For My Audience

For this blog post I will be talking about what message I wanted my readers to receive after following my blog. I wanted to make them a supporter of cheerleading, and if not a supporter just yet, I would I have a made them more open minded. We re growing as a world, and many aspects with in it have grown over the decades as well, cheerleading is one of these aspects. Cheerleaders deserve the same recognition as other athletes.Why can't cheerleaders also be rewarded for their hard work? How as we as a community can help spread the growth and popularity of cheerleading. It is an exciting source of entertainment, but they have just been over looked. Don't let stereotypers define who cheerleaders really are. What if cheerleading was one of your passions? How would you feel if you had a large portion of the population pulling against you?
I wanted to share some of my opinions of my audience members. I was hoping to do this by providing further inside and outside knowledge of cheerleading. Those who are uninformed have a chance to learn about cheerleading and realize information that they have never noticed before. By changing the opinion of one, many other opinions can be changed. Say that my blog changes the opinion of one person, then they get into a conversation that happens to be on the subject of cheerleading one day. During this discussion then begin to hear negative comments being said about cheerleading, and stating sometimes incorrect information. Then my audience member would be apply to relay the information they acquired from reading my blog and possibly change the opinions of other people in the discussion. It is a domino effect that needs a little push, and cheerleaders need all the help they can get.
I hope that I was able to efficiently fulfill my goals. I thought by adding in my personal experiences and opinions I would be able to give them an inside look. I included pictures of my own cheerleading team and videos of my personal performances. Being able to show them that my experiences that I talk about is first hand information. I have been on the other side of the wall, I was a cheerleader for most my life. I have heard the comments, I have gotten into arguments, I have worked through the practices, dealt with the injuries, and still continued to be a cheerleader. That is because I am proud to be a cheerleader, just like every other cheerleader out there. We are ten times more supportive of ourselves and each other because we lack the support of others. This sometimes portrays the wrong message,  but it is not because of any stereotypical reason, it is because we love what we do. Cheerleaders are hidden in the corner of the athletic world, but one day the light will shine on them, and then everyone will see how strong cheerleaders have become. They will soon realized the progress we have made, and call cheerleaders athletes as well. Being different shouldn't be a bad thing. Therefore cheerleaders should be looked at any less because they are different, because essentially that is all they are. I think we have won the opinions of some and are beginning to change the opinions of many. Many people out there I hope can admit that there are athletic portions within cheerleading. Just because we decide to make a combination of entertainment and incorporate athletics shouldn't rule cheerleading not a sport. I hope I was able to help the cheerleading community by broadening their fan base throughout this blog.

The Importance of A Coach

I believe that one of the most influential people in a persons' life can be a sports coach. Sports is a place where many athletes get away from all the stress in their life. It's a place where athletes can get it all out, and a coach is a person who helps athletes get through the tough stuff. In order to have a successful team you need both dedicated team members, and also a dedicated coach. A coach who wants to see their team win, and strive to be the best they can be. A coach also needs to be their for each member of their team, to be an extra support system for each of them. This I believe is a ginormous responsibility. They take responsibility for the safety for each and every teammate. Coaches also subconsciously become a motivator, supporter, and an inspiration for each team member. If the coach is committed the athletes also want to be committed, it's what sports are all about. You should have a coach that pushes you to your limits, and wants you to give 100% the whole time. I had a coach like this my senior year of high school, not that my previous coaches weren't good as well, but when they are as committed it shows. I had a strong connection with my senior year coach, she was truly and inspiration for me and pushed me harder then I was ever pushed by anyone other than myself. It actually felt fantastic, even when she got on my nerves, I knew she had good intentions. She wanted her cheerleaders to do the best, to look the best, to act the best that we can be. I can honestly say that our entire team under estimated her, and we were intimidated. In my opinion, this is how student athletes should view their coach.
A coach should be a person to looks up to and learns from. Coaches add this responsibility onto their already existing ones. There is more to being a coach then just supervising a practice. They need to be involved, they need to dedicate their time, they need to attend meetings, and learn rule and regulations for the program. People sometimes do not know major time commitment that comes with being a coach; did you know that coaches are also required to attend their own cheerleading camps during summer? The coaches are there because they want to be, so if you are members of a team it is important that you make the time to commit just as much. If the athletes know the coach wants to be there, then they are more inclined to also enjoy being a part of a team. Being on a a sports team should be a privilege. The coaches also learn a series of different suggestions offered to the coaches to help better their routines. Above all, I believe that coaches deserve respect from their participants. They are there to help them better themselves as both an athlete and as a person.

