Cheerleading Forever!

In the ever popular world of athletic apparel, it is perfectly normal to see the names of teams, schools or mascots written across the backside of cheer shorts. In the cheerleading community, it is not unusual to even see these names printed on the backs of bloomers. So why did a high school team in California get suspended by administration for their surprise conclusion to a cheer routine that spelled out the school mascot on the backs of their bloomers?

The location of the letters I-N-D-I-A-N-S on the behinds of Ripon Valley High’s bloomers created a media whirlwind in the Sacramento suburb. The vice principal suspended the team, with mixed reviews, for two days after seeing the unapproved ending. He felt that the move was too suggestive and that it went against school board policy. Although many cheerleaders agreed that it perhaps wasn’t appropriate, many felt the punishment did not fit the crime. Other students and parents felt that the VP made the right decision. Was it poor judgment on the part of the cheerleaders? Sure. Did it warrant a suspension that will now be included on the college application process? I don’t think so. I would hate to think that a college admission would be contingent over the ill-fated placement of the letter “I” on the backside of someone’s bloomers.

This is a rather mundane incident amongst the several that I have seen or heard about on the news. Several years ago, Texas lawmakers attempted to pass a bill that reduced funding to schools who displayed sexually suggestive cheer routines. The San Jose State University Dance Team appeared in the national spotlight after getting suspended for the remainder of the year after performing a routine that was deemed inappropriate. Hip thrusting and “horizontal dance moves” on the floor are unfortunately all too common in all ages of cheer. Many cheer and dance teams are inspired by music videos and incorporate the exact choreography from the video directly into the cheer routine. As a former dance coach, I remember girls coming to practice with Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back” video choreography perfected down to the eight-count. I am guilty of watching NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” at least 50 times to copy the boy band moves (although not suggestive I might add.) However, I also recall my mother pulling me from my fourth grade jazz class after our teacher wanted to use the slightly suggestive song “Mercedes Boy” for our recital. Although brutally embarrassing then, I now applaud her decision to not include her daughter in a somewhat evocative routine.

What is the feeling in the cheer community regarding these routines? Am I showing my age when I say that I am saddened that girls feel the need to be “cool” by continuing to test the limits of suggestive dancing? Do we need stricter rules and definitions of dance moves to clearly spell out what is and is not appropriate? Or do I need to Ti-Vo the latest Ciara or Huey video and practice my “Pop, lock and drop it?

“I want you to think of what you ate today. Got it? Now cut that in half, this is called a diet, people, everyone start one today! Darcy, you should stop eating. You see, when you skip a meal, your body feeds off its fat stores. And if you skip enough, maybe your body will eat your big behind!” Bring it On made a joke out of the stereotypical cheer coach “pep talk,” however do the latest trends in cheer uniforms subliminally put the same pressure on young girls to look a certain way?

It is no secret that female cheerleaders and dancers succumb to body image issues. With many squads setting certain height and weight requirements, it is easy to see why so many young girls feel the pressure to be thin. Add in the developing trend of midriff uniforms and hot pants and it is no wonder why image can be just as important as athletic ability in the cheer world. I have been to many cheer competitions this year and have seen enough rear ends to last me a life time. I know that hot pants are gaining popularity over skirts due to the fact that they are easier to tumble in and don’t flip up during routines. Although I don’t really see how cheering with a wedgie and all that is exposed with that look is any more appealing.

As a former cheerleader and dancer, I can surely relate to image concerns! My sports physical my freshmen year of high school read “4 feet 11 inches, 86 pounds.” I had been a flyer since my Mighty Might days in fourth grade and was nicknamed “Peanut” by the neighbors because of my size. Puberty set in and by senior year, I was no longer in the coveted flyer position but a base at 5’7” and 117 pounds (what I would give to be that size today!) I struggled with my growth and change of cheer position – I went from being front and center in the dance routines and at the top of the pyramids to being the tall girl in the back and the base in every basket toss. I vividly remember doing the Cindy Crawford work out tapes in my living room; focusing on my hips and stomach to make my cheer uniform fit better. Thank goodness I cheered at a Catholic school where our uniforms were conservative – I don’t think I could have handled the pressure of bearing my stomach in front of a crowd of people at 17!

