It was October 2019, 7th grade; I was excited but nervous for my first Cannon Falls High School Dance Team tryouts. I had prepared myself to the best of my ability. I tried my very best during tryouts working toward making varsity. After the tryouts were done, we had to wait about thirty minutes for the coaches to make final decisions. During those thirty minutes, the seniors sat us down in a circle and asked most of the younger kids questions. All of the coaches walked into the gym and handed each of us one envelope. Jamie announced that inside the envelopes there was a letter that told us what team we made. She counted down 1...2...3... OPEN. I slowly opened my envelope and saw the words ``2019-2020 High Kick: Varsity; Jazz: Junior Varsity.” I freaked out, my first year as a member of the Cannon Falls Dance Team and I made varsity. 

As the season started I was anxious almost like I had a bubble in my chest. The varsity assistant coach told us that they were going to be watching all of us to decide if they were going to have any alternatives this season. They watched us for a few weeks and one day towards the end of practice Jamie walked into the gym. She did not look excited about what was about to come. When she started walking toward me I instantly thought of the worst. She then asked me if I could come with her. I was not excited; in fact, I was scared to death. The coaches told me that if I wanted to stay on varsity I needed to improve my confidence, but because I wasn’t confident in myself, they put me on as an alternative dancer. That ruined my self-esteem. I still worked hard to hopefully earn a spot back on the floor.

A few weeks before the Conference, they pulled me aside again. They told me that my confidence hadn’t improved. I was told to go to practice with JV and come into varsity practice once JV leaves. I went home that night and contemplated quitting, but my mom always said that if you try hard it will get better. I worked my butt off, at least I thought I did. I wanted to stay on varsity because that was my dream. My mom always reminded me to never stop trying even if I have it all. Dance used to be the sport that would make me forget about everything. I would go to practice excited and forget about every problem I had throughout the day. Dance was the sport that I loved, but coaches made me hate my favorite and stress-reliever sport.