It was one of those moments where I wanted the world to stop. I needed time to catch my breath. I clenched onto Jessica’s right hand, my eyes closed tight hoping that if I closed them tight enough I could freeze in that moment. I didn’t want it to end. I wasn’t ready to know yet. I wanted to go to the top of a high mountain and just scream; to let go, to throw everything that was on my shoulders off the side of the cliff and watch it tumble down the rocky edge. Breathe Maddie, inhale, exhale, come-on...

I couldn’t make myself write this piece because in a way this is the how my remarkable season will come to an end. It isn’t that I do not want to share my story, I do, it is just that I can’t bring myself to realize that what I am telling isn’t a falsity, it is an actuality. I was just telling my friend how I thought that I was finally off of my “Worlds High”, but who am I kidding? I will never be able to forget the day, that legendary April day, when we did it.

On April 25, 2010, most of my friends were at home, waking up with prom hair and a trace of prom makeup on their faces, however, my team and I were in a circle in warm-ups at the 2010 Cheerleading World’s Finals. It isn’t everyday that you get the chance to be there, and it certainly isn’t everyday when you get the chance to call yourself a World Champion. There I was, laying, with my forehead pressed to the green carpet in the Milkhouse, waiting for our turn to take the first warm-up mat. I realized that this was it. I understood what I had to do, and most of all I knew that we had a chance to take the title. I pictured a perfect routine in my head like I always did. I went through every single count of eight to make sure that it was flawless. And then it happened. I was next to walk on stage.

When you are watching a college basketball game on television, and the crowd is chanting for their team you don’t really pay attention to it, however, when the crowd is chanting your name, it is a totally different story. The thing is I wouldn’t have been able to imagine the feeling that came over me when I took my first step toward the stage when I first started competitive cheerleading; I just wanted to be like my sister and be a cheerleader. But now, it was happening, the entire arena was behind my team and me, they wanted it for us just as much as we wanted it for ourselves. You can’t describe feelings, but if I could portray to you an ounce the emotion that came over me in that moment, I would. So there I was with on foot on the platform, and the other on the stairs. I put my head down like I do before every competition and then took my last steps onto the competition floor. The war had begun.

The routine had ended, the standings were being decided. I told my coach the other day that I didn’t know why I was a flyer because I liked to be in control of situations and obviously my bases are in control of me when I stunt. Now I had no control of anything. I was totally freaking out. I almost passed out because I am positive not enough oxygen was making it to my brain. If we would have preformed a perfect routine in finals there would have been no question in my mind that we would soon be crowned World Champions, but we hadn’t. One little mistake could have costs us the gold, but in the back of my mind I knew that what was meant to be would be, and I was meant to be a World Champion.

I began to think about my season, beginning with us getting our bid from All Star Challenge, having to deal with a changing backspot twice, winning the competitions that we hadn’t in years, redeeming ourselves time after time, loosing and gaining members, facing the challenges that brought us to our knees, coming out of last season, and now I was here. How did this happen? It wasn’t real; I had to be dreaming, I actually pinched myself, but when I opened my eyes, there I was.

I want you to take a minute and think of something that you really want. Something you have to work for, maybe have been working at for a while now. Now focus on that one thing. Feel it, and imagine what it would feel like to accomplish this task. Reflect on what you have done thus far, what you have done to make it to where you are now. Do you feel it? Can you imagine it? Do you remember everything? Do you believe you can do it? Do you know how it feels to have accomplished it? I was about to know.

Breathe Maddie, inhale, exhale, come-on... “OK” I told myself. “Should I think positive thoughts, or will my optimism jinx me?” “Maybe I should just focus on calming myself down, no that won’t work. I can spend my whole life calming down; this is the moment to be excited, apprehensive, and nervous.” I just kept telling myself, “No matter what happens, it was what brought me here that really counts, the climb.” But who was I kidding; I wanted to see the view from the top. I wanted to know what it felt like to look around and watch everything unfold before my eyes. I wanted to feel how it was to be a World Champion.