Even NFL uniforms are decreasing in size which unfortunately rubs off on the teen cheer culture. I can not think of one NFL team that does not show their stomachs on the field. When I first heard that Vera Wang, famous for her wedding dresses and popularity amongst celebrities, would be designing the Seattle Seahawks cheerleaders’ uniforms, I was secretly excited for the unveiling. However, when they came out, I was disappointed to see that it was nothing more than a black and white sports bra and boy shorts – surely something more tasteful and attractive could have been designed. (Sorry Vera..I still love your wedding dresses!) Outfits like these leave nothing to the imagination and no room for forgiveness in the ab and hip area. It also doesn’t help that some NFL teams come out with lingerie calendars and when doing research for this story, numerous adult websites popped up with cheerleaders as their stars!
Of course cheerleading uniforms put pressure on girls to be thin and look a certain way! My question is this…what can parents, coaches or the media do to help reinforce positive body image if you cannot change the uniform?

Over my years I have seen a lot of good and bad in cheerleading. I’ve seen horrible spills, fantastic spins, jumps, and landings, as well as both positive and negative behavior that affects one’s cheer ability. Now I feel it’s imperative for me to show you the best ways to make sure you make the team you want to be on. Surprisingly to some, athletic ability is not the major attribute of a successful cheerleader. Positive mental attitude, a good look all mold the perfect cheer(excuse the Will Ferrell SNL reference). Here are five ways to ensure you make the team!!

1. Confidence Breeds Success- Be proud of your abilities as a cheerleaders and be confident in every move that you make. When a difficult stunt is thrown at you, be confident that you are the right person for the job and that you can complete the task at hand. Make sure you talk the talk and cheer the cheer.

2. Smile!!- No one wants to see a sad cheerleader. That’s why the word cheer is in the word, ok maybe not but smiling is key to putting the crowd in a good mood. Also make sure your smile is genuine. Don’t over-do it and make sure it’s relaxed so that you can prove to the judges that you truly love what you’re doing and not just faking it.

3. If You Don’t Stick the Landing…Keep Going!- Just because a landing didn’t go as planned and everything didn’t turn out perfect doesn’t mean you should just give up. Judges like to see perseverance in a cheerleader and seeing that you can overcome a mistake and still put on an awesome performance says a lot about your character.

4. Ask Questions- Don’t be shy or embarrased that you don’t fully understand a routine or what is going on in a tryout. Make sure you make yourself heard and fully comprehend what is going on. If you don’t you will look lost and confused and more embarrassed than if you asked the question.

5. Stand Out!!- Make sure the judges and instructors can see just who you are and how good you are. Don’t fade in the back where you’re best moves won’t be showcased. It doesn’t matter if you make some mistakes that probably wouldn’t be seen in the back, instructors are looking for cheerers who show that character that they love to be seen and perform well in the spotlight.

So there you go, my tips on being the best you can be. So now, go out there with the right positive mental attitude, proper physical shape, and perform you’re best!

By Sean Connolly

Who could think of a better job assignment for a former cheerleader and beach bunny than to attend the NCA Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida? Kudos to NCA for combining college cheer, a great venue on the beach and tanning!

Driving down A1A, I was afraid that I would somehow miss the hotel or venue and get lost amongst a sea of tacky t-shirt shops or biker gear stores. Those fears were quickly replaced with a rush of excitement as I rounded the corner to see hundreds of uniformed cheerleaders on both sides of the street! The USC Game Cocks flag was in full display as South Carolina’s team proudly cheered on their school while crossing the street. Reigning champs, University of Louisville, waved their flag in the grassy practice area on the other side of the street as their co-ed team pulled out some impressive stunting routines. Post continues below slide show>

I attended this event to meet the Clemson co-ed team and quickly founded them cheering in their tiger sports bras and bright orange shorts out in front of the ocean. It was hard to miss their oversized purple flag and the team of supportive parents sporting the Clemson cheer t-shirts! The Tigers were excited to compete but were also tired from a morning of practice and tumbling in the Florida sun. I was most impressed to meet Dipali Patel, the youngest coach of a D1 collegiate cheer team, who at only two years older than a good portion of the cheerleaders, commanded respect and authority from the team! At all of 5ft tall and a size 00 (way to rub it in), she was hard to see but her voice could not be mistaken! Clemson ended up finishinfourth overall but certainly made their presence known!!!

The cheer practice and intimidation sessions were the most fun to watch!! Teams would gather in the grass before the preliminary event to warm up their routines and practice stunts..some of which were not legal in the competition but completely legal when trying to upstage another team! I have to give credit to Hawaii Pacific University and Stephen F Austin University out of Texas who put on quite a stunting show. I also vote these two teams “BEST CHEER ABS!” I don’t think I have ever seen more ripped stomachs on young girls than I did at this event! Certainly makes me want to hit the gym a little harder! It also made me want to start tumbling again!

