“For Good”: What Wicked Taught Me About Cheer, Mental Health, and Changing Lives
Today, Wicked: For Good finally hits theaters — and as someone who grew up on the soundtrack, “For Good” has always stuck with me.
It’s a song about impact. About the people who walk into your life, shift something inside you, and leave you better than you were.
And honestly? That’s cheer.
And that’s mental health.
The People Who Change Us
In cheer, you meet teammates, coaches, parents, and athletes who don’t just help you stunt or tumble — they shape you. They teach you discipline, trust, resilience, and how to show up even on the days when you don’t feel like yourself.
In the mental health world, the same thing happens quietly:
Someone listens.
Someone understands.
Someone says, “I’ve felt that too.”
And suddenly you don’t feel alone anymore.
The song says, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”
Cheer does that.
Community does that.
Kindness does that.
How Cheer Impacts Mental Health “For Good”
Cheer is physical, yes — but it’s also deeply emotional. And I’ve seen firsthand how:
A safe team environment can lift an athlete out of a dark mental space.
A coach’s empathy can completely change how a kid feels about themselves.
Finding “your people” can be the thing that keeps you going.
I’ve lived it myself. There were seasons where cheer wasn’t just an extracurricular — it was therapy. It was structure, purpose, connection, and joy all at once.
And even when the sport gets intense or overwhelming, the relationships inside it often become the anchor.
The Impact We Have on Each Other
Mental health isn’t healed by one moment — it’s healed by many small moments with the right people.
Every base who lifts you, every flyer who trusts you, every teammate who hugs you after a tough practice…
That’s impact.
Every follower who messages you, every athlete who opens up, every person who says “thank you for sharing this”…
That’s impact too.
You don’t always know who you’re helping. But you are helping.
“I do believe I have been changed for the better.”
That’s how cheer shaped me.
That’s how the mental health community continues to shape me.
And that’s what I hope to be for others — someone who leaves things a little lighter, a little kinder, a little more “for good.”
Why This Message Matters Today
With Wicked releasing today, people are talking about friendship, identity, and transformation. It’s a moment that reminds us of something powerful:
We are changed by the people we choose to connect with.
And sometimes, we are changed for good.