Throughout my life the greatest influence on me has been my kick line team. Starting at a very young age I was always into dancing. When I got into middle school I tried out for the kick line team. I made it going into sixth grade. My team had around thirty girls on it. We went to competitions every Sunday and competed against different schools in New York. This experience has helped me learn a lot about working together as a team. Being able to dance in front of a large group of people is very hard to do. This helped me become a stronger person and I gained courage by doing it. Our team got first place for the majority of the three years I was on it. If not first place it was second. Winning first place is not always what counts; it's about doing your best and having fun while doing it.
When I got into ninth grade it was time for tryouts for either junior varsity or varsity. I made varsity my first year in high school which was a total shock for me! Five of my best friends and I all made the same team, which was amazing. This was a huge accomplishment for me and a start of a new life. Making this team was a dream come true for me; I also gained a lot of confidence. Every Sunday we had competitions with various different schools in New York. My team was undefeated for all four years of my high school career. Every March my team went to nationals in Florida. We stayed there for three nights at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando. This is where all different schools from around the world came to compete against each other. My first year at nationals was the most nerve wracking for me; I didn't know what to expect. Nationals was the most difficult competition we have all year. The feeling right before I went on stage to compete; is the scariest, but most exciting feeling I’ve ever felt. I've never felt more accomplished then I did after I was done with my routine. By doing this it helped me get over my fear and become less shy. In ninth grade when it was time to hear the results all of the teams sat on the stage in eager to hear the winner. At this point my stomach felt like I was on a roller coaster and I began to shake. My whole team was holding one another as tight as possible. After hearing all the teams place up to twentieth place we began to worry. When the judges announced the third place winner and we didn't hear our school's name we squeezed each other even tighter. They then announced the difference between winning first and second place was .0059 of a point. The judges then paused for ten seconds, which felt like an hour. That then made every one much more nervous. When we didn't hear our name for second place our team went out of control. Everyone was jumping, cheering, and crying out of happiness. This feeling was the best feeling I've ever experienced. We got a leather jacket for winning and a gigantic trophy. We wore our jackets everywhere in 100 degree weather. The heat didn't stop us for a second! This proves that if you work hard for what you want, you will succeed.
Nationals for the next three years was still very nerve wracking and exciting for me. Each year I became more confident and helped me become a stronger person. We won first place for kick line every year I was on it. I was thrilled to win, but nothing will ever compare to the feeling I got in ninth grade. It was a once in a lifetime feeling and experience that I will never forget. I gained a lot by this experience and learned if you put your heart into something you love, you will be rewarded.
