Cheer Leading Stereotypes

Cheer leaders often get a bad reputation around school and in the public. They are often portrayed in a negative light  and seen to be something they most likely are not. A stereotypical cheer leader usually seen as mean, cliquey, provocative and not smart. These stereotypes are not true of cheer leaders, but where do people come up with these? Movies are the main source of where these stereotypes are generated from.

Movies such as "Bring it On" and "Fired Up" make people think that cheer leading is something it isn't. These movies are where the public get these negative stereotypes about cheer leaders. In both of these movies most of the things shown do not actually happen. For example, there are no dance battles between cheer teams. The cheer team does not do provocative dance moves during their routines, nor do they wear provocative clothing. There is no sacred spirit stick that if you lose it bad things will happen to your team. Movies place a negative images on cheer leaders making the public think down on cheer.

Lots of sports teams are seen as cliquey and cheer leading is among those teams.

In movies the cheer team only talks to other cheer leaders and our very unapproachable but this isn't true. Actually most cheer leaders do not hang out outside of cheer they would rather be apart. Although you do have some very close friends on cheer that you always hang out with there are others you only see at practice and games. They do not travel in a pack around school and town everyone goes their separate ways after practice. Cheer leaders are not like the mean girls in movies walking around the hallways in packs making people move out of their way or fighting other cheer leaders.

The stereotype that cheer leaders are provocative is beyond false but since the movies show it that is what people believe. Cheer leaders wear very covered uniforms unlike in the movies where they have on very tiny uniforms. Cheer leaders practices in shorts and t shirts not barely anything. They also do not go around hooking up with all the boys on sports teams. In "Bring it On" and "Fired Up" the cheer leaders are shown shaking their butts and stretching for the boys, this doesn't happen.

As seen in movies all cheer leaders are shown as the dumb girls and it isn't true. Anyone is capable of being smart whether they are involved in cheer or not. There are some girls who are not the smartest but that is not due to being apart of cheer. Cheer leaders are not going around school paying the smart kids to do their homework, they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves. In fact I graduated with multiple cheer leaders that were valedictorians.

Cheer leaders are far from what is shown in the movies but people continue to think of them so negatively. Movies portray them so negatively that the public thinks this is what goes on. Hopefully a movies comes out one day showing the world how different cheer leading really is.

How to do a Back handspring

How To Do A Back Handspring

There are many types of tumbling passes that a person can learn but a back handspring is the main building block. For example if you have a back handspring you can  do a round off back handspring back tuck but if you do not you won't be able to do it. Once you have this skill it is hard to lose because you are always using it. Activities that use a back handspring include cheer leading, gymnastics and dance.

 Here are the steps to prepare to do a back handspring:
1. Stretch: You should always stretch before any activity as it is important so that you do not pull and muscles. Here are some stretches that you can try:
             a. Do a back bend
             b. Roll your wrists around clockwise and counter clock wise.
             c. Place left arm across your body at chest level and hold it there with you right arm. Do the same                     with your right arm.
                                               

2. Find a spotter: A spotter can be a coach or a team mate. You want them to be trained because they will be catching you and helping you learn the back handspring.

3. Be confident: If you are not confident you could get hurt. You must be fully confident and give it 100% every time you are doing a back handspring to prevent injury.
4. You should always try to do a back bend and handstand before attempting a back handspring.

Tip: If you are not confident to do a back handspring on the hard ground just yet you can try it on a trampoline or cheese mat until you gain confidence.
          *A cheese mat is an inclined mat intended to make you travel back and downwards. It is perfect for               learning a back handspring.

Here are the steps to the actual back handspring:
1. Stand straight up with your feet facing forward and sit back like you would in a chair. Put your arms back and as you are sitting back into "the chair" swing your arms up to the ceiling. Start letting yourself fall back.

2. As you are sitting and swinging your arms push through your toes .This swinging in your arms and pushing through your toes will give to momentum during the back handspring.

3. Continue to fall back keeping your arms next to your head and pushing through your ankles and toes. Start to look for your landing spot.

4.As your arms begin to hit the floor keep your arms straight so you do not fall or hit your head.

5. Continue to let your legs come over. Once you hit the hand stand position try to snap your legs over to the ground.

6. Once your feet are on the floor keep your upper body straight. Try to stand up as straight and as quick and possible.

Tip: Always point your toes!

Although these steps seem like a long process a back handspring is actually very fast. You just need to try and keep all of these steps in mind in order to have a successful back handspring.

Is cheerleading a sport? 

A very controversial topic in the cheer leading world is whether it is considered a sport or not? What do you consider it? Most people do not know everything that goes into cheer and think it is just something easy and fun. Fans see cheerleaders standing on the sideline supporting the sports team but it is so much more. 

Cheer leading is actually just the opposite of easy, it is extremely challenging. You have to have strength, flexibility, endurance and much more in order to be successful. According to dictionary.com a sport is "an athletic activity that requires physical prowess and often a competitive nature"Just like any other sports team cheerleaders train for months on end, it basically is an all year round sport. As cheerleaders we do not only cheer on the football or basketball team but we also compete. Football season is seen as more of a preseason to competitive season. Through the winter months it is competition season in the cheer world. They are scored based on a routine, which all must be perfect to win. Just like any other sport the team with the highest score wins. Cheer leading also is a physically demanding job you do not only do flips but also hold someone above your head. Cheerleaders are often asked do you even lift? Yes they do, they lift people, throw them in the air and catch them safely. Cheer is also a very dangerous activity, although they make it look easy,they are faced with a chance of injury everyday. Most practices someone in bound to get hurt whether it be something minor like an elbow to the face or something major such as a broken leg from trying a new tumbling pass. Cheer is actually considered one of the most dangerous activities to be involved in.

Although cheer leading is not considered a sport according to NCAA I believe it suits the definition of a sport according to dictionary.com. Cheer is an athletic activity, requires physical skill and is very competitive.

Here is a video to show just how hard challenging cheer leading can be. Does this change your perception of cheer?