Blog 10

Cheerleading Myths (this will be a good one)

I know WE HAVE ALL heard at some point in our lives that "cheerleading isnt really a sport." But is that really true?  Do they people who say that even know what they are talking about?  OF COURSE NOT!!  Yes, I am sure we have all seen the disney movies showing cheerleaders as girls who get the MVP quarterback and walk around in thier uniform and jump around at the games or the movie series of Bring It On but, ask any cheerleader.  There is WAY more to being on a cheerleading team then people give credit for.

• If your pretty and popular, you'll make the team.
• A cheerleading squad is normally picked by the coaches or a qualified panel of judges who know nothing about someone's social status.  How is that even possible then?
• It doesn't take much to be a cheerleader.
• Unlike other sports who train and play for a couple months of the year, cheerleading runs all year! It is truly a never ending sport.  
•  Cheerleading isn't a real sport.
• I know this is one all cheerleaders hate to hear.  For all that DO NOT KNOW, cheerleading involes some of the most difficult elements involed in sports.  It takes the endurance of a long distance runner, the strength of a weight lifter, the skills of a gymnast, and the grace and timing of a dancer.  You try and do a round off double back-handspring full right after stunting and THEN come tell me cheerleading is not a real sport.
• Cheerleaders do not have any brains. They are all ditzy.
• The average grade point average for cheerleaders in this country is 3.00 GPA! This means that a good percentage carry a much higher GPA.  Every cheerleading program makes sure their girls maintain high GPAs unless they cannot complete. Also, scholarships are offered to many highly skilled cheerleaders.  In high school, I maintained a 3.9 GPA and finished 30 something out of 600 students while on varsity cheerleading.  So please, tell me where my brains are again?
• You can not get hurt in cheerleading, it does not take much effort.
• Sometimes, I do not even know where people get this information!  Injuries caused by cheerleading are equal to if not exceed other organized sports.  Most cheerleaders continue their performance with, sprained arms, legs, fingers, ribs, black eyes and so on. Most of cheerleading atheletes perform with colds, flus, viruses and other physical ailments primarily because their team depends on them.  I remember freshman year of High School I performed Nationals with a broken hand.  I do not want to hear it.

These are just some cheerleading stereotypes.  There are so many to touch upon but, these are the most common I remember from when I was a cheerleader.  I hope you enjoyed reading them! :)