Cheer does not get the respect it deserves. Especially from the Artistic gymnastics community.
Have you seen Cheer teams lately?
They are getting good. Technique is improving. Fitness way up.
A series of articles featuring the West Side Starz from Pennsylvania was published by reporter / Mom Terrie Morgan-Besecker in the Times Leader.
Is Cheerleading Now a Sport? Hard physical stunts and competitions make some say it merits that status.
LARKSVILLE – For decades cheerleaders were viewed as pompom-waving cuties whose job was to strut along the sidelines, rousing up fan support for sports teams.
The squads, which were almost always all-female, might throw in some dance moves and maybe lift a teammate into the air. But for the most part, the routines didn’t require a lot of skill.
That was then.
Today many high school, junior high and even mini-football cheer teams have ventured into competitive cheerleading with routines that include high-level acrobatics. Tired of being the Rodney Dangerfields of the sports world who “don’t get no respect,†some cheerleaders and coaches have been clamoring to get the activity recognized as a school sport.
“They’re not just pretty girls in skirts on the sidelines anymore,†said Amy Fry, one of the head coaches of the West Side Starz, an all-star cheerleading team based in Larksville. “If they’re doing the physical end – tossing girls, lifting girls and taking the bumps and bruises – it should be considered a sport.â€
Times Leader | 12/19/2006 | Is cheerleading now a sport?
In the end, the only opinion that matters is that of the athletes. Hear the girls speak for themselves: Meet the West Side Starz (audio)
More articles:
Gymnastics Coaching.com 