All-Star Improving People's 'image' Of Competitive Cheer

[King]

http://spiritpost.com/2011/08/usasf-meetings-2011-image-appearance/

Reference that article.

This is something we talked about at length last summer. This has been brought up lots of times in various forms. Seems time to bring it up again.

I post three questions:

1. What is it called what we do?

2. If we all wore shorts and t-shirt would what we do still be the same? (think about this one deeply)

3. What do we all want out of all this? (Be a sport? Recognition? Do we want to grow and be everywhere? Not change a thing so it's just as it is now?)

 

[lilmonstermaker]

1. I am really not sure why we refer to competitive cheerleading as "cheerleading". We do not lead cheers, nor are we cheering on any team. The name is probably one of the biggest points of image confusion. I like acro and tumbling, but I also like the dance components of cheer and am not sure if dance and motions would still fall within acro...

2. I don't think that a t-shirt and shorts would be the best uniform to show off the body positions, but I think a slighly less revealing top(a fitted atletic top that covers the torso) and shorts could still be customized in a way that would allow each program to be as distinct as they currently are.

3. I think that this, whatever it should be called, should be recognized as a sport as these athletes display a tremendous amount of skill and strength. Unfortunately, I know the pagenty aspects of it are one of the things my CP loves so I am not sure if some girls are no longer interested if they aren't wearing make-up, etc...

 

[Cheerleaders21]

1. What is it called what we do?
I personally think that what we do isn’t cheerleading because we are not doing what cheerleaders traditionally have done. Which is leading cheers .We shouldn’t even call ourselves cheerleaders because how many routines do people even yell cheers anymore? What we do should have a different name other than all star or competitive cheerleading because the word cheerleading often misleads people to think we are supporting a sports team. When we really aren’t. Competitive cheer is more of a form of gymnastics than cheerleading.

2. If we all wore shorts and t-shirt would what we do still be the same? (think about this one deeply)
I think that we might be taken less seriously if we did wear tee shirts and shorts. I think we need a more athletic uniform with less sequins and rhinestones. They would need a little sparkle thought because that what I think about competitive cheerleading uniforms.

3. What do we all want out of all this? (Be a sport? Recognition? Do we want to grow and be everywhere? Not change a thing so it's just as it is now?)
I do want cheerleading to grow and be everywhere. I want people to realize how great competitive cheerleading is and how much actually goes into those 2 minute and 30 second routines. If cheerleading grows I think it would be easer for people to recognize what we do is extremely difficult and does require a lot of strength, skill and many long hours in the gym. I think right now we shouldn’t be concentrating on becoming a sport. I think there are some more important things to fix within competitive cheer. For example making all coaches get certified. We should work on other things like that to make competitive cheerleading better first and then focus on it becoming a sport.

 

[thebowqueen]

I love the blend we have now of a super athletic competitive sport that lets girls be girly and wear makeup and sparkly outfits at the same time. Competitive cheer is the perfect mix of athleticism and girlyness I think. I love how cheer produces strong tough women that are feminine and fun!

 

[MNCheerMom]

Your questions are very hard and thought-provoking. It was a great article and gave me a lot to chew on.

1. What is it called what we do?
I have thought a lot about this, and could not come up with any other way to describe it other than "competitive all-star cheerleading". Granted, there is no cheer/chanting in all-star routines, but cheerleaders still stunt/tumble/dance. Taking away the cheering portion does not make it something else - the foundation of what is involved is still there.

2. If we all wore shorts and t-shirt would what we do still be the same? (think about this one deeply)
I apologize if this was discussed previously, but where on the score card are people scored for makeup, glitter, bows and costume design? Absolutely it would still be competitive all-star cheerleading if you were in t-shirts and shorts. You practice in t-shirts and shorts (theoretically) - does it take away your skills because you're not throwing them in a fancy costume? (I think I am missing some sort of bigger picture here - because I am taking this as a literal black and white question.) Are people doing this sport just for the makeup and outfits, or are they doing it because they love to tumble/stunt/dance, etc.? Our gym is pretty conservative with the glitter/glam so when we go to big events where we see entire teams wearing wigs and glitter lipstick, it is shell shock for us, but I completely understand that this is the "norm" for some regions.

3. What do we all want out of all this? (Be a sport? Recognition? Do we want to grow and be everywhere? Not change a thing so it's just as it is now?)
Education. Keep fighting the fight. Most of the cheerleaders at our program are there for the love of the sport - they don't spend hours conditioning and sweating to be judged on their physical appearance at a competition. It is human nature to judge a book by its cover. Most of the people who make hurtful comments about competitive cheer are simply uneducated in the matter and do not understand. You can argue with these people until you are blue in the face about the "cheer is a sport" issue, and if they are uneducated, all they will see is Toddlers in Tiaras. Back to the t-shirt issue, I do think the sport would be taken more seriously if the glitter/glam was taken out of equation, IMO. Will that ever happen? Doubtful.

