How do you feel about traditional cheerleading?

[Anonymous]

What does she like about it? It sounds like she may enjoy the social aspects of it? Maybe you could look at other clubs that might offer more socializing than physical activities (Scouts, Destination Imagination, etc.)

There are lots of dance classes she could take for fun. Maybe she’d like hip-hop, square dancing, dancing from another culture, etc.). Maybe look at Rec center programs which might be less intense and designed more for fun. YouTube has lessons for all kinds of dance and exercise that she could try out and explore.

If she likes Cheerleading, she might be interested in Gymnastics that she could use in the more competitive cheerleading programs you describe as she gets older. I would look for non-competitive Gymnastics program, because competitive Gymnastics can get really intense. My girls took non-competitive Gymnastics lessons when they were young. It gave them a lot of strength, flexibility, and some basic skills, and they enjoyed it a lot.

I’d probably let her go ahead with it, unless I decided the costumes were inappropriate or the group was doing dangerous activities (trying gymnastics, etc., without paying enough attention to safety). To me, it’s just as “unfeminist” to tell a girl that she can’t do something because it fits an outdated female stereotype than that she can’t do something that doesn’t. I do think the group should cheer for girls teams as well. Maybe they could even cheer on non-athletic teams. It’s Academic used to have cheerleaders cheer on their school’s teams on the quiz show. Does your school have a chess club, LEGO Mindstorms, Destination Imagination, etc? They might appreciate the support and recognition as well, and the cheer team could get more practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did it. It wasn't my favorite choice but she wasn't interested in any other sports. It kept her active and she got a great group of long lasting female friends. A lot of the other cheer moms had the same experience.

The only issue is that if she does competitive cheer there is a greater risk of injury because they do some dangerous stunting.

I'll add that she is a young adult now and very much a feminist who doesn't regret it at all.

I did competitive cheer and would rather have my daughter or SON (boys cheer too you know!) on the sidelines at a football game than doing competitive cheer or gymnastics. Cheer is completely a team sport and a team bond, which is nice, compared to the individualism of gymnastics or tennis or parts of swimming. That is a great learning experience, as is keeping active.

[Anonymous]

This wouldn't be my first choice, and I might try to find some alternatives the kid would like, but ultimately I'd let her do it. It's a low-stakes choice and it's important to me that my kids learn that they're allowed to be enthusiastic about and explore things that I wouldn't pick for them. The activities I wouldn't allow are those with high injury risks, particularly head injuries - that's something where you can do some real, permanent damage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This wouldn't be my first choice, and I might try to find some alternatives the kid would like, but ultimately I'd let her do it. It's a low-stakes choice and it's important to me that my kids learn that they're allowed to be enthusiastic about and explore things that I wouldn't pick for them. The activities I wouldn't allow are those with high injury risks, particularly head injuries - that's something where you can do some real, permanent damage.

Same. Not my thing, but this board tends to have a knee-jerk reaction against cheerleading (and sororities) that I actually find a bit misogynistic in and of itself.

[Anonymous]

I was a cheerleader. I'm a feminist. And it isn't an all or nothing when it comes to competitions vs. sidelines cheer. Even Peewee (that's what we're talking about, right?) cheer squads compete, at least in the Northeast. In my case, we cheered on the sidelines (it was required), but we also competed. We stunted/tumbled at games in-between the cheering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the competitive, gymnastics kind, I know that is different. But the kind where the cheerleaders literally cheer at football games?

My DD is going into 4th grade. We've had a hard time finding her a physical activity she wants to do. She's tried a bunch of things and given them up because she wasn't interested (soccer, tennis, lacrosse, swimming, dance, etc.). Dance lasted the longest but she gave it up this year when it started to get very serious with pointe classes and such.

This summer she joined a cheerleading team. I'm not crazy about it tbh. But a couple of her friends were doing it and since she refuses to do day camp, I thought it would be nice for her to have something to do. They meet every day and she is very enthusiastic about it. She comes home saying she loved it each time. The thing is, it is the traditional kind of cheerleading. Although they will do competitions as well, the point is mostly to cheer on the boys at the football games. They were getting fitted for their outfits yesterday and I realized I would be embarrassed to post a photo of her in it on my FB. It's so unfeminist.

