The coach at the local cheerleading school I attended since elementary school was from J. F. Oberlin University, and a senior from the cheerleading club I admired in high school also went on to J. F. Oberlin University. Seeing that senior steadily acquire advanced skills made me admire him even more, and I wanted to join the J. F. Oberlin University cheerleading club myself.

I took the AO entrance exam and started practicing in February before enrolling. At the first tournament in May after joining, I was able to join Team A as a freshman. The practice was full of techniques I had never done before. At first, every time I succeeded, I was filled with excitement thinking, "I can do this trick too!" But as practice progressed and the technique was demanded, my mood changed completely. Strict words from seniors increased, and the pain of my lack of skill that I couldn't respond to grew more and more. I spent days overwhelmed by anxious feelings like "Why me, when there are other skilled seniors?" or feeling frustrated that my body wouldn't move as I wanted, forcing myself to attend gymnastics classes. Some seniors kindly said, "It's okay if you can't do it at first," but even those gentle words turned into pressure.

To make matters worse, I fell off the trampoline while practicing a certain trick. I injured my arm and was forced to be replaced by another member. I mistakenly assumed that I had caused trouble for so many people and that I wouldn't be able to join the team anymore, so I distanced myself from them. Fortunately, with the support of the other members who stood by me, I was able to return to practice in June, but the fear I felt when I got injured hadn't disappeared. Completely losing confidence, I was too afraid to try any new tricks. When it came time to decide which team to join for the next competition, I honestly didn't even want to be on the A team.

I went into the selection process having lost all motivation, and I was chosen for the B team. It was an expected result, given that I hadn't put in the effort up until then. However, as soon as I learned that a classmate from the same high school had been selected for the A team, I was overcome with regret. When I got home, tears welled up in my eyes, and I vowed that I didn't want to end things with such an unfulfilled result, and that I would give my all for the next tournament.

From then on, I actively challenged myself to practice techniques I had previously avoided, and I was even able to successfully perform the technique that had caused my injury at the competition. The reason I was able to overcome my weaknesses and fears was because I trusted in the support of my teammates. I'm in the top position, but I can take on challenges because I believe in my teammates, telling me, "They'll definitely catch it, it'll be alright," and even if I fail, they will always accept it. And because they support me, I feel motivated to shine brightly myself. Through this series of events, I reaffirmed the importance of believing in the team and challenging myself with a desire for improvement.

When I was a first-year student, I was so focused on myself that I couldn't think straight, but now that I'm a second-year student, I aspire to be a senior who can pay attention to those around me. Some of the new club members feel pressured when trying a new technique for the first time and end up crying. Because I've experienced the same thing, I want to convey to them that trying new techniques is fun, rather than something to be pressured by.