and what tumbling you
are and are not allowed to do. Levels 1 and 2 are pretty basic, require spotters
8
for stunts
and the kids arent allowed to do any actual flipping, such as back or front handsprings.
Levels 3 and 4 are where the fun begins to happen. In these levels you can do front and
back handsprings, have extended single-leg stunts with no spotters, and you can do two-
level pyramids and really cool basket tosses. Level 5 is where things get crazy. You can
flip and twist at the same time, do jumps straight into standing tumbling passes, and have
up to three skills in a basket toss. And then theres level 6 where pretty much anything
goes. You can do single-based stunts, have pyramids 2 ! stories high, and basket tosses
that are allowed to have a 1 " rotating flip and 2 additional skills, all executed in midair.
We were a solid level 4 team, pushing the limits of the most advanced skills we
were allowed to use in our routines so as to be able to compete with the best teams in our
division. And it was for that reason that we got a bid to U.S. Finals.


8
Spotters are professionals with knowledge of and experience in all things cheer. They stand behind stunts to ensure safety in case
someone would fall or something would go wrong.
* * * *
At this point we have all lined around the edge of the mat, leaving the center wide
and clear. Two groups at the back of the mat will throw stunts while the rest of us take
our running tumbling pass. This is probably our most terrifying section, for we can only
control ourselves here. Throughout this display of individual skill we must watch,
knowing all of the mental blocks present on the team. We watch, helpless from the sides
of the mat, praying no hands touch the mat after landing a pass, that no one gets hurt
throwing a tuck, that the stunts in the back nail their sequence.
First, a group of four crosses the middle, two from the right and two from the left
throwing round-off back handspring back-tucks. Second, a group of three run from back
to front and throw the same pass, then kneel at the front of the mat so as to not block the
judges or audiences view of the rest of this section. Next, the crisscrossing corner
tumbling starts. We go two at a time, from diagonal corners, one from the back left and
one from the front right, then vice versa. Four passes in, its my turn. There is not enough
oxygen in the world to prepare my body for this amount of limit pushing. We are a
minute and a half into the routine and I have to hurl my body through the air, all by
myself this time. Nothing seems more daunting. But my count is here and I would never
let down my teammates so I run. Its a diagonal but its all too short a distance. I full on
sprint 3 long steps and hurdle into my round-off, back handspring, punching into the
spring floor to get as much height as possible as I rotate for my layout
9
. My legs bend
slightly as I rotate, a point deduction if the judges catch it, but I stick the landing and run
the rest of the way to the edge of the mat to get out of the way of oncoming passes.


9 A layout is a backwards flip through the air with no contact on the mat, rotating in a flat, plank-like position. It is usually preceded
by a back handspring.
Im gasping for air as I watch the stunt-ers finish their sequence solidly. Somehow
now I have to summon the energy for the pyramid section of the routine, and as my last
teammate finishes her running tumbling pass, I flash the audience some more attitude
accompanied by a smile that says Wait til you see what we got left.
* * * *
U.S. Finals is the crowning competition of all cheerleading competitions in
America. Literally teams from all over the country compete for the title of best team in
the nation for their level. Its an honor to even get a bid. At the end of every competition,
the host of the competition, such as Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), United
States All Star Federation (USASF), or Jamfest, will usually offer bids to other
competitions for winning first place at your level. Getting a bid means that your
competition fees are paid for as a team, and you get to compete in that competition for
free. Oftentimes youll get bids to another one of that hosts competition later in the year,
but occasionally youll come across a bid to U.S. Finals. Only a finite number of teams
receive bids to U.S. Finals, and only one team from each level gets to call themselves the
best in the nation. Not only did my team get a bid, but we got to compete among the best
of the best in Oklahoma City for one of four U.S. Finals competitions. We ended up
being ranked second in the nation.
* * * *
This section of the routine tends to be a crowd pleaser. And its a great follow-up
after we just rocked a tumbling section where not a single hand touched the mat (more
point deductions if that happens). The crowd is begging for more.
We rush to assemble into two clumps of three small groups. Each clump has two
preps
10
on the outside for assistance and a flyer in the middle that is going to be doing
some fancy flipping and legwork. Here we begin the pyramid section. All three sections
of my pyramid go up at the same time, me in extension and the other two at prep level. I
turn to the prep on my right placing my right foot in her hands as I step onto her and kick
just beside her shoulder, free standing on only her for a split second. Then I cradle into
my bases arms as they pop me into a plank position on my back while the girl in the prep
to my right grabs my right ankle. I flip my torso backwards and the girl in the prep to my
left grabs my left ankle, my supports now holding me upside down in an inverted split. I
am bounced once and swing my right leg around into my bases hands, simultaneously
reaching for my right prep flyers shoulders for support. We bounce again to the music
and I am thrust into an extension facing the audience with my left leg in straight
arabesque being held by my left prep. The audience is screaming like crazy and I give
them a wink as I turn my body to face them, bending my left knee into a hitch position
and throwing my left arm into that perfect 45 degree angle. On the next even count I am
pulled down into my upright position and I connect arms with the girls on both sides of
me. We bounce once, twice, and I am thrown into the air by my bases, out of their reach,
only connected to these two girls as I execute my back tuck and land safely and
comfortably back into the hands of my bases. We all brush it off like it was nothing as we
smile and think to ourselves I really hope the other pyramid went well, and, just one
more section to go


10
A prep is a stunt exactly like the extension, with the flyer standing on both legs, however it is at shoulder level with the bases, not
fully extended.
* * * *
This was the competition we received our bid to U.S. Finals. With our only
mostly-flawless routine of that competition season. You have to understand that our
routines didnt always go so well. Often they were filled with touching hands after
tumbling passes, stunts that fell or didnt make it into the air, and the occasional injury,
all of which deduct major points from our score and quickly set us back. But this
competition we just clicked. We were really working as a team, and the stars must have
been aligned in our favor. Maybe it was the pep talk right before we took the floor, just
after our warm-up, maybe it was just extra right that day. Or maybe we just wanted it that
bad. Either way, this competition was the best, by far of all the competitions I was part of
with Spirit of Missouri. It was here, at this competition, that this routine became ours, and
that we became an even stronger team.
* * * *
If I was breathing heavy earlier it was nothing compared to the weight of my
breaths now. But this section is, and always has been, my favorite: dance. Its the section
that takes the least work out of the entire routine, and having thrown all the stunts and
tumbling passes we just did, its our section to relax. We throw every last ounce of
energy, spunk, and sass into this dance, hitting our motions with determined accuracy and
loving every minute of knowing were almost finished with our greatest performance yet.
We may be tired but by God, this is what we love to do. We live for that exhaustion at the
end of the routine. We live for the never-ending cheering and screaming not only from
our parents and coaches but from other teams, and other audience members that have no
stake in our team, no interest in our winning. We live for the rush of performing, that
constant on-edge feeling of never knowing if all the stunts have hit until after the routine
is over, that feeling of teamwork and pride and accomplishment. Thats what we live for.
This is why we do it. And we dance until the music stops, and we hit our last pose, chests
heaving, parents and coaches alike jumping out of their seats, audience roaring once
more.
Its only been two and a half minutes.