I'm a day late to the post, so this might not be of much help, but here I am to quickly explain everything you ever wanted to know about cheerleading! I've been cheering for 13 years and have done every type there is (except for professional, but those are dancers, not cheerleaders).
There are basically two types of cheerleading, one associated with a school, and one not. The one that isn't tied to a school is called All-Star Cheerleading. These are cheerleading gyms where the cheerleaders do nothing but compete; they don't cheer at games. Someone below talked about their cousin, they were an All-Star cheerleader. The ultimate competition for them is The Cheerleading Worlds, and winning it is basically like winning the super bowl. All Star cheerleading is highly regulated, much more so than school teams. They're regulated by the USASF (US All Star Federation) and are split by age and levels. The levels go 1-5 and specify what skills you can do. There is also a level 6 which is 17+ years old and is basically just adult teams that let older cheerleaders keep cheering. The levels are really good because it means your team competes against teams with similar skills and promotes the safe progression of skills. If you don't have the skills to be on a level 5 team, you'll be on a lower level and are much less likely to hurt yourself doing skills you aren't ready for. All Star cheerleading is relatively new and is basically advancing and basically defines the sport of cheerleading, there's no arguing that these cheerleaders are athletes. Teams can be co-ed or all girl.
There is also cheerleading in schools (obviously). In high schools, I think, they're mostly considered sports, but they don't get the attention or money that other teams get. Not all teams compete, but as far as I know, all HS teams cheer at games. Many do both. Again, teams can be coed or all girl.
It gets kind of crazy in college. Cheerleading isn't controlled by the NCAA and for the most part the only regulation is for teams that compete, and those regulations are set forth by NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) and UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association). In 2006, the NCAA did place restrictions on what skills can be performed on a basketball court at games after a cheerleader was hurt. In college, some schools do actually consider cheerleading a varsity sport and the team doesn't cheer at games. (University of Maryland, for example) [www.umterps.com]
Some school's teams don't do games but aren't considered a sport.
Some schools have cheerleading teams and spirit squads, the cheerleading teams don't do games, just compete, and the spirit squads do both. But at most schools the teams do both (and this gets to be crazy stressful because you have to do multiple games a week and then practice for competition). Many schools give out scholarships, but most don't. At my college (D1), everything related to competition, we paid out of pocket, including the $600/person to go to nationals in Florida. Our school didn't support us competing.
In college cheerleading, there are 3 classifications, All-Girl, Small Coed (1-4 guys), and Coed (5+ men). Many schools, especially cheer dynasty schools have 2 or 3 teams, so title IX could get really tricky in this case, especially because most of the biggest cheer schools put the focus on their coed team.
Almost any cheerleader who competes and cheers at games, only does games because they have to. At my school, they threatened to ban us from competing and almost the entire team said they would quit if that was the case. The skills they do at games are usually not the best show cases of their abilities, because it's not the venue to throw your hardest stuff, most of the skills are watered down. Cheering games is basically just practice for getting out in front of a crowd.
Green Goth Brit Chick - AlternatEve promoted this comment
Edited by noodleashy143 at 11/26/09 10:50 PM
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@noodleashy143: Also, as far as uniforms, the skirt and bows are mostly just tradition (just like why field hockey still wears skirts). We love our bows, most cheerleaders have a collection of them and it's just part of the uniform, for the performance, it's not meant to sexualize us. Most cheerleading skirts are no longer pleated, they're form fitted, and they have to be short to be able to move freely. I'm a flyer, and I'm basically manhandled, and it would be really unfortunate if someone lost their grip because of my loose fitting skirt. Some All-Star teams do actually wear shorts, but to be honest, the skirts are much more flattering than girls wearing booty shorts.
As for the belly-baring crop top uniforms, at the school level, that trend is fading. In MA in late 2005, a rule was passed that teams couldn't have midriff-baring tops. Most college teams are ditching their crop tops as well, because it doesn't promote a good image. In the rule book for college competitions there also are explicit guidelines for how long your skirt must be and you lose points if your uniform is too revealing.
I'm not really making a point with either of these post, although I think my take is pretty obvious. I just wanted to clear up some confusion that I saw elsewhere in the comments.
in Virginia, cheerleading is a varsity sport under the same rules as every other varsity sport. I'm glad it was, because we were seriously athletic and put a lot of work into our squad.