My Personal Experiences With Cheerleading

For me, Cheerleading has been one of the most important parts of my life. There were both ups and downs in my cheerleading career, but I would not have traded them for anything. The experiences I have gone through have taught me many lessons both inside and outside of the cheerleading world. I've contributed many long hours into cheerleading, each and every minute was worth it. Though at times I thought I was at my limit I somehow pushed through, with the help of my coaches and teammates.
Cheerleading was a major time consumer throughout my entire high school career. Between having practice every day for 2-3, games at night, private tumbling sessions, and competitions on weekends, I barely found the time or energy to do anything else. I still had to maintain my grades in order to stay on the cheerleading team, and I knew if I lost cheerleading it would be the biggest mistake I would have made. During both of my seasons exhaustion became a very familiar trait of mine. Yet, I still found myself looking forward to every practice, looking forward to a day of new challenges to get past. Being a part of a team holds an essence I hope that everyone is able to enjoy one day. Yes, there were days where I struggled, but the achievement that comes after the struggle gives you a feeling of accomplishment unlike any other. I wanted to be the best cheerleader I could be, so when I got lazy and wanted to relax, I thought of all the benefits I could be gaining for myself. Cheerleading was my one and only vice for a big part of my life. When I was angry I cheered, when I was sad I cheered, when I was happy I cheered, and when I needed time to focus and clear my mind, I cheered. It is the one thing in my life that I felt I had control over, and it was a value in my life that I was proud of. One of my proudest accomplishments would have to be during my freshman year when I was asked to join the varsity cheerleading team from the junior varsity team. In my school, freshman were not allowed to try out for varsity level sports. The decision of a freshman joining a varsity team was up to the coach and the athletic director. After accepting the invitation to join the Varsity team I felt as if my hard work had paid off and that someone had noticed. Hands down, that day was one of the happiest days of my life.
During my cheerleading career I attended numerous competitions, including the national cheerleading competition held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida annually. That trip to nationals is a memory I will never forget, being the first ever cheer team from my school to receive a bid to nationals, we felt as if we were the dream team. Though compared to all of the amazing high school teams in this nation we were not in the elite, we had accomplished our own personal goal, and we got there. This  occurred during my Freshman year of high school. Then during my sophomore year it was back to normal cheerleading, and regional competitions, but I didn't mind at all. As long as I was participating in the sport I would be happy.  Then during my junior year in high school I faced my biggest hurdle yet. Half way through competition season I was participating in a private tumbling class, to better my tumbling skills, and then things took a turn for the worst. I had torn all my crucial ligaments in my left ankle performing a standing back handspring, back tuck. While completing my back tuck I came down on my ankle wrong and my body weight collapsed on my ankle. The most excruciating pain shot up my leg and throughout my entire foot. For once I was hoping that I was being over dramatic, and the pain wasn't as horrible as it really was. Immediately after the fall, I was unable to put any wight on my ankle.  Next thing I knew when I looked at my ankle and foot it was triple the size and extremely bruised. At first I thought that I had broken it, and the road to recovery would be a long one. Instead I only torn crucial ligaments within my ankle and foot, and they eventually would heal. I was put on crutches for nearly a month, and my ankle was placed in an air cast. The pain stuck around for a while, and just when I thought my ankle was restoring it's strength I would test it out. By placing weight on my foot little by little I slowly started using my left ankle more and more. Along with many doctor appointments  I was finally able to walk limply without crutches, and then walk normally again. I was walking way before I had tried to cheer again, and when I had to go back to cheerleading I was a little scared. Would it hurt? Did I lose all of my skills? Would I ever make it back to how I used to be? Those questions were all frequently on my mind. Getting back into the swing of things was difficult, I remember the first  tumbling skill that I completed hurt pretty bad. I automatically thought it would never be the same, and unfortunately I was partially right. After my injury I never fully reacquired all my my tumbling skills, I did regain many, but I was no longer as good of a tumbler as I used to be. All my other skills had been restored to the full extent, if not further improved. At this point I still had my entire senior year ahead of me, probably the most important season. I proudly continued to cheerlead and be as good of a cheerleader as I could be. I didn't let my injury bring me down, or the fact that I had to wear a brace whenever I cheered now. The reason why I didn't give up is because I loved the sport of cheerleading. If I was apart of my cheerleading team, but was not as good as I used to be, it was still better then not being on the team at all. My personal experiences through cheerleading taught me many life lessons involving perseverance, discipline, and hard work.

