Thanksgiving Essay Contest: Meagan Vota

Anyone can say they have an inspiration; someone to look up to and strive to be like. It is rare for one to have multiple inspirations. I am that rare individual. This Thanksgiving and every day that follows after, I am thankful for a gym full of motivators. As someone who had started all star cheerleading at the mere age of 3, I’ve been blessed with an amazing source of inspiration. Every individual, from our little girls to our coaches here at Spirit Factory, never fail to motivate me each and every day.

My inspiration starts with the mini teams up to our other senior teams. Being on a senior 5 team, these little boys and girls stare and smile when my team practices. You can literally apply the quote “remember there is always a little girl in the stands wanting to be like you, don’t disappoint her” to this situation. When I am being hard on myself or not feeling in the best mood to practice I think about our “babies” and how upset they will be when they see me upset. There is nothing more rewarding than getting off the mat and receiving the biggest hugs from the younger girls showering us with love.

Next are my teammates. I could write pages and pages on my team itself. Coming from a gym who has worked hard for years to gain the respect to our name, they never fail to motivate me to keep on going. When our team is put down or talked about, they inspire me to keep my head held high and to be the better person. I feel as if my teammates may be my biggest inspirations from getting new skills to walking on the Worlds mat for the first time. They have been by my side every step of the way, lifting me up when I’m down and pushing me to my full potential. Having such an amazing team is a huge part on why I still have a love for the sport and a reason as to why I want to inspire other cheerleaders to be the best they can.

My last inspiration is the coaching staff. Obviously, your coach wants you to do the best you can and to succeed but there’s something different about my coaches. They not only support you, but they connect to you. Through every tough time, I can look at them and they will motivate me to keep going. The amount of happy and good times I’ve had with every single one of my coaches is uncountable. I feel this is important because enjoying your environment in sports not only makes you perform better, but also keeps your heart filled with love for the sport and others.

So once again, I am unbelievably thankful for Spirit Factory and every individual that walks through those doors. Without them, I would not be where I am today, with the skills I have and certain dreams in sight. Thank you to every cheer parent, athlete, instructor and everyone else for inspiring me to be the cheerleader I am today. I cannot show my appreciation enough.

By: Meagan Vota