Blog 4: Working EQ

The Pentagon:

1. Positive Statement:
So far I've been lucky to have many positive things happen as a result of what I've completed so far in my senior project. I've become a better cheerleader and coach and I've learned how to use both roles to feed off of each other and help the other blossom. I've grown close to my teammates, the girls I coach, and to my coaches, which has opened up new friendships and relationships with some of the most wonderful and inspiring people I will ever meet. On a more personal level, I've gotten more physically fit, built up confidence in myself, and opened up the expectations I previously had regarding the limits of my possibilities. I'm very proud of all the positive things that have come out of choosing All - Star cheerleading as my topic thus far.

2. EQ Content (using Interview #1):
I believe that my first interview for senior project went very well. No matter how much research you do on a topic, especially one that is a sport, it will never compare to the understanding you'll get of it from talking to an expert in the field of your topic. Jason Brandt, the person I interviewed, is someone everyone looks to approval for because his opinion is so respected. He has so much experience and knowledge in and of All - Star cheerleading that he could (and should) write a book about it. Asking him questions about the sport really gave me an in-depth look at how a person who is passionate about the sport feels and thinks about it. People in the All - Star cheerleading industry love the sport so much and are so passionate about it that they take it to a whole new level. All - Star cheerleading isn't just a sport, it's a way of life, people devote their lives to this sport and sacrifice so many things to be able to do it or participate in it somehow. The All - Star cheerleading industry isn't like a normal sport industry, it's a family, and in order to begin to understand how much people who are involved in this industry love it and do what they do because of it, you really have to understand the fact that it is like no other sport. Talking to Jason about this and having him tell me things like this not only in my interview but during my hours of practicing cheer under him and coaching cheer alongside him has really opened my eyes to how amazing All - Star cheerleading really is.

3. What has worked for me so far:
As much as I love coaching and the team I coach, it's nothing compared to how much I love being on the mat and cheering myself. There's a sense of pride unique to finally hitting a stunt after it fell 50 times beforehand or doing your backwalkover by yourself after working on it for 3 months straight. There's a sense of pride unique to every aspect of cheerleading whether it be the stunting, tumbling or dancing aspect of it. Although nothing in cheer comes easy, there are certain things you excel at. For example, my jumps are so low it's embarrassing but I'm so good at dancing I'm center dancer for the routine (which is a hard spot to keep since everyone on the team is always competing for it!). From the research I've done regarding cheerleading as a whole and aspects of it individually, I'd say the most information I could find was on stunting, tumbling, and whether or not the activity is a sport. Since talking to my coaches about it, I've decided to look more into the tumbling aspect of cheer since it intersects with other sports such as gymnastics and I'd be able to find a lot of research on it. Honestly, talking to my coaches and the owner of my gym about anything has been the best thing for me to do for my senior project. They all have such great suggestions and guidance I couldn't be doing this without their help.

4. What has not worked:
There aren't many things I've had trouble with regarding my senior project, but my biggest issue is finding good research. I'm constantly concerned that the research I'm finding isn't good enough or as helpful as other things I can be looking up. I also worry that the research I need is very scarce. It has been pretty difficult finding research for All - Star cheerleading alone that focuses intently on that aspect of cheerleading. This is why I'm going to look more into tumbling.

5. Finding Value:
A.

1. Will I be able to find sufficient research on the area of All - Star cheerleading I'm going to focus on?
2. What subject of my topic qualifies as a topic for my senior project? 
3. Will coaching still count as my mentorship hours even if my topic has nothing to do with coaching cheer? If not, what am I going to do for mentorship hours?

B. I want people to have a completely different perception of cheerleading when I'm done with my senior project. Whether it be the entire United States that walks away with a different POV on it or just the senior class at iPoly, I want to change the way people see the sport. I want people to understand how much hard work, dedication, and love goes into being an All - Star cheerleader and I want them to know it's a sport. All - Star cheerleading doesn't get the recognition and respect it should get as a sport and I'm going to change that. A good grade on the project would just be a plus.

C. Next, I would like to talk to Grace Contreras, the owner of the gym I cheer and coach at. She has over 30 years of experience in cheerleading and she is actually asked to be a judge at international All - Star cheerleading competitions. If there's anyone who knows every aspect of cheerleading  in depth it's Grace and I believe at this point in time I need to talk to someone who knows as much as she does about every aspect of the sport in order to narrow down what I want to focus my project on.