You've officially ripped apart your closet, your roommate's, and everyone else's you know and at this point you are in despair. What are you going to put together within the next two hours for that last minute Halloween costume? Cowgirls are too basic, you were already a cat, and your two best friends already decided to be an angel and devil duo. A light bulb goes off in your head and you scramble for a miniskirt, spandex, white sneakers, and a school t-shirt. You may even text one of your friends on the cheerleading team and ask them to borrow their uniform. Great idea, right?
While you feel this is a great idea, your friend (who maybe me) does not and here's why:
1. My uniform is expensive.
Cheerleading uniforms are beautiful, they are all made with precise placement of dazzling rhinestones and pops of color. Therefore, they cost upwards of $300 on average. The last thing I want is my hard-earned uniform soaked in beer and other unknown substances.
2. You are representing a brand.
Whether your friend is on an all-star or school team, the name on the uniform is the brand they represent when they wear it. When a psychotic coach comes across a fabulously drunk picture of you on social media, comes after you, and then conditions the team into the ground, your friend will hate you. We wear the name on our chests with pride, as should you...and I don't mean drunken pride.
3. You are further justifying why cheer isn't considered a sport.
As cute as you may look in the uniform, I worked far too hard for you to live out the old school stereotype of "rah rah" cheerleaders. I get it, Bring It On is a cherished part of the pop culture we grew up in, but please don't do cheerleaders the dishonor of saying it is easy.
4. I just got out of practice.
While you got to get ready for hours with your roommates and really soak in the experience of getting ready for Halloween, I am running out of a three hour practice. As if I didn't already miss out enough, we got out fifteen minutes late tonight too. The last thing I want to see when I finally meet up with my friends is to see one of them mimicking those "cheer moves" I do.
5. Most people won't dress up as a soccer player.
You want to know why most people won't dress up as a soccer player? The honest truth is that it doesn't carry a sexy connotation with it. By no means am I saying cheerleaders are sexy and soccer players are not, but the long lived stereotype depicts cheerleaders as dumb sexual objects. I resemble a homeless person who hasn't come in contact with a brush in weeks at practice, there isn't much that is sexy about that.
At the end of the day, I am flattered you want to dress up as a cheerleader for Halloween. It is my livelihood and passion, being able to share that is something special. So all that I ask of you is that before you decide to text your friend to borrow their uniform, respect and recognize how far cheerleading has come.
