Movies portray cheerleaders as the popular girls that everyone likes and aspires to be. But when reality hits at Salem High School, it’s a completely different story. Cheerleading was taken as a joke by the other athletes and even students. It was considered a hobby, but to me it was a passion and something I worked hard to be. Being on the cheer squad in high school was difficult to deal with in school because we were constantly being snubbed by the other athletes and students in our school ever since we were kids in junior high which should not happen because everyone has the right to do what they love and they should not be judged for it being different than everyone else. It was always us versus them up until my junior year of high school when we finally earned the respect of our peers.
It all started when I first joined the squad in 7th grade. I did it because it was something that I really enjoyed because it was energetic, fun, and I never had to pay to get into any football or basketball game! Although we weren’t the crazy awesome at the time, we still had a great time doing it and I never had any regrets, but I didn’t think I would
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That was my favorite part of cheerleading because a bunch of squads from different schools come to compete against each other to see who’s the best. We would put up flyers around the school so people might come to watch us but they never did and some were even taken down. Now as far as our cheer squad went, we weren’t that good still because we had an inexperienced coach who did not know how to choreograph dances or cheers. So we continued to be made fun of and not taken seriously by our classmates, which was extremely annoying because we just wanted some respect for the work that we put it. When sophomore year came around we were starting to get a little sick of never placing at competitions and to our luck, we got a new coach the next
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Show MoreWhen I was about six or seven years old, I started cheerleading because my older sister, Tiffany, was a cheerleader (and what little girl doesn’t want to be just like their older sister?). Thanks to Tiffany, and, of course, my mom for signing me up and getting me where I need to be, I found a love and passion for something I would cherish for the rest of my life.
For example they have practices every day after school to practice their routines and stunts (Remnick). They have to make posters for all sport teams, go to all of the sporting events, and support and volunteer for the community. Also everything they do represents the school in some way, so they have to be on their best behavior all the time. Sometimes they even have to cheer for more than one sport at a time, so they will be cheering a game every night of the week, and they are expected to get homework done and get to bed at a reasonable time for school the next morning. They are more busy than a regular athletes, and sometimes cheerleading isn’t the only sport or activity the girls are involved in. When these athletes commit their time and efforts to something they are so passionate about, like cheerleading, and then people don’t recognize it it gets very
The New York Times states that cheerleading is the fastest growing girls’ sport, yet more than half of Americans do not believe it is a sport. A sport is defined as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature” (dictionary.com). Cheerleading at a competitive level is physically demanding and requires team work to be the best. The misconception of cheerleaders being weak, nonathletic crowd entertainers makes people believe cheerleaders are not athletes and that cheerleading is just a hobby but cheerleaders that compete at a competitive level are in fact athletes because it meets the standards of what a sport is, which includes rules and regulations, and overcoming air resistance.
In order to be successful cheerleading takes dedication and hard work, we can still have fun, but you need to be focused when the time calls. Of course competitive cheerleading is a sweaty, fun, and overwhelming at times, but aren’t all sports? To think that one thing that changes a team 's overall score for deciding either first or last between the two teams would be hard work and dedication to win the competition. Just like in football, they get that one chance to make a difference and win within a split second do they run or throw. Well does the cheerleader try to save the stunt or is it not worth it. Football players get that one chance to win and cheerleaders get that one chance to make a good impression on the judges. Cheerleaders put in the hard work and dedication through practices like football players. Then the practice football on average 150 days per year, cheerleaders on average practice 226 days a year. Cheerleaders are dedicated, they’ll go through anything to win like Bangaoil. Bangaoil is a cheerleader who, messed up her ACL during cheer practice one day, and for about six months she stayed with her team instead, of going into surgery to help her team win third at the United Spirit Association’s Collegiate Nationals“Last year she spent downing Advil and bathing her knee in ice has been a success. That puts off the ACL surgery so she could help her UCLA team finish third at the United Spirit Association 's Collegiate Nationals two weeks ago was meaningless.”(Drehs, Wayne) Coaches will decide who will bring it all and give it all they have on stage. “Coaches like Vehling, who points to the gruesome injuries, the long hours, the agonizing training and those ultra-intense competitions as proof that cheerleading is much more than a stage for the prettiest girls on campus to flash their bloomers.”(Drehs,
When I first started cheering, I decided to participate because of two reasons: my mom forced me and my older sister, who I modeled after, cheered. As I got older and began to think for myself, I had engaged in cheer for so long that it became a habit. If my mom did not demand that I partake in cheer, I would not have been able to go through situations that sparked personal growth and knowledge. Cheerleading has given me opportunities to guide and interact with younger kids, which has influenced my decision to become a pediatrician.
Long endless blue mats, cheerful girls in bows, intimidating judges. I was nine years old when I competed in my first cheer competition. All the girls on my team had competed in several other competitions. I felt alone and scared with my own thoughts, while everyone was preparing. Going out on the floor and not being prepared was a mistake. I was so distraught that I butchered the routine I knew how to do in my sleep. I realized that I had to develop my own preparation that would help me shine as bright as my teammates next time.
