Cheerleading - not sure I want my DD to do this

[Anonymous]

Cheerleaders are more athletic than sexy.

[Anonymous]

At high school level all the teams we know of (FCPS) the girls wear the Nike/Under Armour sport shorts under their skirt for the both the sideline cheer and comp cheer uniforms. Some comp uniforms are just have matching shorts as part of complete uniform instead of a skirt.

Besides, the skirts for the cheer uniforms aren't any short than what some of the girls wear to school anyways.

[Anonymous]

My niece is a competitive cheerleader. To start with, she's in better physical shape than most HS kids I've met. Also, if cheerleaders are provocative, slutty pole dancers then I guess varsity softball players are too. Because my niece is also captain of her school softball team. Finally, my niece's uniform covers more than my DDs swimsuit does. Must be time for DD to quit swim team because she's not wearing enough clothing and the boys may be looking/tempted (never mind the skimpies many of those same boys are competing in!).

Would I let my kid be a cheerleader? Probably not. But that would be due to the injury risk, not the outfits or some skewed perceptions about sex and gender.

[Anonymous]

I was never a cheerleader - competed in other sports - but have had opportunities to learn about cheerleading from actual cheerleaders.

In my high school in the 90s the cheerleaders were preppy and cute but not particularly athletic. In college, one of my roommates was a cheerleader at our Division I school. Although there was a lot of pressure on the girls to maintain a certain weight, they were all fit and very athletic and very talented tumblers and athletes. My sister in law was also a cheerleader in high school and college and had a similar experience - she enjoyed attending her Division I school’s athletic events and had great school spirit and talent for gymnastics. Now we have a friend whose daughter is a high school cheerleader after years of gymnastics. She is wonderful and talented and their high school routines are not inappropriate. It’s an outlet for a mixture of girls who are spirited but maybe not athletic enough to compete in other sports and those who trained in gymnastics but want to do something more “fun.”

Let’s all not be judgy - it may not be your cup of tea but that doesn’t make it wrong. High school cheerleading does not equal NFL cheerleading. And in college usually it’s the dance teams doing suggestive movements, not the cheerleaders.

[Anonymous]

Competitive cheerleading is a demanding and VERY athletic sport. It's also one that results in many injuries. Cheering for the HS boys' teams is not the same and I wouldn't be super excited for that.

I cheered in HS (and did competitive -though at a way less competitive level than is present now- and HS cheer). My biggest concern for my DD if she were to want to cheer -and I"m glad she doesn't- was the significant prevalence of eating disorders among the cheerleaders. Def in HS. But, 2 of my best friends went on to cheer in college and it was extremely prevalent there, as well. One girl ultimately died from it. One of my BFs was hospitalized and suffered with severe anorexia for years and it was heartbreaking to watch.

I'm not saying girls cannot do it in a healthy way. But with the tumbling, tossing, and building, there is a HUGE emphasis on weight. And it's not always healthy.

[Anonymous]

Congrats to your daughter.

A lot of my friends were cheerleaders. These are not bimbos - these were smart, talented, engaging women who went on to do cool, interesting things with their lives. Cheer opened some doors for them. And at some schools it's a legit sport, not just a support system for male athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cheerleading is actually one of the most dangerous sports because they do a lot of stuff with no spotters, no protective gear.

And it's gotten a lot more dangerous than 20 years ago. I think it's because of all of the "cheerleading competitions" and the pressure to up the ante and do lots of flips, etc.

That said, it's hard to say no now because you already let her try out.

I'm not sure what you mean by the suburban or ghetto description. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd be more concerned about safety. Try to meet the coach.

+1!
And for all of you concerned with 'skimpy outfits' and make-up.. have you ever seen figure skating? Those girls start wearing stage make up from their first competition, at about age 7! The costumes are skimpy, some moves and spins are risqué, but no one calls figure skating 'suburban' or 'ghetto'.

[Anonymous]

Cheerleaders now are not a;ways the prettiest/most popular girls like it was in the 80s. It varies by school. At my kids' school they were more the tryhard/wannabe types.