After spending the day at this event, I had some final thoughts and some mental awards I wanted to present……Cheerleading has come such a long way in the last 10-15 years! When I was in high school in the late 90’s, college cheer requirements were basically a height requirement of under 5′5″ and the ability to do a standing back tuck! We didn’t have too many cheer gyms around and all star teams were just getting started! Now, kids are doing standing fulls and working out at cheer and dance centers after class. I’ve seen tumbling passes that could easily place these kids on the gymnastics team rather than the cheer team. Many of the male cheerleaders I met were former football players who found it easier to obtain a cheer scholarship than a football scholarship but said that the intensity of how they perfromed did not change. I met one girl who was both on the soccer and cheer teams for Clemson! To anyone who thinks that cheerleading is not a sport, I would invite you to attend any of these events and see the athletic ability on display!

Now to the awards….
1. Best hair and tan – Oklahoma State University
2. Most in need of a little color splash – Georgia Tech (too much white and maybe in need of a little Florida sun)
3. Best abs – Hawaii Pacific University
4. Most unique practice uniforms – SFA University. Red and purple ripped up sports bras and a guy in a plaid Paul Bunyan shirt with chops!
5. Most in need of a more appropriate war chant – USC Game Cocks (some felt perhaps a bit too crude.)
6. Most parents in team shirts – Radford University
7. Loudest team – Louisville (reigning champs..they had a reputation to protect)
8. Most creative use of music – University of Maryland (Turtle Power, Hannah Montana, Super Hero theme)
9. “Where is that college?” award – Azuza Pacific University
10. Best dance team intro – UNC Chapel Hill

I can’t think of a better way to start this blog about cheerleading than to share some information about the cheerleaders of America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys. Probably everyone when they think of cheerleaders imagines the Cowboy Cheerleaders. They are America’s Cheerleaders!

Even if you root against the Cowboys, you can appreciate the beauty and skill of the women who root them on from the sidelines.

Dallas Cheerleaders on the sidelines

For the girls and women out there, here’s an inside look at what’s involved in being a Cowboy cheerleader. For the men out there, here’s an opportunity to discover that there’s a lot more than looking good involved in cheerleading.

For Cowboy cheerleaders, there’s a combination of great perks but also real community service involved. Here’s the way the Cowboy website describes it:
“Perform at sold out Cowboys games in Texas Stadium; Travel to exotic locations on Annual Calendar Shoot; Entertain US military troops throughout the world on USO Tours; Appear on national television special while participating in Auditions airing this fall on CMT; Lend time and talent at community service events; Share your knowledge and experience with kids at CAMP DCC; Bring smiles to residents of nursing homes and hospitals; Perform at professional hockey, baseball and basketball games; and Receive extensive training in dance and vocal techniques.”

Working with young people

By the way here’s the audition schedule for the new squad: PRELIMINARIES: Saturday, May 10, 2008
SEMI-FINALS: Sunday, May 11, 2008
FINALIST PANEL INTERVIEWS: Friday, May 23, 2008
DANCE FINALS: Saturday, May 24, 2008

But for you young women living in Los Angeles or Florida, please remember the requirements: High school graduate or have a G.E.D.; you must live in (or relocate to) the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and have reliable means of transportation; you must be able to attend all rehearsals; and you must be 18 years old by Preliminaries.

A lot of people assume that being a Cowboy cheerleader is a full-time, but that’s not true. Many cheerleaders have jobs or attend school and some spend much of their time raising children.

And people want to know whether there are set rules about height and weight. According to the website: “You should look well proportioned in dancewear. We DO NOT have specific height and weight requirements, however, a lean figure is demanded by our uniform.”

You need a variety of skills if you want to make the team and the Cowboy judges focus on the following: Dance Technique; Enthusiasm; Poise; Showmanship; Personal Appearance; Personality; Energy; High Kicks; and Splits.

And if you think it’s just about how you look and your athletic ability, don’t forget the other parts of the audition process: there’s a personal Panel interview with the judges. Then there’s a written test to check your general knowledge about the Dallas Cowboys Organization, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders history, the National Football League, and current events.
And as the website notes: you’ll be required to perform a ninety second individual talent presentation, (e.g. – singing, dancing, dramatic interpretation). “This will be your opportunity to impress the judges with your creativity and talent. Bring two copies of your music on CD or cassette tape. You may wear whatever costume design you wish to enhance and complement your performance. If your talent is singing, make sure there are no lead vocals on your accompaniment CD or tape.”

If you’re good enough you may just find yourself in next year’s calendar. For the moment, meet some of this year’s Cowboy Cheerleading team.

Cowboy Cheerleader Brooke Sorenson

Cowboy Cheerleader Andrea Rogers

Well this is just the beginning for us at cheerleading4ever.com. See you next time. And for those of you in the Dallas area thinking the time is now, we wish you the best of luck!