The Rush of Competing Standing like soldiers at the edge of the clear azure mat with my teammates, almost indistinguishable in our crisp, sparkling white shoes and clean, neatly pressed uniforms, we prepare to compete. My hair is tightly pulled up into a sleek ponytail of spiral curls, now firm as a result of the layers of hairspray. A shimmery ribbon is carefully tied to perfection around my ponytail. There is a hint of rose …showed first 75 words of 676 total…

…showed last 75 words of 676 total…one little mistake worse. Having confidence, trust in everyone else, and even a little attitude really makes the routine unique. There is a lot of hard work put into learning and practicing a routine but in the end when I do it on the mat in front of all the spectators and get the rush I do, I know it's all worth it and that it is definitely one of my favorite places to be.