Cheerleaders Are Not What People Assume Stereotypes are like lice, once a person has them it is hard to get out of one’s head. Every group of people come along with specific stereotypes, a widely believed mental picture of the group. Stereotypes are based on truth but usually tend to be exaggerated, unlike stereotypes, there are misconceptions. Misconceptions, a view that is incorrect and based on untruths, are formed from having stereotypes. Stereotypes are usually formed when one person in a particular group acts or does something causing people to think just because one person in that group is like that, the whole group is. The older generation passes down stereotypes to the younger generations and instead of getting to know the group, …show more content…
Misconceptions are a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding. Stereotypes are often passed down from parents, peers and the media, which is why all the stereotypes still exist and only continue to get worse over time. Stereotypes can also be based on how a particular group has acted in the past causing people to believe that group is still the same now. In the online article, Stereotypes, Saul McLeod explains why we have stereotypes when he states, “The use of stereotypes is a major way in which we simplify our social world; since they reduce the amount of processing (i.e. thinking) we have to do when we meet a new person...by stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have.” There are both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to stereotypes. One advantage would be the fact that stereotypes allow us to respond faster because of similar experiences, while one disadvantage would be that we make generalizations instead of seeing the differences among individuals. Although stereotypes are mostly negative, there are some that may convey something …show more content…
Although it is true that cheerleading does not fall under the category of a “sport” by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the NCCA, this does not mean cheerleaders are not athletes. An athlete is a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina. Cheerleaders definitely fall under the category of an athlete because cheerleading is not just smiling and shouting cheers as most people assume. Cheerleaders are trained in some of the most difficult skills such as tumbling and stunting. Cheerleading has become one of the most dangerous school activities making doctors push schools and organizations to treat cheerleaders as athletes and that cheer is in fact a sport. Nelson feels very strongly about this topic and stresses that, “ It is disappointing how underestimated we are as cheerleaders because as a competitive cheerleader, we practice hard at least three hours a day, not only mastering the skills, but looking good work completing them…we work just as hard as any other sport but we did not get the appropriate
Class Stereotypes Stereotypes are seen as overgeneralized ideas, images, or beliefs of a person based on a group of people. Stereotypes can either be taken or said in a negative or positive way but mostly seen in a negative way. Stereotypes are formed on a life experience, idea or a belief a person may have towards one person based on the person’s gender, race, religion or social class. The most common stereotypes are of the social classes which are the: upper, middle and lower class.
Cheerleading isn’t a real sport When people think of sports they think of homeruns being hit, touchdowns being thrown, goals being kicked, hockey players beating each other up, and hearing the swish of the net. Not a bunch of girls running back and forth doing flips and tricks. I believe cheerleading is not a sport for one of many reasons. First of all when a sport is being played whether it’s Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, or Basketball there’s always periods, halves, quarters and the game usually takes about 3 hours. With cheerleading, they perform for about 3 minutes to a song in front of a couple judges.
What do you think of when someone asks you, what is a cheerleader? The way many people across the globe view cheerleading is merely a stereotype. This stereotype consists of the idea that all cheerleaders are pretty, overly enthusiastic girls that lack intelligence and athletic abilities. Many people have decided on these grounds that cheerleading cannot be considered a sport, but what exactly constitutes a sport? Generally, any activity that requires physical demand, risk, skill, and commitment to succeed is a sport.
When it comes to competitive cheer, there is a lot more than yelling chants. Cheerleading requires sharp/quick motions, strength, along with perfect timing. Cheerleaders have to have the ability to throw 100+ pound girls in the air and be able to catch them. In conclusion, cheerleading is dangerous, competitive, and takes time and dedication. These are all the components of what society considers a “true sport.”
As the season goes on the stakes get higher and each team hopes to receive a bid for the most prestigious competitions, Worlds and the Summit. The World Championships are held at the end of March; competing in this competition is the equivalent of a baseball player playing in the MLB’s World Series. The Summit is a worldwide competition for younger teams that do not qualify for Worlds based on their difficulty level. In addition to regional and national competitions, there are hundreds of other smaller competitions and showcases that allow teams to get used to competing without as much pressure. So cheerleaders compete but does that really make it a
Cheerleaders have competitions which they physically work together to perform and compete to win awards. “The word sport is defined as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Tori Jackson). Also cheerleaders don 't get points by scoring a touchdown or making a basket, but they get points by performing a perfect routine, like other sports. “They also note that competitive cheer squads are judged on their skill--just as in figure skating, gymnastics, diving, and other sports” (pom pom shake up). Lastly cheerleaders have rules to follow just like football does, like no going off the mat just like football players can 't go off the field.
