Warning: If you are or were a cheerleader,
you might find this offensive.
That is not my intent, not my goal. I
recognize that cheerleaders can be athletic and, if their squads go to
competitions, could even be considered athletes. I’ve known intelligent, ambitious,
morally upright cheerleaders who did not fit the stereotype. While stereotypes
do not arise out of vacuums (nobody says, “Hey, let’s make up a stereotype
about __________!”) and are damaging to both the typer and typee, that isn’t
the point of this, either.
I’m glad my daughter never had any desire to
be the public cheerer for someone else’s accomplishments. I hope Becca wants to
have her own accomplishments rather than cheering for some boy’s or group of
boys. I’m not suggesting avoiding the excitement and enthusiasm for a school
team’s accomplishments. I recognize that cheerleaders help organize and
generate that support; but I’d rather she (or any girl) BE the athlete rather
than the athlete’s cheering section. If a girl is athletic enough to do all the
things required of a cheerleader (I’m talking at the games -- too snarky?),
then she’s athletic enough to do a sport or other activity herself.* Let the
boys come and cheer for her,
not reduce herself to a subservient role.
*In all fairness, at Hancock
there was only one girls sport per season for a long time (the Fall season now
boasts softball, volleyball & cross country) and cheerleaders cheered ONLY
at basketball games; they could, and did, participate in other sports in the
other seasons. To his everlasting credit, Ed Stewart required the cheerleaders
to cheer at both boys and girls games and a couple guys joined the cheerleaders
in at least two years I remember.
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