Where gender is concerned, many things have evolved in the past 100 years. While challenges remain, progress has been made in all facets of life. In politics, women vote and are involved as well as succeed in all manner of professions and occupations.
Female participation in sports, too, has seen a great expansion. When women first participated in each of these activities, their value may have been questioned.
As time has progressed, however, the appreciation for women’s involvement has steadily increased. One sport that has seen the opposite trend is cheerleading.
“I think people underestimate us and it’s really frustrating that all people think we do is wave pom-poms around,”
— Megan Dominguez
When it began in the mid-1800s, cheerleading was not only all-male but was “considered equivalent in prestige to an American flagship of masculinity, football.” As the editors of The Nation saw it in 1911:
… the reputation of having been a valiant “cheerleader” is one of the most valuable things a boy can take away from college. As a title for promotion in professional or public life, it ranks hardly second to that of having been a quarterback. (Huffpost.com)
In stark contrast to this image of prestige and sportsmanship, cheerleading today is slighted and often not even considered a sport. Cheerleaders are not recognized for their athleticism, strength, and stamina even though they must perform intricate dance routines with acrobatics.
“We work extremely hard every day to train ourselves to do stunts, learn moves, etc. We work just as hard as the other athletes, cheering for them and supporting them, yet still people don’t respect our sport and everything we do for them,” said freshman Stella Fuentes.
Just like athletes in all sports, cheerleaders must train every day and are expected to demonstrate excellence in competition. They are also expected to maintain a strict and healthy lifestyle, yet despite being exactly like other athletes, cheerleaders are viewed as second-class citizens in the athletic world.
“I mean, I know it’s a sport but you really never think cheerleading when someone talks about sports,” said senior Jaden John.
The shift in the way people view cheerleading has nothing to do with a change in the sport itself, but rather because it is now a female-dominated sport. While other sports have gained credibility with female involvement, cheerleading has taken a step back.