 

[Level5Mom]

I don't want to see the bow, make-up, loud fierce music and sparkles go away. There is a performance side to our sport that is appealing to me. It is what FIRST got me excited about putting my little 6 year old in the sport. I love the dark competition hall with the "rock concert" style booming bass and spotlights. I love how it combines athleticism and skill with performance and presentation. It is gymnastics, acro, dance, and cheer all rolled together!

If you take these things away, you end up with Stunt.

I am not fond of the "stunt" and A&T uniforms for competitive all star cheer. I think they are fine and great for what those sports represent at the college level, but I do not want to see that style trickle into all star cheer. All star cheer is unique, and I love it the way it is. I don't mind shorts, I don't mind non-sparkly uniforms, etc. BUT I don't want to see numbers on the back, or uniforms that lack the style and the individuality that we see now. I personally think most cheer uniforms are very athletic now, and very flattering. New materials allow for ease of movement and tons of style! I like where we are right now with uniforms in the industry.

I would like to keep Stunt/A&T be separate from all star cheerleading, but remain an avenue an athlete can take in the future if they so choose.

 

[brandon0309]

I honestly think if we got rid of the name "cheerleading" for our sport and introduced it under a completely new name people would not relate us to the people screaming on the sidelines. I'm not saying lets separate ourselves because what they do isn't a sport.. because there are a lot of us all-stars that do both and have stepped up school & rec cheer.. but we don't "cheer" so I think we need a different name & the respect that we deserve. Since we don't technically cheer or lead crowds in chant for an athletic sport, I feel changing our name is a break through for people to see a new sport. It could completely launch a whole new world for us & then maybe that step will go beyond to the recognition of the cheerleaders on the sideline.

My argument:
Dance- is viewed a sport
Gymnastics- is viewed a sport
Acrobatics- is viewed as a sport

.. so why is the combo of all 3 not considered a sport? Because we are "cheerleaders" people see us on the sidelines screaming and that stereotype is still not broken.

ANYONE ELSE SICK OF THAT BURNING SENSATION OF ERUPTION THAT YOU GET WHEN SOMEONE SAYS CHEERLEADING ISNT A SPORT OR I COULD EASILY DO THAT!?!?!?

 

[AllHeartxo3]

1. I have to say, a name change would separate us, but at the same time what would we call ourselves? Like someone mentioned above, we do a combination of things and there isn't really one word to describe it. I don't mind the name. I think if we ourselves start saying "I have all-star practice" instead of just cheer practice then we wouldn't have to get rid of the word cheerleading.

2. I am completely against taking away the uniforms, bows, and stuff. You start out for that reason and I love putting on the makeup and the glitter so I can shine on the floor. Dance is a sport, so are you telling me they need to get rid of the costumes, wigs, and heavy makeup? Gymnastics is a sport so do they need to get rid of the sparkles and makeup? We're putting on a performance to entertain and to show off, that's what it's partially about, that's what still gets me excited today even though I am older.

3. I think respect needs to be our first priority. Why are we going to go through all this trouble to become a sport when we all realize that the problem is we don't have respect from the world. People don't know what we do and their views come from ignorance. I don't care if ESPN is covering the cheer world on every episode of Sports Center. Just recognize that we work hard and what we do is based on athleticism. While there is still an ignorance and misunderstanding in people's mind, there is no point in arguing with them. It's like with NASCAR, I know nothing about it. So when people make fun of it I don't say anything because why make comments on a subject you know nothing about? All we see is a car going around in a circle, we don't see the preparation or if drivers have to work out. I don't care if we have this big committee that oversees the cheer world, what am I going to tell my friends? "Cheer is a sport because we have an organization like football and basketball," they wouldn't care. It is up to us as athletes, parents, and spectators to show the behind the scenes work and change people's ignorant ways.

 

[MNCheerMom]

Regarding dance -- the wigs, heavy makeup, fake lashes, etc. is actually because of the bright lights on stage, which washes a face out if the performer isn't made up that way. Performing on stage, the dancer's facial expressions are a part of the dance. So the same concept applies to cheer comps. (Which leads "people" :wasntme: to say cheer is a 2:30 performance, not a sport.) Would the judges be able to view cheer facials without the heavy make up? I see the necessity of heavy makeup at cheer comps where bright lights are a factor. The question is, though, if you take all the negative aspects of the heavily made-up kids, would comp all-star cheer be taken more seriously?

 

[MaximumAllStars]

1. What is it called what we do?
If I could change the name I would probably just drop "leading" out of it. Call it All Star Cheer. I don't think we can ever drop the name cheer completely. Will we ever shed ourselves of the stereotype completely? No, probably not, no matter what we do. Stereotypes are everywhere, and no matter what people do to rid themselves of the stereotype, there will always be a small few that will keep that stereotype alive.

