It's Never Easy

"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment; full effort is full victory." - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

I remember reading a blog post early on in my CR training relating to how becoming a excellent reporter is like that of becoming a professional athlete.  I believe it was this blog, on the Kramm Court Reporting Blog (one of my favorites!).  As I've gone through my journey to become a professional reporter, I've found more and more instances where I find this comparison to be an appropriate one.

Now, I know there are all kinds of conflicting opinions on whether or not cheerleading is a sport.  Opinions aside, training to win a Division 1A college cheerleading championship was the most difficult of any goal I've ever set out to accomplish, and with rigorous training and a lot of discipline, my teammates and I fulfilled that dream.  It was an experience that has every day since reminded me that I can do anything I set my mind to.  Sometimes, accomplishing goals to fulfill your dreams can be really difficult along the way, but the feeling you get when you've made it is the best ever.

I had been involved in cheerleading since I was eight years old, and had spent many years starting with the basics (handstands, somersaults, cartwheels) and gradually worked my way up to the harder skills.  On many occasions, if I was unable to hit or land a harder skill, my coach would make me go back to the basics.

Sound familiar?  It's a lot like going back and reviewing theory in order to perfectly stroke those difficult letter combinations when "it counts."

When I tried out and made a spot on a college cheerleading team that had a reputation of being the best in the nation, I knew it wouldn't be easy to keep my position.  So I was constantly striving for excellence every single day that I was a part of the team.  Our week would consist of three-hour team practices, four days a week -- and grueling team workouts at 6:30 a.m. two to three days a week.  We cheered football/volleyball/basketball games on the weekend and had to partake in various community service events.

Just like learning stenography and prioritizing practice time and testing time and review time, it was a juggling act.  Time management was not an option; it was necessary for survival.  As CR students, many of us juggle working jobs, paying the bills, being good parents, taking care of loved ones.  There are so many distractions, but it's up to you to prioritize time for your studies in the mix and to set goals with realistic time frames.

Just like there are days in CR school where sitting down to practice on my writer is the absolute last thing I want to do, I had days where making it into the gym for cheerleading practice was torture to my sore muscles and my sleep deprived body.  After having woken up before the sun came up to endure an exhausting workout, and having attended a full morning of classes, enduring a very physically and mentally demanding practice was the last thing I wanted to do.  Luckily, I didn't have an option.  No one was allowed to miss practice unless they were literally on their death bed in the hospital, and there were no exceptions.  It was tough, but it was required to achieve excellence.

Our practices were very organized, and we knew what to expect from each day.  We would spend the first five minutes jumping rope (jumping rope for five minutes straight is not easy...if you don't believe me, try it), getting our heart rates up and our blood pumping.  Then we would stretch the same moves every practice, to the same music, with the same partners.  Then, we would start out with basics: handstand forward-rolls, cartwheels, back walkovers.  Then we would progress on to our harder tumbling skills: backhandspring layouts and full twists.  Then the rest of the practice time would be divided in segments: partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses.  Usually the last hour would be spent on trying harder skills.

As weeks and months went by, my body got stronger.  I was able to perform skills I never thought I was capable of doing.  This past Friday, I passed my 200 wpm  Q & A test.  Here's a log that shows my progress from the beginning of my speedbuilding.

I remember hearing my first take at 200 wpm and thinking that it was impossible, but I mastered it!

Recovery time after cheerleading practice was crucial.  We would stay late in the training room to soak in ice baths, which were painstakingly cold, yet they healed our aching and tired muscles so we could make it through a practice the following day.

As CR students, we all have those days where our backs ache, and our fingers are hurting, and we become paranoid we're in the beginning stages of acquiring carpal tunnel syndrome.  I bought these ice/heat mittens on online from http://www.etsy.com/shop/theferriswheels that I keep frozen in the freezer, and I put them on after every long practice session.  Then after the cold has worn off, I throw them in the microwave and put them on for another ten minutes or so.

I have also found that making time to exercise every day, even if it's just going for walk, helps my body to recover from sitting in my work chair for hours on end.  Stretching is another thing I do to keep my hand and finger muscles in good steno condition.

As a collegiate athlete, I didn't have much free time.  Whenever I was fortunate enough to have a day off, I would use it wisely.  Sometimes, I would go into the cheerleading gym and spend extra time on a skill I was trying to master.  Sometimes I would go home, a two-hour drive, just to have some downtime with my family.  A few instances, I would do absolutely nothing, which was a treat all in itself.  Training to become a champion doesn't allow for many days off, and that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

Being that my CR program is self-paced, I am thankful that this concept of making sacrifices to experience future achievement has been instilled in my life.  It has kept me focused and on track throughout my theory and speedbuilding journey thus far, and I know it will continue to lead me in the right direction with any of my future endeavors.

This is a video of our winning performance at the 2007 UCA College Cheerleading National Championships.

 

If you watch it, you can see why all that hard work paid off!  It was a feeling I will never, ever forget.  And one day, after we have worked so diligently and have remained so focused on getting through steno school, all of you fellow steno students and myself will eventually experience that same feeling when we reach that level of CR excellence and pass our state and national exams!


Can you tell from these photos in this photo-story how amazing that accomplishment felt?

Photo and video credit in this go to Chris Schubert at www.picturechris.com.

Happy Steno-ing!  Hope everyone has a very productive week!