A distinct collaborative process that I have found myself involved in is the sport of cheerleading. In my group words like staging, blocking and dress rehearsals are replaced with stunting, cheering, and tumbling. I became a cheerleader when I was a junior in high school. I was quickly taught that cheerleading was a noteworthy sport just like baseball and basketball. Each squad member had their own outstanding talents that combined together to perform in front of the crowd during athletic events. The collaborative process involved working through strenuous practices that demand a lot both mentally and physically. Cheerleading is one of the few sports that involve the risk of falling from great heights. The team has to learn to work together and trust each other's ability to accomplish the stunt being attempted. The culmination of the team's effort was debuted during the regional and national cheerleading championships. All of the working season was spent perfecting a three-minute, high impact routine to be performed in the state competition. A cheerleading squad definitely follows the rule of thumb that the squad was only as strong as its weakest length. Everyone's flaws were evident but we realized in order to be the best we had to work together to overcome them, instead of focusing on them. Being a male in a female dominated sport, I quickly sized up that a main part of my contribution to the collaboration would be strength and muscle. While cheering in high school, not many other school squads had male members. I became interested enough in the sport that when I had the opportunity to tryout for an All-Star squad, I quickly took it. I made the squad and quickly realized that, although the team parameters had changed, again I had to find what I could contribute to the squad. I cheered with the United Cheerleading Bulldogs for two years and worked to improve my ability and overall knowledge of cheerleading.