As a cheerleader, we represent the High School and our positive and spirited attitude is important because it is seen as a reflection of the school and the cheer team. Little boys and girls, parents and peers, look to us to make a positive difference at school events and in the community. As cheerleaders, it 's our job to be positive role models. From the school hallways to the community, from the sidelines to the classrooms, our dedication, commitment, and a positive
What is Cheerleading? Many may think it’s a sport that you dress up, apply makeup, slick your hair with a bow, and simply put on a smile, and yell as loud as you can to keep the crowd pumped. Cheerleading includes all those easy and pretty factors, but it is also a sport that you stunt, tumble, and jump. Jumps and tumbling may seem really easy to many people, but there’s more work done than most might think is possible. Stunting is also a major element in cheer, and that’s what really pleases the crowd, but stunting takes tons of work.
A stereotype is a fixed set of beliefs upon of a certain group of individuals who share common traits. Stereotypes can be classified into a wide range of categories such as: race, culture, ethnicity, gender, social or economic status, and religion. A stereotype has to do with a group of people rather than an individual. Most stereotypes are biased and untrue. Stereotypes often lead to prejudice, meaning that one acts a certain way due to the fixed beliefs they have toward a certain group of individuals.
On top of being a school cheer team and showing up at all required practices and games, a competitive team that is affiliated with a school puts in the extra practice and effort to make it to the top. While the normal school cheerleader slides by without having a certain skill, the competitive cheerleader is required to reach a skill level and continue to better themselves. If a skill needs extra work, time is expected to be found to work through it, tackling whatever obstacles that may come in the way of it. Many competitive cheerleaders are held to certain workouts and diets, just as many sports are, to maintain their strength, stamina, and balance. Many nights of hard work and tears go into perfecting the routine.
All Asians are good at math, all blondes are dumb, all Muslims are terrorists - these are all common stereotypes. Without even realizing it, stereotypes have undeniably played an enormous role in individual lives. Minds seem to already set a certain image in them based on the people they encounter. People judge others by their skin tone, ethnicity, and physical appearance unconsciously, and this have been proven by many social experiments. Of course, though these stereotypes might be accurate at times, there are situations where they are completely defied.
There is no halftime for competitive cheerleaders. Although, many Americans do not believe that cheerleading should be considered a sport, AMA members states that “cheerleading is as rigorous as many other activities that high schools and the NCAA consider sports. Adding it to the list would mean more safety measures for cheerleaders and proper training for their coaches.” Many people fail to distinguish the difference between school and competitive cheerleading. School cheerleaders are mainly targeted for getting the crowd involved with team cheers, and most importantly, pushing the sport they are cheering for, to a victory, which would not be considered as a sport.
Did you know that There are nearly 4 million cheerleaders in the U.S, but only 400,000 of those 4 million are high school cheerleaders? Cheerleading plays an important role in lots of girls lives. Cheerleading is a sport that has two different definitions. Cheerleading is considered to be a sport where it incorporates gymnastics and dance moves into a performance. The other type of cheerleading incorporates cheers and loud voices to encourage sports teams as they perform.
Competition cheer works on two minute routines for hours at practices for weeks before there competition. They make their routines so perfect that I'm sure every cheerleader could do it in their sleep. They also do jump sequences, which is about four jumps in a row and they do them over and over again until everyone is doing them at the same time. Their jumps are also hyper extended. This means that their legs can go above your hips.
This is more towards NFL cheerleaders but it also affects high school and college cheerleaders. “As George Kurman claims, the cheerleader incarnates in a word, a basic male-voyeuristic fantasy.” Cheerleaders are the ultimately a male fantasy and as the authors described it, both virgins and vamps. A virgin being product of the early year cheerleaders and a vamp representing the one that all men want. In the 1940s and 1950s cheerleaders were seen as wholesome, good girls.