All-Star A New Name For Cheer

[GreatWhite92]

So I was recently reading an article on the New York Times about cheerleading being considered an NCAA sport. Most the time I don't even read the comments because they are all ignorant uneducated people. However, this time I took the time to read all 200 comments to try and figure out different opinions on why it isn't a sport.

I have found that most people can't get over the name. They hear cheerleader and think sidelines. Their comments showed no mention of anything competitive but shaking poms poms and wearing short skirts to be "eye-candy" to the fans.

I am just wondering if we ever wanted to become a sport, that maybe we need a new name. I know this is already a discussion with the fact that we are to be called CHEER now (I think it was dicussed at the Doral Meeting), but I don't see this as helping any, at all. People will see the word cheer and completely turn it off as cheerleaders. What if we were called something else? Let the side line cheerleaders still be cheerleaders, but let the competitive cheerleaders be called something else entirely. (sure you can do both still )

So a few questions to think about:
Do you think that the perception of competitive cheerleading in the eyes of the general uneducated public will change if competitive cheerleading was named something else?

Do you think it is even possible to change the name?

Is it worth it to try and change the name to become a legitimate sport?

I searched and this was a thread topic from 2010, I think a lot has changed since 2010 and there are a lot of new posters so maybe it should be brought back up.

 

[cachoi]

I personally don't see a need to change the name. People just need to change their view and update it. I bet everyone who hates on cheer bases their opinions on what people did in like the 80's. I'd be surprised if any of them even know what allstar cheer is! I think changing the name would be incredibly difficult since there's so much history and progression under the name cheerleading. They tried to change it with STUNT. Did that get any further as being qualified as a 'sport'?

 

[GreatWhite92]

I personally don't see a need to change the name. People just need to change their view and update it. I bet everyone who hates on cheer bases their opinions on what people did in like the 80's. I'd be surprised if any of them even know what allstar cheer is! I think changing the name would be incredibly difficult since there's so much history and progression under the name cheerleading. They tried to change it with STUNT. Did that get any further as being qualified as a 'sport'?

STUNT I think got farther with the NCAA. The article I read was about how NCAA was considering making what stunt is a sport. The comments were people who obviously don't know what stunt is and the most they've seen of cheer was at the local football game. You'd be surprised the number of
people who compared us to chess and science fairs. Activities non the less, but competitive activities that require no athletic ability. Even if the NCAA made cheer a sport, I don't think it would change the general publics view because the name is so stereotyped.

 

[cachoi]

STUNT I think got farther with the NCAA. The article I read was about how NCAA was considering making what stunt is a sport. The comments were people who obviously don't know what stunt is and the most they've seen of cheer was at the local football game. You'd be surprised the number of
people who compared us to chess and science fairs. Activities non the less, but competitive activities that require no athletic ability. Even if the NCAA made cheer a sport, I don't think it would change the general publics view because the name is so stereotyped.

...chess and science fairs...did they even look up any background info about college cheerleading before commenting on the article?!? A quick search can CLEARLY show that cheerleading is not what it used to be. I swear, I had goosebumps watching every episode of Daytona Dreams and it should be required to watch that before being allowed to comment. I really hate when people disrespect something that we dedicate our lives to without even trying to see WHY we feel this way.

 

[kristenthegreat]

It doesn't help that in many places, some cheerleaders enforce the stereotype (either positively or negatively)- they only cheer sidelines and don't compete. Some, unfortunately, aren't that great. Some might be awesome, but even still. As long as that is the only exposure to cheer they get, we're back at square one.

 

[CheerBank]

I call sideline cheerleading "cheerleading". Competitive cheer "cheer". I'm very quick to differentiate when someone asks if my cp has poms. I know it will not change the public's perception of our athletes but perhaps if we start from within the sport the differentiations will eventually spread to the commonfolk.

