“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?

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