Don't let the pretty bow fool you, I'm a beast.
Cheerleaders have always been labeled as skinny blonde bimbos that shake their poms as they make a sad attempt to watch the football game from the sideline.
Society claims that cheerleading isn't a sport even though we practice our asses off every week for hours. But when did it become okay to stereotype girls based on the sport they chose?
When I became a cheerleader this year I knew that everyone would be surprised.
I'm not the stereotypical cheerleader. I'm 4'11", chubby and brunette. Most of my team is brunette, not blonde. We are not all super skinny. My team is not a stereotypical cheer team but my team is an NAIA national contender. My team is fearless on the mat, throwing stunts they've practiced for months, jumps and tumbling they've perfected over time. They put in the work, the blood, sweat and tears of athletes.
Students at the university I attend don't stereotype cheerleaders like high school students do. In college, they respect your chosen sport and support you. When I meet people, they think I play volleyball because my calves are toned, but they are wrong. I cheer, and my legs have to be toned to get my flyer in the air. I may look small, but I do not fly. I base, putting a girl taller than me in the air with the help of two others.
Cheerleading is dangerous.
As a base, if you move your hand wrong your flyer can be on the ground in two seconds. She is trusting her bases and backspot to keep her in the air. When you do pyramids, if a girl comes down, you better be ready to catch her. Not catching your flyer can cause her to be injured. If she comes down on your head, you will end up with a concussion, and she will be safe. Protecting your flyer is more important than protecting yourself. Her safety is more important than your own.
Cheerleaders get a lot of crap about what they do based off of age-old stereotypes.
We are more than the stereotypes we are labeled as. We are athletes, we are more than blonde bimbos on the sideline. We are strong, we are smart and we put in work. Before you stereotype a cheerleader, talk to her and figure out if she is what she is stereotyped to be. Stereotypes do not define someone, they refine them and make them stronger.
My bow is my crown, my glitter is my magic, my uniform is my dress, my gym is my castle, my cheer shoes are my glass slippers, my team is my family; I am a cheer princess.