As I sit here icing the bruises on my legs that I've earned from the 6 4-hour cheer practices we've had in the past week, I'll gladly stand by the sentiment that cheerleading is a sport. In addition to actually leading cheers at varsity football and basketball games, we compete as well. We work our asses off to perfect our routines, we face off against other teams that have worked just as hard as we have, AND we boost school spirit. So this isn't a sport because... we wear skirts?
Cheerleading (with stunting and competitions) is a sport. It is a competitive performance-based athletic activity. It floors me (no pun intended) that this is even still debated.
I did cheer in high school, and I know how ridiculously dangerous it is. I am still dealing with an injury 9 years after it happened. This injury was not life-threatening, but with body weight slightly shifted by a few centimeters, it easily could have been. I still feel it every day.
Defining cheer as a sport is not just a matter of pride or respect. It is a matter of safety. When cheer teams are not given proper funding from athletic departments (and are forced to raise money independently), they have to skimp on coaching, reserving practice space, and mats. This amplifies the already insane dangers of the sport.
The most confusing thing with this argument about cheerleading being a sport is that people get confused about which type of "cheerleading" the sport designation should refer to. It would not, should not, be making the cheerleaders who actually cheer at football or other sporting events a competitive event. That is actual cheer leading, as its name is its definition.
Competitive cheerleading has suffered trying to become recognized as a sport because of its name. My cousin has participated in competitive cheerleading for almost 10 years and about 4 years ago her squad won Worlds. So yes, misguided commentors, there are real competitions and they are insanely hard to compete in and win. Strength, flexibility, comprehensive training, coordination, dance skills, gymnastics, teamwork and athleticism are among the talents required to be a good "cheerleader." Kids are trained from just as in any other recognized sport from a young age and could not advance without dedicating time, money, and passion.
Having seen the dangers, the pressures, the competitiveness, the heartache, and the glory all up close I would hate to deny the validity to these athletes. Please don't undercut them because you think all they do is prance around with pom-poms and ponytails. Frankly I'd be afraid to meet some competitive cheerleaders in a dark alley cause they could probably kick my ass.
@Sarah White: I wish they would call it "competitive acrobatics" or "team gymnastics" or something like that. And maybe make the uniforms more like athletic uniforms and less like flirty dresses. Because at the highest levels, this stuff is AMAZING. Though if cheerleading squads want to do things like what's in this video, they need to pay for trained, full time coaches (which I hear a lot of programs still don't have).
@Gavagirl: To be honest, if they didn't have skirts, they would have to have leotards. Bare (un-moisturized) legs are important for safety issues. Skin on skin keeps things safe. It was actually against our rules to stunt with pants on.
@Jenloveshercurves: You know, it's not the skin showing that bothers me. It's the little flippy miniskirt. It has such a "hi, I'm here to be adorable" connotation. Plus I have a personal preferene for not having fabric flying around on me when I'm doing anything physical, so they look kind of annoying to me. :-)
Though it doesn't matter too much what they're wearing I suppose, since women doing anything physical will automatically be judged on the sex appeal of the activity, and of their bodies. *grumble*
@Jenloveshercurves: Do the guys compete in shorts? And crop tops? If they do and the uniforms are completely balanced, then I am 100% behind it. As it stands I'm maybe only 75%.
@Biku: No, but 99% of the times, they're not the ones going in the air. As a flyer, the one that gets tossed in the air, I don't ever practice with pants on (maybe, when it's really cold, I'll wear leggings under shorts). It's too easy to slip with loose fitting clothes (I also don't moisturize before I practice). And you can't really seperate the flyers from the rest of the team, they're called uniforms for a reason, everyone wears the same thing.
As for crop tops, I can't really explain it, they're most a dying trend in school cheerleading though.
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Edited by noodleashy143 at 11/26/09 11:00 PM
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Wow, what a pickle. Regardless of the number of sports teams for males vs. females, I know that the money spent on my varsity soccer team in high school vs. the money spent on the football team was minuscule. They had their own fancy locker room. As did the JV team and freshman team. (I believe the boys basketball teams had a similar setup.) Meanwhile, all of the girls teams shared one tiny one that didn't even allow for everyone to have a locker, and our shower area was used as storage. I'd love to see more money put into supporting girls sports. Or is that already supposed to happen and my shitty school found a way around it?
