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New York, 1:45 PM
Wed Dec 2
70 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/27/09
they should have a spirit squad for games that wears athletic pants and t-shirts reminiscent of what the sports teams wear. like the warm ups. they should be comfortable if they are supposed to run around and make people happy.
anyway, i don't think it is antifeminist to want your cheerleaders to cheer... it's just that it's not a sport to cheer on a crowd. there is still room for a separate entity that is the sport of cheerleading (including stunts and such) and anybody who wants to do both should be encouraged.
the end.
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08/27/09
It would be nice for more people to recognize cheerleading as a sport/demanding physical activity in and of itself.
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08/27/09
This is the same school which a few years ago, when the women won the National Championship in basketball and the men did not, printed bumper stickers that said, "UCONN: where men are men and women are CHAMPIONS!"
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08/27/09
Our women are multi-champions!
08/27/09
There were other solutions, UConn. Boo.
08/27/09
Ultimately, though, it probably comes down to money. The Spirit Squad? Gets the crowd into it for the few sports the school can actually make money off of, costs next to nothing, does not require insurance, doesn't travel anywhere the football and basketball teams aren't already heading. Cheerleaders? Require extensive insurance, competitions cost money and don't make it back by drawing fans like sports events do, may have to offer scholarships, etc. And maybe someone knows more about this than I do, but if the cheerleading squad has no men on it this year, it might have to count as a "women's squad" rather than a co-ed one for Title IX purposes, which might force the university to make budget cuts on other teams. If the "Spirit Squad" is co-ed and/or not considered an athletic team, it wouldn't affect Title IX.
08/27/09
08/27/09
@nora charles: Cheerleading isn't an NCAA sport and never has been. The NCAA doesn't run its competitions or regulate its tryouts, budgets, practice schedules, etc. We fundraised for our uniforms at my college and paid out of pocket for the remainder. I'm not sure how it's done at bigger schools, but I suspect even at schools like Kentucky, where they give scholarships to cheerleaders, there are still expenses the walk ons pay out of pocket, unlike a walk on who makes the football team and then gets his uniform, shoes, etc, provided for him.
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08/27/09
C'mon UCONN!
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08/27/09
Plus, I've always found the highlight of these big school games to be the cheerleading squads impressive routines and I'm sure a lot of other sports fans agree.
08/27/09
08/27/09
I was never a cheerleader but I was in marching band and was a drum major. People tend to stereotype both of these groups and, depending on your particular program, it is something that can be taken very, very seriously. (See: DCI - Drum Corps International)
People that don't see the athleticism that goes into both activities are fooling themselves. The stunts and level of skill that goes into high-level cheerleading can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or aren't trained well to do it. They've worked hard to do this - they should let them do it. Put another group together to get the crowd riled up.
08/27/09
I WAS NOT A SIDESHOW, DAMMIT. I was a cheerleader. I did two-a-days just like the football team in college. And I consider my ACL scar a badge of honor. (Also, my treatment and surgery weren't paid for by my college. I'm sure we were covered by some kind of liability policy, but it didn't come into play with my injury.)
08/27/09
I was on the line for a while in HS, and loved it, but got out. Still miss the snare. My parents got to see the Blue Devils a few months ago and I was sojealous.
08/27/09
Cheerleaders and marching band FTW!
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08/27/09
Though that doesn't help a cheerleader if she's been tossed ten feet in the air.
08/27/09
Edit: what was that cheer in bring it on about not having a gymnastics team so she joined the cheerleading squad?
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08/27/09
Here's an idea, UConn, treat the cheer squad like the athletic team they are, and get other students to sing cheers and throw out t-shirts.
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08/27/09
What's even funnier, is that my roomie my sophomore year was a cheerleader and I adore her. And I was going to say, "I'm not stereotyping because one of my best friend is a cheerleader" and then I thought that was lame-o. Hugs. Sorry if I upset anyone.
08/28/09
(says the woman who actually quit the team in the beginning of my senior year because I decided I was over it. But dammit, I was the 6th person in the history of my school to make varsity as a freshman!