HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Huntersville teen, Mia Reaves has a lot to cheer about. She has found a sport she not only excels in but also loves.

While Mia has a hard time saying what aspect of competition cheer is her favorite, she definitely has a lot of love for her team. “One of the things I enjoy the most is the team aspect of cheer and performing on stage with my team at competitions. It gives us an opportunity to display all of our hard work.

Mia is part of the cheer team at One United Athletics in Mooresville.

Coach Danni Fox and One United have had many accolades over the years. In the 2021/2022 season, all teams (level 2-5) went to the Southeast Regional Cheer Summit, with the level 5 team earning 1st place and the level 4 team taking 2nd place. The level 3 & 4 teams went to The World Cheerleading Competition in Orlando in April and their level 4 team received a 5th place ranking out of everyone in their category in the World. All teams went to the National Cheer Summit in Disney World in May and the level 4 team received a 3rd place ranking in the Nation.

One United Athletics offers a variety of programs from a special needs team to level 1-5 teams.  Mia says, “The skill level can range from a cartwheel to a Full (a skill executed by completing a back 360-degree flip and 360-degree twist) across the various teams. The stunting can range from a Prep (a team of four lifting a “flyer” into the air) to one of the harder stunts like a One Man (one person lifting another person in the air with one hand). One United has advanced my skills and prepared me appropriately for the level of cheer that met and pushed my abilities.”

Competition cheer combines elements of dance, tumbling and traditional cheerleading. Mia says, “My favorite tumbling pass is a front walkover, round off, with two back handsprings. I have enjoyed tumbling the most in my cheer career because it allows me to combine multiple skills at once. One United has many wonderful flyers for whom I have based in a variety of stunts. The thing that inspires me about cheer is the athleticism in the sport. It requires conditioning, gymnastics and the ability to perfect a routine with a team. It also requires communication, timing and teamwork, all of which are important life skills for any activity.”

Developing important life skills is the benefit of most sports, and cheer is no different. Mia agrees, “Every cheerleader should be outgoing, hardworking and display perseverance. All of these qualities are necessary to do well and improve. One wobble or fumble can be the difference between winning or not going home with an award. This is how tight the scoring can be for the top spot. Therefore, when something happens in a routine, which can occur, the team needs to be able to bounce back, shake it off and work harder for the next competition.”

Though the competition season for cheer has ended for 2022, Mia and her team aren’t slowing down. They continue working hard all throughout the year, both as a team and individually. “My goal with cheer is to widen my tumbling ability. One United has a wonderful tumbling program which can prepare you for advanced levels of competitive cheerleading. I have enjoyed tumbling since I was a little girl, so it has been wonderful to have a sport where I can utilize that skill. Cheer has prepared me for other areas of my life because you can’t always win. You have to quickly pick yourself back up, assess the improvements needed, and work together as a team to perfect the skill. I think this experience will help me so much, as this is something that can happen with anything in life. Continuous improvement is what cheerleading is all about and it has shown me that there are never ending opportunities to be the best that you can be.”

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.