Beep, the buzzer has gone off, now all eyes are on you. You and your teammates pull all the tricks you know. One girl is being lifted by three others, standing on one leg high in the air. Another is hurling her body through the air flipping across the ground; a thud is heard every time her hands or feet meet the floor. You have a large megaphone in your hands and you are yelling through it with everything you have. This is cheerleading. It is a place to compete, but there is also a place on the sidelines. It is a place for friendship and teamwork. Cheerleading of yesterday is nothing like cheerleading today. Cheerleading may not have started as a sport, but now it has grown into a full-fledged sport that is enjoyed by many.
One thing that has made me who I am is the social aspect of cheerleading. When my teammates and I are leading the crowd we are always interacting with the fans as well as the players out performing. Being with my teammates cheering on others builds a bond that is unbreakable. Friendships are made and many different people are involved in so many different things. The cheerleaders on my team as well as the opposing team’s cheerleaders interact also. Even though our teams are going head to head we, as a squad, still have to be kind and lift others up. Being around so many important people that are doing the same things as I am is so cool and reassuring. When I am always involved with others I build a bond and that helps me build my social skills to become who I am right
Cheerleading is a sport of perfection and scores depend on the execution of the skills performed. It may seem coaches only stress the technique of skills to make scores higher but in fact, technique improves the safety of the athletes. When routines get hard and athletes become tired they begin to perform skills lazily just to finish out routines, but this can quickly lead to injury. Therefore, coaches always stress technique and instruct athletes to strive for perfection for their own wellbeing. Although perfection is the ultimate goal, failure is often more common than success. Coaches are quick to remind athletes that the skills they are performing are difficult and every failure is one-step closer to accomplishing their goal. Cheerleading is different from other sports because the feeling a cheerleader experiences when accomplishing a skill they have worked on for years is indescribable. The only ones who can truly relate to a cheerleaders success and failures are the members of their own team. While failure can be discouraging, athletes gain support from their teammates who encourage them since they have been through the same journey to achieve a
Maybe because they are jealous that they’re not capable of having a flexible body, who knows. Also, asking them why they don’t believe cheerleading is not a sport; they would commonly answer “it’s just not a sport”, “just because it’s not” or “cheerleaders don’t do much”. Terrie Morgan-Besecker, a Business News writer of Times Leader, says that cheerleading “routines didn’t require a lot of skill.” In her view of Jim Lord, director of the AACCA (American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors), she observes that “to be a sport” it “must be competition against an opponent” and “it must be governed by explicit rules that determine how a winner is declared”, from which she understands to be a sport it must deal with competition against an enemy and if there’s no involvement of competition then the physical activity is not considered a sport. But from Blanchard's view, head coach of a high school, declares that it is “just unbelievable” how cheerleaders “use every muscle in their body, from their toes to their fingertips” may happen to consider cheerleading a sport. From the AACCA said that if cheerleading is to be considered a sport it will cause more funding than it already is. Since Jim Lord is the main person from Besecker’s writing, Lord’s opinion about cheerleading considering a sport, it is up to the cheerleader themselves to “prove themselves” cheerleading is a
Cheerleading is a very extreme sport that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It is a sport for everyone, whether you are a boy or girl and whether you are five or fifteen years old. In cheerleading there is teams for all ages, for both boys and girls, and for all levels. Cheer is a great sport that everyone should try, It helps build teamwork skills, teaches discipline, keeps you active, and allows you to travel.
Cheerleading to me isnt just a sport its my team ,my family, and my life I could bring spirit and love to this team along with the skills I already have. And yes others can bring love and skills to this team as well but i genuinely love the sport and it definitely shows when i'm out there. I think I deserve to be on this team,because i'm a hardworking very positive and outgoing person ,I help people when they're down and cheer them on at there best moments. In middle school i had cheered in the seventh grade but didn't make it for my eight and i wasn't able sign up for my ninth because my family was moving and we moved over the summer in august so all the tryouts we over with . So i decided to focus on my school work AS A Freshman I'm doing
Being a cheerleader has been a major part of my life for over eight years. To me, being a cheerleader is being part of a family, community, and more. Cheerleading has helped me to be a more spirited person. It has also helped me to also stay organized. Having cheer practice almost everyday gives me a schedule to follow which is an extraordinary key for learning how to be responsible. Additionally cheerleading has allowed me to see that most circumstances are hard to accomplish on your own. Cheerleading is a sport kind of like a puzzle. If every piece to the puzzle is not there the puzzle is incomplete. For example, if one person from our team is missing we would not be able to do a pyramid, it is not a sport like baseball, football, or basketball
I started competition cheerleader when I was twelve. From the first practice, I was obsessed. The adrenaline rush, constant traveling to new places, and just simple enjoyment kept me coming back year after year. The first few years were a little rocky because I was enrolled in a newly founded gym and most girls had little experience, but winning didn’t matter. I was with my friends for six hours a week and loved every minute of practice. I grew close to every girl and one of the coaches eventually became my best friend.
When I first started I really liked it, however the longer I went on my like turned into a form of loathing. I hated it because I’m the type of person that likes to be nice to everyone. However, being on the cheer squad, you had to act a certain way at school, so everyone knew who you were. This really bothered me because I didn’t like bullying and making fun of other girls just because they didn’t fit the “cheerleader” stereotype. These feelings later caused me to quit the team.