“I personally need to work on being less stressed”: Alina Mackenzie on how mentally challenging cheerleading is
Alina Mackenzie is in her final season with Sunderland Stars and has pushed herself to make this year’s Galaxy routine the best it’s ever been.
Reflecting on last weekend Mackenzie said: “I think the competition went well for Galaxy, we put a lot of effort into the performance and considering how we were the week before we did really well. It’s a shame we didn’t place as well as we could have but not everyone can win all the time.
“I love the leapfrog in cannon that we do in the pyramid and the half cradles at the end, but dance is always my favourite part. Whether the routine has gone brilliantly or badly, dance is the time to show some sass and have fun with it.”
Cheerleading is not only a physical sport but also a mental one. When asked about how to prepare both physically and mentally going into such a fierce competition, Mackenzie said: “Especially in university cheer where it may be someone’s first competition, the mental stress athletes are under is huge. With a team sport like cheer there is always the thought that ‘I can’t let my team down’, which adds another layer of stress not just mentally but physically. Preparing yourself in both ways is as important as knowing your routine.”
Outside of university, Mackenzie cheers for North East Cheer and she is also a qualified coach and this year she helped choreograph the routine that Galaxy performed.
“I’m personally proud that I choreographed my own stunt group routines for the first time, and they placed well, but I’m prouder of the athletes overcoming their fears. I am always prouder of other people than I am of myself. For example Nova had a brand-new flyer who sometimes isn’t comfortable in the air, but she kept smiling the whole routine and all the members kept going – even through a shoe coming off. Most of the flyers in all routines are new to the sport and I’m proud that they trusted us enough to learn. I’m proud of the bases, back spots and front spots for trusting each other and us coaches,” she said.
Personal growth is especially important in this sport and when talking on what improvements she can make for the next competition in two weeks Mackenzie said: “I personally need to work on being less stressed. I focus a lot on what others are doing and I always have, but I need to look at getting myself into the zone easier and leaving others to do their own thing rather than nitpicking.
“I could also push myself more on my jumps, I know they’re okay but if I really try these next two weeks I could definitely get them better and help improve our scores.”
Galaxy’s next competition is at Revolution’s Rise competition on the 29th of March 2025.
