What good is a quarter back who can throw the ball 75 yards but can't throw a 10 yard pass straight?
What good is soccer player who can kick the ball 80 mph but can't aim at the net?
What good is a basketball player who is 7'6 but can't make a layup?
Of all athletes I've ever met, known or watched, the greatest ones were all commonly great at one paticular thing; the basics of their sport. Sure, Tiger Woods can probably drive a ball 375 yards, but he can also drain his 3 foot putts every time. Pete Sampras sure could hit that ball hard on his serve, but he could return them just as good. Jerry Rice could catch a brick thrown at him at 90 mph, and he could block a corner back so his scrambling quarter back could gain an extra 5 yards.
Perhaps in cheerleading we focus on skills too much. Rhonda Rolloff just got her full, even though her legs are crossed, her back is arched, and she can't do it out of a back handspring. But, she got her full. Perhaps if she focused on her back handspring, as well as a handful of other skills, her full would just be one item on a large check list of the skills she is now capable of.
Senior Black, you can be great. But if you worry about what skills you have, or what level you might be competing at, you may as well just hang them up now. If you have a desire to become better, you must also have an understanding that it takes work, time and repetition. Sometimes, you have to work on the skills that just don't get much glory, but that in the big scheme of things, will help make you become the person you may want to be.
Cheer isn't the only thing that demands you to reach for the stars while exceling in the skills needed to do so (let alone maintain them!), but like every other job, responsibility, desire you'll ever face in life. You need to pay your dues. Stepping into a gourmet kitchen does not instantly make you a celebrity chef. Putting your foot on Hollywood Blvd isn't going to make you a movie star. Stepping into SBC park isn't going to put you up to par with the rest of them. Like Nelson said...if you want to compete at Advanced, you have to bring "it," you have to show it, you have to put the work in. Other teams aren't going to lay down and slack off to let you win first. Titles are not going to be handed to you on doiley lined silver platter, and if they were...could you really call it an accomplishment?
Watching you all at practice is the hardest thing I have to do. It's not because you're bad. It's not beacuse terrible, but because you have so much more to offer. You ladies have such amazing talent - but realize that it takes more than talent, sweat, and fatigue. It takes...no... it requires confidence. You all have it in you, just let it to flow freely from your pores.
"Work for it," is to cheergyms.com as "livestrong" is to Lance Armstrong.