- May 28, 2012
- 21
- 11
Ok, since this is the college cheerleading forum, I take it as though many of you are familiar with or participated in college cheerleading. From the title, i've placed the topic specifically on male college cheerleaders. I myself, am a freshmen in college, and i also cheer. Ive done competitive, high school, and now college, and I just don't feel like college cheerleading is fun....for guys at least. I've noticed that guys are only wanted on a college team for one reason, and that reason is stunting. Why? I thought cheerleading was more than stunting. The point i'm trying to bring to everyone's attention is the issue that is shoved in the dark with no light, and it's the fact that male college cheerleaders, or most, don't dance, jump, or really take part in a cheer. I am passionate about cheerleading I don't think it is right or fair. And most male college cheerleaders come from competitive cheerleading, so what about the guys who have grown up performing every dance, motion, and jump along with the girls, to standing in the back clapping, waiting to toss the cheerleaders in a stunt or basket. Whenever a co-ed team goes to camp, they're separated, "guys to the back, girls to the front!" It's like there is no longer a team of guys and girls anymore. For me, it's the worst feeling ever because for 1) I don't feel like part of a team. 2) The material guys do in college cheer is watered down. And 3) I WANT to DANCE and actually CHEER. Guys are honestly an outcast in college cheer. They stand in the back while the girls actually cheer. For over 120 years, cheerleading has been a sport comprised of DANCE, STUNTS, JUMPS, TUMBLING, and MOTIONS. Yesterday, I told my coach I wanted to dance and she told me, "I don't let my guys dance because the dances are too feminine for them." Who is she to judge if something is not comfortable for me? As a coach, she should push for me to perform every aspect I am good at and get better at ones I am not in my opinion. And also, when has cheerleading not been feminine? Dancing is something that I love to do and having been a competitive cheerleader, that made me angry because in all-star cheer, everyone is equal, there is no such thing as "too feminine." It honestly makes me jealous to see the girls learning the dances, and having to sit it in the back knowing I can do the same dance just as good, if not, better. At cheer clinics, random guys who have never cheered were brought in and taught the basic motions, and spent the majority of time, stunting. Now any normal person would think, to make a college cheer team you'd have to been a part of it before and be very skilled at it. College cheer coaches don't allow males to dance solely on the fact that if they water the guys' role in cheer and make it appear more masculine, they can get all the football team rejects and normal athletic looking guys to come out for the team. Being the mature person I am, I understand why you would do this, but what about the guys who actually enjoy dancing and take cheerleading seriously? I personally don't care if a guy doesn't want to tryout for cheerleading because it is too "feminine" or "girly." Guys have football, basketball, and etc., and for a guy like me, cheerleading is an escape from the typical sports guys play. It's the place I can fully show how creative and talented I am because it welcomes guys who want to perform with open arms. It is also where I feel most comfortable because I prefer to work with girls than guys. And now its being rendered because straight guys don't want to appear gay and coaches want more strength and male athletes. When a girl tries out for football, the coaches don't change the rules for her or attempt to make her involvement fit to a girls standards. She gets roughed up, practices, and treated as any other guy on the team would; It is basically forgotten and not important that she is a female because the sport itself is fit for a males standards. So why is cheerleading so unimportant that it can be rendered for masculine standards? No one seems to care how the athletes feel about this. Its selfish on a coaches behalf to deem a dance for a male cheerleader too feminine from their own opinion. The only person that can say something is uncomfortable is the person doing it. The problem underneath this issue is the insecurity of males and the coaches, which comes from the biggest stereotype of cheer, that all of its male athletes are gay. In result, they are trying to break away from it by breaking down what guys do. And that's just taking away the true aspects of cheerleading. We aren't overcoming any stereotypes by making the males participation more masculine. In actuality, it's submitting to it. Cheerleading is fighting so hard to be considered as and equal among other sports, but cheerleading itself isn't equal when it comes to the male and female athletes that take part in it. Guys should be expected to dance, tumble, jump, and cheer because it is what make up cheerleading. Cheerleading is supposed to be fun, and for guys who come from all-star, standing in the back, clapping, waiting to perform a stunt, rather than fully performing and pulling in the crowd is not. In all-star, we are taught to fight the bullying, stereotypes, and standards of what is masculine. This is an issue that should be brought to many coaches, parents, athletes, and industry representatives' attention. Not all guy cheerleaders want to only stunt and project their voice with the simple, basic motions. I feel that we shouldn't be forced into that stigma that male college cheerleaders are forced to hold in this day. We should have a choice, and that choice starts at walking into those clinics. Guys should know what they are signing up for.