I'm going with no ... but neither is gymnastics or figure skating. One of the characteristics of a sport, in addition to athleticism, competition, and strategy, is the element of chance. Performance type stuff doesn't have that. I hadn't thought about it before now, but I guess individual events like track and field are skating the hairy edge of that definition, too. I don't advocate de-sporting gymnastics, figure skating, or track and field. Just saying that cheerleading, whether is it is a sport or not, should be on the same level as those other sports.
@Faster.Pussycat: Yeah, I was going to say that if "element of chance" is one of your criteria, you'll be eliminating a lot of what are pretty much accepted as sports.
If golf is a sport, cheerleading is a sport. (Not that it needs that argument. It's competitive, athletic, requires skill and coordination... it's a fucking sport.)
@whynotshesaid: I did not play volleyball, but one of the main selling points that the volleyball captains would use to announce games was "We wear spandex shorts."
Non-sexualized female athletes are an exception, not a rule.
This is actually a good thing. What people forget is that at schools with football teams (sometimes hundred+ deep rosters), that football team counts in Title IX funding. So in response to the rise (yea!) of women's sports, the schools with football cut less popular (i.e. less profitable) men's sports like gymnastics or archery. So if cheerleading, which already exists, is counted, it will help schools with football to keep less financially motivated mens teams - all without hurting what is ostensibly already a female dominated sport.
As a highschool cheerleader, I remember getting flack from older men who always thought that it was a might shame that a tall, athletically built gal like myself would be interested in something as superfluous as cheerleading and not something actually demanding and a real sport like basketball. I began to realize that athletic activities will always be defined by the enjoyment and expectations of the spectator and not the participant. Also, things that are female dominated or traditionally something that females enjoy would always be denigrated. It was interesting for me to learn at such an early age. I won't even begin to get into the Title IV debate with regards to cheerleading, let's just say, it's complicated and makes people (men and women) get real nasty.
@Jenloveshercurves: so true! especially the part about something "females traditionally enjoy". I was a high school cheerleader, a figure skater, and a serious equestrian. all of the above required athleticism, skill, coordination, etc, and none are considered "real sports" by the majority... why are the only "real sports" the ones men enjoy??
(If it's not a sport, then I'd like to know why I had so many muscles, bruises and sprains when I was a cheerleader.)
It's true that cheerleading is consistently relegated to the fluff-pile because it is dominated by women - but what institution isn't at least in part marginalized because "girls do it"? It's sad that people still think this way about cheerleading when it has clearly evolved into something that more resembles a contact sport from the days of rah-rah yore.
What they should do is give it the athletic recognition it deserves, while also actively promoting women's involvement with male-dominated sports as well, including integrated teams when applicable.
11/26/09
There are basically two types of cheerleading, one associated with a school, and one not. The one that isn't tied to a school is called All-Star Cheerleading. These are cheerleading gyms where the cheerleaders do nothing but compete; they don't cheer at games. Someone below talked about their cousin, they were an All-Star cheerleader. The ultimate competition for them is The Cheerleading Worlds, and winning it is basically like winning the super bowl. All Star cheerleading is highly regulated, much more so than school teams. They're regulated by the USASF (US All Star Federation) and are split by age and levels. The levels go 1-5 and specify what skills you can do. There is also a level 6 which is 17+ years old and is basically just adult teams that let older cheerleaders keep cheering. The levels are really good because it means your team competes against teams with similar skills and promotes the safe progression of skills. If you don't have the skills to be on a level 5 team, you'll be on a lower level and are much less likely to hurt yourself doing skills you aren't ready for. All Star cheerleading is relatively new and is basically advancing and basically defines the sport of cheerleading, there's no arguing that these cheerleaders are athletes. Teams can be co-ed or all girl.
There is also cheerleading in schools (obviously). In high schools, I think, they're mostly considered sports, but they don't get the attention or money that other teams get. Not all teams compete, but as far as I know, all HS teams cheer at games. Many do both. Again, teams can be coed or all girl.
It gets kind of crazy in college. Cheerleading isn't controlled by the NCAA and for the most part the only regulation is for teams that compete, and those regulations are set forth by NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) and UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association). In 2006, the NCAA did place restrictions on what skills can be performed on a basketball court at games after a cheerleader was hurt. In college, some schools do actually consider cheerleading a varsity sport and the team doesn't cheer at games. (University of Maryland, for example) [www.umterps.com]
Some school's teams don't do games but aren't considered a sport.