2. If we all wore shorts and t-shirt would what we do still be the same? (think about this one deeply)
Yes and no. From a skill standpoint, of course it wouldn't change. These athletes practice in shorts and T's, so of course they could compete in them (and many, if not all of us, have at one point competed in shorts and T's because of uniform issues). But All Star Cheer is also about the show. The makeup, the glitter, the uniforms, the rhinestones, it's all part of it. From a personal standpoint, I'd love to see it taken down a notch or two, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

3. What do we all want out of all this? (Be a sport? Recognition? Do we want to grow and be everywhere? Not change a thing so it's just as it is now?)
I think this depends on who you ask. Gym owners will tell you they want more kids to get involved. Athletes will tell you they want to be respected. As some have said though, there are many other things about All Star Cheer that we should focus on before we take it to the next level.

 

[INeverStopCheering]

1. I don't see anything wrong with the name cheerleader other than it's not an accurate description of what we do anymore. It's an out dated term. I don't know what else we'd call ourselves though. Because I don't really think of us as acrobats, those are like people at the circus. So if some one could come up with a better name, I'd be open to it. But who's going to dictate that. Is it the USASF? Are we going to wake up one morning and fins a SpiritPost that says "USASF has decided all Allstar Cheerleaders are now going to be called Stunt (for example)" What about gyms like Cheer Extreme or Cheer Athletics. Would they then become Stunt Extreme? I think we risk being even further unknown to the general public by changing the name.

2. I think a lot of people are quick to jump to the fact that cheerleaders aren't cheerleaders without sparkles, bows, and lycra animal print bedazzled skirts. But really people, we are. The skills we do that make us cheerleaders are not defined by whether or not we glue glitter to our faces and have a perfect cheer pouf. However, I don't think shorts and tees are a combat to this solution. It doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. Shorts and tees don't show off athleticism or beautiful lines, but sparkle extreme doesn't really accentuate them. I think Allstars are a unique brand that are an incredible combination of performer and athlete. Would ballet be the same without leo's and tutus? Cheerleaders do perform on a stage with bright lights to I understand the makeup. I will say as a cheerleader I love my uniform, makeup, and cheer bow and I think it's definately a big appeal to kids, but also a turn off to some parents.

3. My goal would be for no child who wanted to cheer ever be denied doing so because their parents didn't like the uniform/style of dance. Cheerleading has so many positive life lessons that a child should be able to learn from. The uniform should never be a deciding point. And I would like some respect. I would like to take a poll of people on the street and have at least a few go "Yeah sure cheerleading is a sport." And I would hate to think that it's something as silly as a uniform or glittery make up that would sway someone that cheerleading wasn't a sport. I think ignorance is as big an opponent as glitter in the quest for cheerleading to be a sport.

In an additional paragraph, I would like to say that I think a big part of our problem is that we continually try to compare ourselves to other sports, when in actuality we have little to nothing in common with them. Why should our uniforms have to be more like Y, our scoring system more like X, competitions more like Z. When some guy invented basketball he didn't say "Well maybe we should make it a little more like football so people will think it's a sport." Because the two are totally different. Cheerleading does not fit the mold of any other sport, so why are we trying to make it?

 

[Jay<3Rays]

i personnally dont want it EVERYWHERE. because then its alot more special. and i dont know about anyone else. but my cheerleading world and regular life have nothing to do w. eachother. the cheerleading world is were i escape. i just want people to thinki of it as a sport. because it obviously is..

 

[Level5Mom]

Ice skating is another "sport" that is performance based, accompanied by make up and sparkling costumes. It is possible to have both and be respected.

I agree that a name change could solve a lot of the "lack of respect", which comes from the sideline/girlsinshortskirts mentality.

 

[worldsring09]

1. Name. Keep cheer in the name as a nod to background and change it to something more modern like cheernastics (not saying I love this word, but I like the idea).

2. You do not need to strip the identity of the "cheer" uniform away in order to gain recognition. Football uniforms do not need to have Tiger stripes, sparkly helmets, or wild colors either...but they do because it looks cool under the lights. Teams spend thousands of dollars on logos and uniform design, and not for safety. Figure skaters wear bling, gymnasts have sparkly uniforms, a volleyball players expose their midriffs. Tacky cartoonish make-up and fake hair can go away, and most programs have already elimated this kind of stuff.

3. SPORT, RECOGNITION, and GROWTH. These athletes work their butts off, harder than many other "sports". I can assure you that I am right up there with my friends that have football players in their family, spending just as much money and time (if not more) with a SPORTS Orthopaedic Doctor. If the sport continues to grow (moving competitve "cheer" away from cheering for others and bootylicious half time performances with playboy-esque calendars), maybe the neaderthals of the world that think female cheerleaders are a bunch of dumb bimbos or perky Pollyanna's will finally see the light?? Wishful thinking??

 

[CaptainoftheCheerocracy]

Well we can hardly call ourselves "VoiceOver-leaders" can we?