Have you been a cheerleader ?

I’ve never been a cheerleader and I’ve never really wanted to. I played sports like volleyball and basketball instead.
But I know that cheerleaders can and do benefit greatly from the experience.

First off, I don’t think it’s so much about parents wanting their daughters to be cheerleaders, more than their daughters wanting to be cheerleaders and as a parent supporting this want of the child.

Cheerleading is not all about flaunting around in skimpy clothing.
Cheerleading, like any other sport, is great exercise and builds up stamina, coordination and strength.
It teaches people how to work together as a team and build and maintain leadership skills.
Interacting with the crowd develops interpersonal skills.
It instills confidence and self-discipline.
It teaches one to follow directions and take constructive criticism.
It can help someone overcome stage freight due to performing in front of large crowds.
Since you have to maintain an enthusiastic and positive attitude, it can help with remaining optimistic throughout one’s lifetime. That in itself contributes majorly to one’s quality of life.

Of course, none of this can be achieved if it is not enforced by the captain(s) or coach, but it basically is what can and often is achieved by a cheerleader who wants to fulfill these goals and really get something positive out of the experience.

No I couldn’t be that peppy all the time, and there is too much drama

I was a cheerleader in Junior High. (7th and 8th grade) and that was enough for me. I ‘thought’ I wanted to be one, but the cattiness and the drama and competition was horrible. Our school was very clique’ -y and I got on the squad as the outsider, beating out one of their friends. They made my life hell.

My sophomore year the cheerleading coach asked me to be ‘the mascot’... (dress up in a fuzzy blue bulldog suit and do the cheers.) She was desperate. The last mascot was a nearly 6 foot tall boy. I told her I’d fill in until they found someone more suitable. Turned out, being the mascot was MUCH more fun and people treated me better and I didn’t have to try to fit in with the squad so much, PLUS, I got to cheer with the varsity girls who weren’t as nasty as the girls in my own class. She (the coach) had done a lot of work with the girls and their style had changed and the cheers were all new and it was much less ‘cutsiness’. THEN, we went to the State Championships that year with our football team and I was the warmest cheerleader (and the youngest) on the field. Oh.. AND we won!

@Vunessuh Gooooooooo V! XD

I was a cheerleader for a football league when I was 13. I wanted to do it, my mom was indifferent. She supported my desire to do it. It had its moments and I’m glad I did it. That was the only year I participated in it though because of the drama.

There are some times when parents seem to want to live vicariously through their children. I always feel bad for those kids.

I was a cheerleader from the time I was 4 (team mascot) until I was 12. The main reason I was a cheerleader is my brothers played midget league football and it gave me something to do while my brothers were playing and we would all be at the same place at the same time. This was way back when people had only one car and couldn’t/didn’t drive all over town taking their kids everywhere.

I was all through high school and like @Vunessuh said it’s not always the stereotypical thought of what a cheerleader is. We made it to the New England Championships my senior year and I can honestly say I’ve never been in better shape. It is a very intense sport and requires a lot of teamwork. Of there definitely were those catty, skimpy clothes wearing girls on our team I separated myself from them and found other girls that were like me.

I am a cheerleader and I’m a boy. @Vunessuh is really right about this. Cheerleading isn’t just about wearing skimpy clothing and prancing around, it takes a lot of work and exercise. For me, it was the gymnastics and dancing that drew me into it. It’s a lot of fun to perform and be active like that. Most of the girls on the team I know are there because they started in gymnastics and dancing and chose to be on the team, not because their parents made them.

I wanted to be a cheerleader when my brother played football. I was like…6? I was so cute. Only did it one year though, because I’m not a girlie girl.

Cheerleaders aren’t all that peppy. Im really not girlie at all but I cheer. And opposite for me I have wanted to do cheerleading for awhile but my mom HATES it. She says cheerleaders are dumb but you have to have a 3.0 to keep on the squad. Cheerleading is good exercise and a good way to meet people and I don’t regret taking it up. I am going to a public high school with a ton of kids next year coming from my middle school of 40 people per grade, so you could say I’m not quite ready but this way I get to meet new people through cheerleading before I even start school. From all my cheer girls we don’t get in ‘cat fights’ or whatever because my cheer friends are typically my nicer more generous friends. They are not skanky or anything they aren’t really even the “popular” kids in school. Don’t knock it before you try it.