The announcer began. “In 10th place…”
Again I thought to myself, “Alright, we can do this.”
“In 5th place…”
“I can do this; I can make it through awards.”
“In 3rd place…”
“OK, you can stop now, I’m good, and I don’t want to know. I have changed my mind sir, don’t tell me what happens. I just want to stay right here, don’t go any farther. Please?”
“In 2nd place…”

Large tears rolled down my cheeks. The beat of my heart pushed me off the floor with every thump. I clinched my eyes tighter, and squeezed Jessica’s hand harder. It wasn’t going to stop. I pushed my face, wet with sweat and tears, deeper and deeper into the blue mat. I remember how scratchy the carpet was on my forehead.

I had made it. I couldn’t breathe again. I couldn’t move. My heart stopped. I just stayed there and took it in. The world was mine, it was ours. We were the 2010 Large Senior All Girl World Champions.

For some, the countdown until Worlds has already begun. I, however, refuse to partake in this ritual. It seems to me that when you countdown the days until an event it arrives faster than it normally would and this year I am living out every second with my team until we hit the mat for the final time.

Last weekend was a prime example of spending time together as a team. Senior Elite traveled to Washington, DC to compete at Battle at the Capitol. While there, our coach Courtney took us all on a tour of our nations most famous monuments and sights. It was a really a neat experience and everyone (except the guards who kept reminding us not to stunt in front of every memorial) had a great time. We even got the chance to see the Hope Diamond on display at the Smithsonian which had much sentimental value for everyone on our team for two reasons. First, we began our season by throwing our very own "hope diamonds" off a pier to represent our previous seasons and now we were able to see the actual stone. This was also very meaningful since our pyramid is to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". Moving onto the actual competition. Senior Elite did such a great job. Not only did we hit two near perfect routines we made alot of adjustments that could push us over the edge at our upcoming competitions. Even though we came in second for the first time in our perfect season we learned alot not only about our routine, but about one another.

Back to Worlds... Courtney has already begun preparing us for the final "battle" of our season. It's a scary thought considering what happened last year during finals but like the Hope Diamond on the Titanic that has all been thrown overboard and we have started fresh. Practices have become longer and more strenuous and our coaches are picking out the slightest details that could make or break us. We refuse to stop until it is perfect and of course are enjoying each other for the last few days of our season.

Good luck to everyone throughout the rest of their season and remember to enjoy one another.

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

<3 Maddie

I’m not ashamed to say that I wasn’t the biggest collegiate basketball follower prior to my enrollment into the University of Louisville, but after a four-year stint of me standing courtside cheering on the Cards, nothing could be further from the truth. March 6, 2010 marked the last time that I would ever put on that red uniform and cheer on the Louisville men’s basketball team at our home court in Freedom Hall. This also marked the last time that our historic Freedom Hall would be called “Home of the Louisville Basketball Tradition.” The Cardinals are moving into a 22,000-seat arena downtown next season, a place that I will never be fortunate enough to cheer at considering my status as a senior. Even though the building closed, rich, historic moments that our Louisville basketball legends created for the Cardinal nation will never fade. Freedom Hall hosted 6 national championship games, a handful of NCAA regional finals, and 683 Louisville victories. Although it gained great fame as a basketball arena, that was not its main purpose and will continue to be the home of the Kentucky State Fair, host state high school basketball tournaments, concerts, and trade shows. Louisville gave Freedom Hall and myself a memorable send off by knocking off top ranked Syracuse 78 to 68 in front of raucous crowd, which in its finale, set an all-time new attendance record. It was a day that will go down in history and one that I will never forget.

Our victory over Syracuse secured our spot as a contender for the Big East Tournament held is New York City at Madison Square Gardens. This past week, myself, along with 12 other teammates, endured a 16-hour long bus ride to the Big Apple. Unfortunately the Cards weren’t able to pull off a win knocking us out of the tournament all together quickly after the first round of games. Even though our trip was short lived, we took full advantage of our time in the city taking in all the sites and putting a pretty big dent in our wallets.

Its now Spring Break in the Ville and we are heading into our two-a-days. For most college students Spring Break is a time to forget about all the worries and stress that life and school have to offer. The same cannot be said for a Louisville Cheerleader. Nationals is only a few weeks away and although we have a great routine, we are far from ready to compete and defend our national title. For the next week we will be running the routine over and over making appropriate changes that will hopefully lead us to our 8th consecutive win. It’s a lot of hard work and sweat, but it’s all worth it when you hear them call your name as the 2010 Division 1A National Champion!!

-Griff