Cheerleading is a Sport!
Kristen Cifuni
New York
It's about 2:00 on a chilly fall day. My cheerleading squad and I are practicing outside because there isn't a gym available to us. The cold wind blows on our faces and quickly dries our sweat. We are working hard to prepare for the competition coming up at the end of the month. The rehearsals are frustrating because every time someone makes a mistake we all stop and have to do the whole routine again until it is perfect. The routine for competition requires a cheer and dance no longer than three minutes. There are going to be cheering squads from all over the region, about 20 squads competing at the varsity level and about 12 teams competing at the junior varsity level. Our squad is trying really hard to capture first place, just like any other sports team would.
Many people don't think that cheerleading is a sport. When I asked some non-cheering friends what they would define as a sport, they said that it is something that takes hard work and dedication. Hard work and dedication DO apply to cheerleading!
I think cheerleaders work just as hard as other athletes and deserve to be recognized as such. Sometimes we have three-hour practices. We've even practiced from 2:00-4:00 in the afternoon and then again from 7:00-9:00 at night. We practice on the weekends and even practice solo at home. When it's cold or raining, we are still out there until everyone gets her routine right.
Not just anyone can be a cheerleader. You need to be coordinated, spirited, strong, dedicated, and much more. To be a cheerleader in my school you must try out in June. You are required to do a cheer with a group, as well as a cheer and/or dance by yourself. During tryouts I was nervous! My palms were sweaty, and I felt light-headed. There were so many talented girls; I didn't think I had a chance. But when I made the team, I was overwhelmed with happiness. We started practice in August, just like all the other fall sports.
If you think cheerleading is not a sport, try it out for yourself or just ask any cheerleader or member of her family. They'll tell you how much time, effort, bruises, blood, sweat, tears, and dedication cheerleading takes.
Give Me an 'R' for Radical
Instead of competing to cheer on their favorite teams, a group called the Radical Cheerleaders shout out cheers for their favorite cause. Radical Cheerleader squads appear at protests, rallies, and political demonstrations to bring awareness to issues from stopping global warming to encouraging positive body image.
Two sisters in Florida in the mid-1990s started the Radical Cheerleaders when they got bored with traditional ways of protesting and other squads have popped up all across the country.
To find a group of Radical Cheerleaders near you, visit radcheers.tripod.com. And check out a radical cheer below to get you amped up about a positive body image.
Artwork by Julianne Kline, 15
Ontario, Canada
You're not my ideal, your hips don't set the score
'cuz sticks and bones ain't what I'm striving for!
Flippin' thru Vogue, what a bore!
Ladies, please ladies, let's eat more!
I got booty in the back and a lot up front!
My secret is......... I eat lunch!
Now I'm feeling healthy and ready to riot
against those demands that I need to diet!
I will take up space and love my size
'cuz fat and fabulous is on the rise!
Fat and fabulous is on my thighs!
Resources:
www.popwarner.com, www.usatoday.com
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Do you think that female athletes get the same respect as male athletes? Why?
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Did You Know?
• The first official organized cheering group was at Princeton University in 1865. The group was all men.
• Women did not get involved in cheerleading until WWII.
• Some famous cheerleaders include Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson, Mandy Moore, Madonna, and President George W. Bush.
• There are around 3 million cheerleaders in the U.S.
• American Cheerleader lists 225 colleges and junior colleges that offer full or partial scholarships for cheering.
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