Some schools have cheerleading teams and spirit squads, the cheerleading teams don't do games, just compete, and the spirit squads do both. But at most schools the teams do both (and this gets to be crazy stressful because you have to do multiple games a week and then practice for competition). Many schools give out scholarships, but most don't. At my college (D1), everything related to competition, we paid out of pocket, including the $600/person to go to nationals in Florida. Our school didn't support us competing.
In college cheerleading, there are 3 classifications, All-Girl, Small Coed (1-4 guys), and Coed (5+ men). Many schools, especially cheer dynasty schools have 2 or 3 teams, so title IX could get really tricky in this case, especially because most of the biggest cheer schools put the focus on their coed team.
Almost any cheerleader who competes and cheers at games, only does games because they have to. At my school, they threatened to ban us from competing and almost the entire team said they would quit if that was the case. The skills they do at games are usually not the best show cases of their abilities, because it's not the venue to throw your hardest stuff, most of the skills are watered down. Cheering games is basically just practice for getting out in front of a crowd.
11/26/09
As for the belly-baring crop top uniforms, at the school level, that trend is fading. In MA in late 2005, a rule was passed that teams couldn't have midriff-baring tops. Most college teams are ditching their crop tops as well, because it doesn't promote a good image. In the rule book for college competitions there also are explicit guidelines for how long your skirt must be and you lose points if your uniform is too revealing.
I'm not really making a point with either of these post, although I think my take is pretty obvious. I just wanted to clear up some confusion that I saw elsewhere in the comments.
11/25/09
11/25/09
11/25/09
I did cheer in high school, and I know how ridiculously dangerous it is. I am still dealing with an injury 9 years after it happened. This injury was not life-threatening, but with body weight slightly shifted by a few centimeters, it easily could have been. I still feel it every day.
Defining cheer as a sport is not just a matter of pride or respect. It is a matter of safety. When cheer teams are not given proper funding from athletic departments (and are forced to raise money independently), they have to skimp on coaching, reserving practice space, and mats. This amplifies the already insane dangers of the sport.
11/25/09
11/25/09
So, I don't know.
11/25/09
Competitive cheerleading has suffered trying to become recognized as a sport because of its name. My cousin has participated in competitive cheerleading for almost 10 years and about 4 years ago her squad won Worlds. So yes, misguided commentors, there are real competitions and they are insanely hard to compete in and win. Strength, flexibility, comprehensive training, coordination, dance skills, gymnastics, teamwork and athleticism are among the talents required to be a good "cheerleader." Kids are trained from just as in any other recognized sport from a young age and could not advance without dedicating time, money, and passion.
Having seen the dangers, the pressures, the competitiveness, the heartache, and the glory all up close I would hate to deny the validity to these athletes. Please don't undercut them because you think all they do is prance around with pom-poms and ponytails. Frankly I'd be afraid to meet some competitive cheerleaders in a dark alley cause they could probably kick my ass.
11/25/09
[www.metacafe.com]
11/25/09
11/26/09
Though it doesn't matter too much what they're wearing I suppose, since women doing anything physical will automatically be judged on the sex appeal of the activity, and of their bodies. *grumble*
11/26/09
11/26/09
As for crop tops, I can't really explain it, they're most a dying trend in school cheerleading though.
11/26/09
We still wear them because of tradition, just like field hockey continues to wear skirts.
11/27/09
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Well, that and cheerleading.
11/25/09
If wearing less fabric makes a player better, then I'd expect to see male volleyball players wear speedos, don't you think?
11/25/09
Non-sexualized female athletes are an exception, not a rule.
11/26/09
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11/25/09
Fall rolled around...and no one noticed.
God I love my little hippy-dippy school.
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11/25/09
It's true that cheerleading is consistently relegated to the fluff-pile because it is dominated by women - but what institution isn't at least in part marginalized because "girls do it"? It's sad that people still think this way about cheerleading when it has clearly evolved into something that more resembles a contact sport from the days of rah-rah yore.
What they should do is give it the athletic recognition it deserves, while also actively promoting women's involvement with male-dominated sports as well, including integrated teams when applicable.