The main focus of my project is the ethos (emotions) and teamwork involved within one cheerleading team showing that there is more to them just being a team. I have observed one team more then one time to see the different variations of emotions throughout the practices as well as the cheerleaders.
Outline Of Paper:
Introduction
Literature Review: James Gee
Methodology: When I observed, who I Interviewed -introduction to findings
Findings:
In Person Observations:
Observation
The practice then starts with a crucial warm up consisting of crunches, push-ups, leg lifts, and cheer stretches (straddle stretches, splits, handstands). Two cheerleaders (usually the captains, unless they cannot attend) stand in front of the team and count out the warm-up so each cheerleader spends enough time on each stretch and everyone is on the same page.
Analysis
The warm-up is vital in running a cheerleading practice because muscles and joints need to be worked before they can run a routine. Failure to warm up properly can result in broken bones and strained muscles.
Observation
When the girls finally are ready to tumble, each cheerleader runs through his or her part in the routine throwing flip after flip. It is here where they encourage each other most. After each cheerleader goes, everyone claps and cheers them on. While a person is warming up their skill, most cheerleaders use phrases like “come on” or “you got this” to encourage them to do a great job and finish the skill strong. Once, again, there are side chats going on while the girls wait on line for their turn.
Analysis
Although tumbling is from the individual, the encouragement and cheering makes the skill become teamwork. Through the communication here, girls want to do better and perfect the skill for the team as well as the routine. They care about one another's performance and want each other to do well. Just like G's responses in the interview, everything that has to do with the individual turns into a "we" and "us".
Observation
Once the coaches feel the tumbling skills are ready, they instruct the cheerleaders to get into their stunts so they can warm them up. The girls and boy walked like snails to their first stunt. It took a while for them to disburse from their tumbling groups. While warming up stunts, cheerleaders talk with one another to explain what is going wrong and what is going good. It is here they blame most of their problems on their “top girl” or flyer for falling out of her stunt. Some stunts hit perfect, others fell more than once. There was a lot of frustration on the faces of the girls who stunts were falling. They tended to make mean and rude comments to one another. The stunt just continued to fall because of the mixed frustration.
Coaches then tell the cheerleaders to move onto their next stunts. The mood from the previous stunt carries over and continues. All cheerleaders now have an attitude because their feelings rub off on one another. Eventually, everyone is giving attitude to everyone. Some girls yell to the team to "shut up". The coaches then become extremely frustrated and have to get involved. They exclaim to the girls that they volunteer their time here because they love it and they are being very disrespectful. The cheerleaders then continue what they have to do quietly but there is still a "bad vibe" of attitude in the air. The coaches tell the cheerleaders to get a drink and when they walk to their stuff, they talk, role eyes and check their cell phones.
Analysis
When under pressure, the girls become frustrated and angry. Instead of aiming their anger towards doing better and hitting what they need to do, they blame one another. They quickly get attitudes and are quick to blame one another. When one person in the stunt group becomes frustrated, everyone becomes frustrated. When one gives attitude, the rest give attitude, and then, with this team, rubs off on every individual and reflects the performance. It is really hard to get through a practice when attitudes are high because sometimes its like talking to a wall. The cheerleaders allow their emotions to take over instead of putting them aside and getting done what needs to get done.
***Although this is not mentioned in the observations, in a impersonal conversation, a cheerleader told me how her group gets through the frustration. They use something called the "Oreo effect". The "Oreo effect" is when a girl or boy says something they did great, what they need to fix, and how they can fix the correction in a positive way. The cheerleader said it is effective for the most part but it all depends on the person and the attitude as well as the moment it is all happening.***
The observations relate directly to the interview. The though of teamwork is there instead of the individual. When individuals are frustrated, everyone becomes frustrated like they are one person.
Interview Analysis/Observations:
Excerpt One
J It’s amazing how dedicated you are to your team! What is your most memorable experience with cheerleading?
G Wow, this is a hard one like I could go on forever with a list of memories but I would have to say nationals last year in Orlando, Florida was most memorable and one I will always remember. We had such a rough season and it was amazing when we won national champions. Everyone was crying and hugging one another. You know, it was such a bittersweet moment. My team and I worked so hard to become national champions and when we finally did it, the feeling was incredible. It was my first time at a national competition. The arena was huge and the lights on the mat were so bright. The experience as well as the memories made I will never forget. Like we bonded so well. It was great.
In this excerpt, J asks the interviewee, G, what her most memorable experience was with cheerleading. Now, G, as stated in the interview, has been cheering all her life. When asked about the most memorable moment, instead of choosing a past memory, a more recent memory is chosen as most memorable. It is here, that readers see G switch from talking about herself using “I” to talking about the team as a whole using “we”. G starts off her response by stating her personal, individual statement but shifts when she says it is one she would always remember. Instead of saying that G worked hard or had a rough season, G related to the team as a whole. It is almost as the team is one well working oil machine that succeeds and fails as one. Yes in a team, there is no “I” but the question was directed directly towards the interviewee as an individual. It is interesting that an individual experience turned into a team experience.
Excerpt Two
J Great positive response, there is always so much negativity formed around cheerleaders. Don’t you think? Don’t you think cheerleaders should be treated as a thletes?
G Oh god, this is my favorite topic! I always enjoy arguing with people why cheerleaders should be treated as athletes! Cheerleader’s train, if not the same, then more than any other sport! We are in the gym for hours perfecting our techniques and our routine. Cheerleading is not just a season, it is a yearly sport, it never ends. We are always thinking and doing something to improve our skills. We have a game plan just like every other sport out there. We train just as hard as every team out there. You have someone try and do back flips and stunts within a 2 minute and 30 second routine and then tell me cheerleading is not athletic! I do not think people know the hard work and dedication that goes into being on a cheerleading team.
In excerpt two, J asks G if cheerleaders should be treated as athletes. Again, readers see a shift here from “I” to “we”. Also, during the interview, the interviewee got defensive with the topic. Normally, in defense, people would defend themselves but here, G defends the team as a whole. Just after reading the first two excerpts, it is obvious that this cheerleading has a great sense of teamwork and community. When one fails, they all go down together. G makes some generalization claims as to cheerleading being a sport because it is all year round but again, when defending skills, technique, and training, G uses “we”. Here, G is answering a cultural story in defense to cheerleading not being a sport. Instead of defending cheerleading as a general whole, G defends the community she belongs too.
Excerpt Three
J Great! So how has cheerleading affected your life in a positive way?
G Well lets see, cheerleading has opened so many new doors in my life! It has taught me respect and teamwork. I have also made so many new friends from being on the team throughout the years. These friends are lifetime friends; we share a bond that no one else will! Being on a cheerleading team has taught me good sportsmanship and how to be a good team player. The life lesson I have learned and will learn I willcarry with me for the rest of my life. My coaches are such great role models and although they yell, I know they are so proud and encouraging. Cheerleading has been a great life lesson and I wish everyone could experience this just like my teammates and I.
In excerpt three, J asks G how cheerleading has positively affected her life. Unlike the first two excerpts, G speaks as an individual rather than a team. There is a lot more use of the word “I” here and it is most certainly obvious that G’s feelings are being projected in the answer. Although G is saying her response from an individual standpoint, the thought of teamwork and lifelong friends is still there. Also, by pointing out that the coaches yell but are proud and encouraging shows another aspect of the tight niche community. It shows that the team has a friendly level of respect for their coaches and knows they mean no harm when they are mad. It is not until the very end of the excerpt do readers see the phrase “teammates and I”. G wishes that people who do not endure in cheerleading still experience the tight bond which the community shares.
Conclusion
Limitations
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