Written by If you tune into any collegiate football or basketball game at some point the camera man will pan over to the cheerleading team on the sideline and show a cheerleader. You have seen it a million times, and are probably now mentally picturing a woman smiling with pom poms, probably saying “go team.” This is a very superficial representation of the sport of collegiate cheerleading.
The vast majority of collegiate cheerleaders are former gymnasts or competitive dancers. That man or woman as seen on TV could at any point, do a series of front or back flips(called tumbles or tucks), help throw another athlete in the air, have that athlete complete a series of flips, and then gracefully catch them. A good example of the athleticism of collegiate cheerleaders can be found in this video of the University of Kentucky at Nationals. Give it a watch, it is quite impressive. For some reason, however, the camera operators always seem to miss the stunting.
In order to perform these stunts, cheerleaders have to practice their stunts and lift in order to maintain their shape and athleticism. Most cheer teams practice or lift numerous times each week in addition to performing at games. Rates of injuries in cheerleading practices are relatively comparable to those in other sports. In short, cheerleading is a very difficult and time consuming sport. The 2020 Netflix Documentary, Cheer, highlights the sport and offers a behind the scenes view of the Navarro Cheer team. Additionally, the International Olympic Committee has granted full recognition of cheerleading and it will be contested in the coming Olympic Games once the International Cheer Union picks a launch date.
Cheerleaders, both male and female, have to deal with a myriad of different stereotypes that may inhibit a fan or administrator’s perception of these athletes. Male cheerleaders have to overcome the preconceived notion that cheerleading is a feminine sport and therefore the men who participate must be girly or homosexual. Due to this stereotype, studies have shown that male cheerleaders are actually more likely to attempt to “project a heterosexual image.” For women, the stereotypes are that they are there to look pretty, say “go team,” and carry pom poms.
Additionally, collegiate cheerleading must fight more than just personal stereotypes in order to get recognition by their respective universities. Many cheerleading teams are underfunded and lack access to proper facilities. At one anonymous FBS school, the cheerleading team was required to install and uninstall seat cushions in the football stadium as part of the agreement that the school helps fund their trips to nationals. I could only imagine the controversy that would ensue if this same act was required of another varsity program at the school. Furthermore, a Northwestern Cheerleader alledges that the school dismissed her complaints of sexual harassment while fufilling some duties of being a cheerleader. Northwestern denies the allegations.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the opportunities to represent one’s school at nationals and travel with football and basketball are amazing. As a former college mascot myself, I was an ad-hoc member of the cheerleading team and owe some of my best memories to these experiences and travel opportunities. But too often cheerleaders are not given the respect that these athletes deserve. If it wasn’t for my time as the Boston College mascot, I would most likely believe the same stereotypes mentioned in this article. Luckily the future of competitive cheerleading is bright, and I hope to see the event thrive at the Olympics, and look forward to the rest of the world seeing the true athleticism in competitive cheerleading.