What do you think?

Feminism is about allowing a girl to have more opportunities, not taking them away... So look at jazz, tap, and other dance as well as traditional cheer. Look at basic gymnastics.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have a problem with it. If she’s found her thing, let her have her thing. It doesn’t have to be feminist or enriching or anything else- if she’s happy, away from screens, and doing something a tiny bit active, that sounds like a win.

I was not a cheerleader in high school, but they were all really successful and did other activities in the seasons they didn’t have cheer. I can think of 5 cheerleaders from just my grade who are now doctors (if that’s a measure of success that appeals to you.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with it. If she’s found her thing, let her have her thing. It doesn’t have to be feminist or enriching or anything else- if she’s happy, away from screens, and doing something a tiny bit active, that sounds like a win.

I was not a cheerleader in high school, but they were all really successful and did other activities in the seasons they didn’t have cheer. I can think of 5 cheerleaders from just my grade who are now doctors (if that’s a measure of success that appeals to you.)

Ha! Cheerleading was a path to teen motherhood at my school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with it. If she’s found her thing, let her have her thing. It doesn’t have to be feminist or enriching or anything else- if she’s happy, away from screens, and doing something a tiny bit active, that sounds like a win.

I was not a cheerleader in high school, but they were all really successful and did other activities in the seasons they didn’t have cheer. I can think of 5 cheerleaders from just my grade who are now doctors (if that’s a measure of success that appeals to you.)

Ha! Cheerleading was a path to teen motherhood at my school.

+1, plus everyone made fun of the chunky girl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with it. If she’s found her thing, let her have her thing. It doesn’t have to be feminist or enriching or anything else- if she’s happy, away from screens, and doing something a tiny bit active, that sounds like a win.

I was not a cheerleader in high school, but they were all really successful and did other activities in the seasons they didn’t have cheer. I can think of 5 cheerleaders from just my grade who are now doctors (if that’s a measure of success that appeals to you.)

Ha! Cheerleading was a path to teen motherhood at my school.

+1, plus everyone made fun of the chunky girl

internalized misogyny is so gross.

[Anonymous]

I love cheerleading and would fully embrace it. For those saying the only thing you do is cheer for boys, assuming you’re the same person who thinks women only have sex to please their husbands. Girls can enjoy different things - this whole thread is what’s mysogynistic.

[Anonymous]

You should let her do what she loves. The nice thing about cheer is the camaraderie. The girls are very supportive of each other. It builds self confidence. If the group will be competing, my guess is that they will be doing more than sideline cheer.

[Anonymous]

I am a cheer fan myself - the family like support and team building really helped my daughter overcome her depression when she began high during the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Some of these replies are so interesting.
I was a cheerleader throughout high school. Am now a doctor, but a perky blonde one, that when people find out that I cheered- will chuckle and say that it makes sense.
My cheer coach was one of the best influences in my life at that stage. She was a STRONG woman and had no problem kicking the boys basketball team out of the gym if we had reserved it to practice. She was amazing. She came to my baby shower 10+ years later.
Super athletic. Was in AMAZING shape. Crushed it.
Cheering for boys? Meh. Whatever. I seem to have made my way in a pretty male dominated field.
I’m actually kind of surprised so many people are against it. I can’t wait for my daughter to start cheering!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with it. If she’s found her thing, let her have her thing. It doesn’t have to be feminist or enriching or anything else- if she’s happy, away from screens, and doing something a tiny bit active, that sounds like a win.

I was not a cheerleader in high school, but they were all really successful and did other activities in the seasons they didn’t have cheer. I can think of 5 cheerleaders from just my grade who are now doctors (if that’s a measure of success that appeals to you.)

Ha! Cheerleading was a path to teen motherhood at my school.

I’m a PP from below, who just read your post. On my cheer squad from high school, there are two dentists, an OBGYN, Duke MBA, so many more highly educated and disciplined women!