 

[INeverStopCheering]

Do you think that the perception of competitive cheerleading in the eyes of the general uneducated public will change if competitive cheerleading was named something else?
I think a name change would only tune people out. Like I'm pretty sure if you polled 50 random people they would have no idea what STUNT is. I think if STUNT were to gain popularity than it might help, but it wouldn't make people view cheerleading as a sport, it would make them view STUNT as a sport. I think it's the word competitive that's key. When I talk about what I do, I always refer to myself as a competitive cheerleader to differentiate myself from sideline. Allstar is pretty prevalent in my town, so people usually get it (Oh, like FAME!) but I imagine in other places that might not be enough. My biggest problem is:
If we're not cheerleaders, what are we? We don't lead cheers competitively, so technically the term competition cheerleader doesn't make sense. But I'm always at a loss for what we should be called, because I for one dislike STUNT
Do you think it is even possible to change the name?
I think it is. It's one of those things like, if everyone agrees the sky is pink, it's pink. If all of a sudden all our governing bodies and EPs announced we were changing the name from cheerleading to X (I really can't think of what else we would be) I don't think we'd have much choice but to be X.
Is it worth it to try and change the name to become a legitimate sport?
I'm really not sure it is. Even if we change the name and present people with a completely new image of "cheerleading" people will revert to other arguments, largely about our scoring which is largely subjective. Haters gon hate, as some might say. Also, keep in mind, while being a sport has it's perks, it also has some serious downsides.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

I have been saying the name needs to be changed for so long! Just all star cheer. I think high school cheer leading, even competitive teams, should stay the same. As for all star cheerleaders, we don't cheer or lead. Therefore I think the name should be changed. It will definitely change people's perspectives of the sport. I'm sure we've all struggled in describing what all star is compared to school cheer. I think if we want to be taken seriously, a name change is necessary!

 

[cheerisloving]

I liked Acro and Tumbling because most people didn't think cheer when I said it. When I explained STUNT to teachers and other athletes they actually said it sounded more athletic and more of a sport because of the different quarters and they comptition was more head to head. Plus the unis looked more official.

 

[armycheermom]

I am quick to tell people that my daughter was a competitive cheerleader. She doesn't have poms and cheer for school, she stunts and tumbles. I don't think that its the word itself, but that a lot of people don't know that cheer has changed in the pass 20 years. I think the what we need to do, is educate the general population. We could call it football, but if people don't know what it is, then they always compare it to chess and science fairs. ..JMHO

 

[NCCheerMama]

I am quick to tell people that my daughter was a competitive cheerleader. She doesn't have poms and cheer for school, she stunts and tumbles. I don't think that its the word itself, but that a lot of people don't know that cheer has changed in the pass 20 years. I think the what we need to do, is educate the general population. We could call it football, but if people don't know what it is, then they always compare it to chess and science fairs. ..JMHO

I agree. I tell people that my two CP are competitive cheerleaders. (my oldest also cheers for HS, and I then say she cheers varsity at school). I get the most blank looks when I talk to medical professionals (usually after an injury) as to what she does and how she got hurt. The latest being her PT-who did say he rather have his kids play rugby than having them thrown in the air after I showed him pics of a recent comp. I do think the perception is still cheerleading being known as a sideline activity. My extended family in the mid-west has no idea what competitive cheer is and really most of my non-cheer friends in the south don't either.

 

[ian]

Why are people so set on cheer being a sport? The day we become a sport, will be the end of competitive cheer as we know it... there will be too many rules and regulations restricting the sport, that it would then be something totally different... I think people should just do what they love, and stop caring about what people say or think... Im so over this "why isnt cheer a sport" arguement.

 

[WorkToWin]

Why are people so set on cheer being a sport? The day we become a sport, will be the end of competitive cheer as we know it... there will be too many rules and regulations restricting the sport, that it would then be something totally different... I think people should just do what they love, and stop caring about what people say or think... Im so over this "why isnt cheer a sport" arguement.

Well I don't really care about being technically considered a "sport", but when I spend day after day, week after week in the gym working as hard as any other athlete... I would prefer to at least be respected enough to not be referred to as eye candy, and compared to sandwich making by the general uneducated public.

 

[cachoi]

I wish there were more documentaries picked up by big networks. I still watch On The Inside on YouTube and would like an updated special since things are not what they used to be. That's what people need to see, not another Dance Moms rip off. I shared the clip of the SS girl who got her teeth knocked out and finished the routine with blood running down her chin and that definitely changed a lot of opinions.

 

[laughAlittle]

Competitive stunt and tumble