[Anonymous]

Have her try out for a sport. Cheerleading is all about pleasing the guys, being popular and going to the "hot" parties, which means lots of drinking, drugs and sex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cheerleaders now are not a;ways the prettiest/most popular girls like it was in the 80s. It varies by school. At my kids' school they were more the tryhard/wannabe types.

God this poster is pathetic. "tryhard/wannabe"? Really. So gross...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheerleaders now are not a;ways the prettiest/most popular girls like it was in the 80s. It varies by school. At my kids' school they were more the tryhard/wannabe types.

God this poster is pathetic. "tryhard/wannabe"? Really. So gross...

Agreed. Most of the posters on this thread are disgusting people. So gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheerleading is actually one of the most dangerous sports because they do a lot of stuff with no spotters, no protective gear.

And it's gotten a lot more dangerous than 20 years ago. I think it's because of all of the "cheerleading competitions" and the pressure to up the ante and do lots of flips, etc.

That said, it's hard to say no now because you already let her try out.

I'm not sure what you mean by the suburban or ghetto description. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd be more concerned about safety. Try to meet the coach.

+1!
And for all of you concerned with 'skimpy outfits' and make-up.. have you ever seen figure skating? Those girls start wearing stage make up from their first competition, at about age 7! The costumes are skimpy, some moves and spins are risqué, but no one calls figure skating 'suburban' or 'ghetto'.

Figure skating does not embrace overt sex appeal the way cheerleading does. I mean ballet outfits are even more revealing than figure skating but no one would accuse classical ballerinas of skimpy outfits to stoke desire. Context matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheerleading is actually one of the most dangerous sports because they do a lot of stuff with no spotters, no protective gear.

And it's gotten a lot more dangerous than 20 years ago. I think it's because of all of the "cheerleading competitions" and the pressure to up the ante and do lots of flips, etc.

That said, it's hard to say no now because you already let her try out.

I'm not sure what you mean by the suburban or ghetto description. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd be more concerned about safety. Try to meet the coach.

+1!
And for all of you concerned with 'skimpy outfits' and make-up.. have you ever seen figure skating? Those girls start wearing stage make up from their first competition, at about age 7! The costumes are skimpy, some moves and spins are risqué, but no one calls figure skating 'suburban' or 'ghetto'.

Figure skating does not embrace overt sex appeal the way cheerleading does. I mean ballet outfits are even more revealing than figure skating but no one would accuse classical ballerinas of skimpy outfits to stoke desire. Context matters.

It’s 2019, not 1950. You have bizarre views. Which is fine, but please realize how antiquated your thinking is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheerleading is actually one of the most dangerous sports because they do a lot of stuff with no spotters, no protective gear.

And it's gotten a lot more dangerous than 20 years ago. I think it's because of all of the "cheerleading competitions" and the pressure to up the ante and do lots of flips, etc.

That said, it's hard to say no now because you already let her try out.

I'm not sure what you mean by the suburban or ghetto description. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd be more concerned about safety. Try to meet the coach.

+1!
And for all of you concerned with 'skimpy outfits' and make-up.. have you ever seen figure skating? Those girls start wearing stage make up from their first competition, at about age 7! The costumes are skimpy, some moves and spins are risqué, but no one calls figure skating 'suburban' or 'ghetto'.

Figure skating does not embrace overt sex appeal the way cheerleading does. I mean ballet outfits are even more revealing than figure skating but no one would accuse classical ballerinas of skimpy outfits to stoke desire. Context matters.

It’s 2019, not 1950. You have bizarre views. Which is fine, but please realize how antiquated your thinking is.

I don't see posts from moms here wondering if they should let their daughters try figure skating because of skimpy clothing concerns.

[Anonymous]

Find a gym that values athleticism and teamwork instead of makeup and mid-drifts. Some actually exist. Have her take some tumbling or cheer classes first. If a gym offers to put her on team when she walks in, leave.