Cheerleading not just for girls anymore
ERIK DAVIS courtesy photo
 |
By Lexi Jones
Cabell Midland High School
Cheerleading during our parents’ and grandparents’ high school years is drastically different from that of today. Then, cheerleaders did just what their title describes - they led cheers. Today, however, cheerleading involves much more.
From massive basket tosses to overhead stunts, synchronized tumbling (sometimes seven feet off the ground!) has revolutionized cheerleading, turning it into a dynamic athletic competition. With this transformation came another change-who the players are. Today, many cheerleading squads are co-ed.
Junior Erik Davis of Cabell Midland High School has been a cheerleader for four years.
“Ronnie Patrick, a football player and River City Rebels cheerleader, asked me to join,” he said, explaining how he got started.
He has cheered with the Rebels, an all-star squad in Hurricane, since his start in the sport, and he also cheered with Cabell Midland for two years.
“All-star cheerleading is a lot more of a sport,” he said in regards to the two divisions of the sport. “You compete with teams across the world, and you are actually there at these competitions with a goal, not just for the glory of being a popular cheerleader from school. All-star cheerleaders like myself are diehard athletes that want a National and World title.
“Additionally, the level in all-star cheerleading is so much higher. For example, in high school cheerleading, the hardest gymnastics pass you can do is nothing more than a full twisting layout. But in all-star cheerleading, you have people doing standing doubles and round-off Arabian doubles. Now there is even a pro level, in which there are no rules, making this level insanely different from high school.”
Besides the higher competition and skill levels, another draw of all-star cheerleading is the competitions. During his time with the Rebels, Davis has traveled to places like Orlando, Columbus, Atlanta and Las Vegas to compete. And about those titles he mentioned? The Rebels have got them.
“We have claimed the titles ‘Number One in America’ and ‘Number Five in the World,’” said Davis proudly, noting some of the squad’s 2005 wins.
Like many sports, cheerleading exposes teens to new experiences and perspectives. “My favorite thing about cheering is meeting people from around the world and having fun with kids around here who attend other schools,” Davis said.
So how similar is the real world of cheerleading to Hollywood’s version of it, depicted in movies like 2000’s “Bring It On”?
“[“Bring It On”] gave its audience a satisfactory view of cheerleading but only of high school cheerleading — not all-stars,” he said.
“High school cheerleading isn’t taken seriously,” he continued. “You have side lines and games and you actually cheer out loud. In all-star cheerleading, you have a music mix with sound effects that go with every move or motion you make. Also, you have 35 people on a team with up to 12 stunt groups if capable. In high school, you might have a routine to music but you only have three stunt groups and a cheer. High school cheerleading is almost a joke. At competitions, the judging is rigged and the people who usually deserve to win don’t.”
“Bring it On” also depicts male cheerleaders as either gay or being in it to get girls, and while the former may be the most common male cheerleader stereotype, the latter may actually be closer to the truth. With cheerleading continuing to evolve, participation is no longer a threat to a guy’s masculinity but practical because of it - just because squads are co-ed, most of them are still comprised primarily of girls, making the ratio in the guys’ favor.
In summary, Davis said, “There are no negatives about being a male cheerleader. Whether you’re gay or straight, it’s all good.”
