Fun vs Delight

What is the difference between Fun and Delight? Routine and Flow? Winning and Success?
To most people, they sound the same. But the difference is enormous. The difference separates the good from the great, the happy from the miserable, the life-timers from the burnouts.
FUN? Fun is fleeting. Fun is instant. Fun is forgettable. Fun is simply having a good time doing something insignificant. Fun is playing "chicken in the hen house" at practice or trying on new sparkly dresses at the mall. Fun is winning a shiny trophy for putting in zero effort.

DELIGHT? Delight is everlasting. Delight stems from putting the work in. Delight is memorable. Delight is significant. Delight is landing your first back handspring without a spot. Delight is winning third place, beating three teams, when you have worked so hard to beat one team!
ROUTINE? Routine is doing the same thing day in and day out. Go to practice, stretch, run the routine, get critiqued, run the routine. Routine is emotionless. Routine is insignificant. Routine is something you "have to do" and that someone chooses for you.
FLOW? Flow is the perfect balance between boredom and anxiety. Flow is focused on the present. Flow is that perfect place when you are truly "In the zone". Flow is that feeling of ecstasy during a routine when nothing else matters but then and now. Flow is a great tumbling day, where you seem to fly across the diagonal every attempt. You and your environment create flow, and only you can choose to get in the flow.
WINNING? Winning is scoring the most points. Winning is getting first place. Winning is some outside source telling you that you did better than someone else. Winning is how others judge your performance.
SUCCESS? Success is achieving a personal best. Success is exceeding your expectations. Success is based on how well you felt that you did. Success is what you determine. Success is what makes you satisfied.
So why the play on words? Often times it is hard to step away from the crazy world of competitive cheerleading and think about what is best for each of us. Is this all about having fun? Getting into the routine of practice, of life? Winning at all costs?
I’d like to think that it is more than that. All Star cheerleading is an incredible sport where athletes of all ages and abilities can flourish. This sport allows athletes to push themselves, to make them believe that they are capable of anything they set their minds to. This sport allows people to grow as individuals and as a team. This sport has the power to create a sense of absolute delight. Every cheerleader will remember the first time they landed that one special skill alone or that one competition when the routine felt surreal. This sport has the power to exceed every day life and emotions. This sport gets athletes to feel the excitement of moving with a sense of flow. Every cheerleader will remember how it feels to compete, as if nothing in the world matters but that two minutes and thirty seconds. This sport has the power to make not just winners, but success stories. Cheerleaders will not remember every time they won first place, but they sure will remember every time they felt successful.
At Cheer Factor, we strive to make each cheerleader enjoy this sport for all it has to offer. I hope that each and every one of you (parents and coaches included) can take the time to reflect on this season and think of the DELIGHTFUL moments….times when time stood still in the FLOW of events….and times when you truly felt SUCCESSFUL.