Stereotypes Behind Cheerleading

To my readers who are a complete third party regarding this issue, you may not know what the concepts of cheerleading are. People only know certain things from the horrible stereotypes which in movies such as “Bring it On” give to this truly astonishing sport. All cheerleaders are not the popular, perfect, and mean girls in school. Cheerleading is not all about the things that the media portrays.  From personally being involved with cheerleading I will provide a little background on what I have experienced and gone through. I have been a cheerleader since the age of 6, even as a little mascot for the older cheerleading teams, I’ve loved being involved. It has always been a time consuming and competitive sport in my life. There was always constant traveling through the months of August from when our season began all the way through to March when the season ends. Just comparing this information so far with other sports the season is about two seasons consecutive to each other.  Ever since I was a little girl my winter months have been the most hectic, taking my family and I to many different cities and states nearly every weekend. This usually occurred from January to March during competition season. During my freshman year my varsity team had made it to Nationals in Orlando Florida. That is when we finally had received appreciation from our school on how all of us had to earn our place, and deserved to finally be considered members of a sports team. What people do not see is how big of a time commitment this sport is. They only see what the public sees, which are cheerleaders cheering at other sport events. All through out my cheerleading career the practices have been long and rough, everyday for the minimum of three hours. Which at least at my high school was more than the football, basketball, and lacrosse teams practiced. At my school in our trophy cases cheerleading has their own separate case because of all the awards, acknowledgements, and plaques we have received. Clearly for cheerleaders to receive all these awards they have to had attended many events, which each of them cost money to attend. This shows that cheerleading is gaining spectators, and support. When these ladies and gentlemen work as hard as they do, and provide this much success, how is it that we are still not considered a sport? Is it because we wear skirts? We jump around and actually look like we are enjoying what we do? Or is it because half the people who insist that cheerleading isn’t a sport could never attempt to do things we do? I believe it is a combination of all of these factors, but it is mostly because people are misinformed. 

Also, another horrible stereotype that is directed to male cheerleaders is that if men cheerlead, they are homosexual. Just because a man can be flexible and has decided they like to cheer, does not provide any reason for him to be gay. It honestly hurts me when I hear this stereotype being directed to male cheerleaders. I have had two different males on my cheerleading teams and I have seen them being made fun. Both of them had strong enough personalities to avoid the pointless comments made towards them. In college, many of the male cheerleaders are also involved in other sports such as football in basketball. This is just another reason to why cheerleaders are as strong as they are. They need to keep their heads above everybody else and succeed in what they do. Hopefully one day these horrible stereotypes will no longer exist, but until then it is up to the cheerleaders around the world to slowly change the minds of all the non believers. 

Where It All Starts

Just like any athlete, children typically begin participating in sports at a young age. This is when they are free to experiment with a whole bunch of different activities, and this is typically when they begin to develop a certain connection with some sports over others. This opportunity is available for cheerleaders too, and this is what happened to me. I began to participate in cheerleading at the youth level, and was involved in an organization called pop warner.  Pop Warner is one of the many organizations for youth cheerleaders, they typically provide football and cheerleading teams based on age, which ranges from age 6- 13. These organizations provide the starting foundation for all future cheerleaders. This is where young children learn the foundations of cheerleading and where they can figure out if this is for them or not. This is why cheerleading at a youth age is crucial. Youth cheerleaders should begin to experience being involved on a team, and a being apart of an athletic community. This time should be an experience they want to remember, and one they can enjoy. Today there are more than 180,000 members involved in the pop warner cheerleading organization.  Pop warner is a fantastic organization that is currently in 42 states and 7 countries. Also pop warner does not restrict the opportunity to any member, there are no try outs required for pop warner members which i believe would be less stressful for the youth members. This makes it possible for every participant to be a part of the team. The goal for the pop warner organization is to create an organized and safe environment for children. They want to be able to provide fun and encourage the development of good qualities within children. I think that the pop warner organization is beneficial to its' members. Pop warner introduces children to the value of competition, and also teaches them the responsibilities that go along with the participation of sports. Pop Warner is also the only organization where they reward their participants for doing well academically. Just like the other levels of cheerleading, pop warner participants have their own specific rules in which each member is required to follow.
Pop Warner helps acclimate children into the athletic community, it sets the stage for the future athletes.
My pop warner experience opened up a new world for me, I had begun pop warner at a young age, then after moving towns I decided to not join pop warner right away. At a young age I was unsure how it would be from going from one pop warner team to another, or if I would like it as much. I stopped doing cheerleading for two years, then I started participating in Tae Kwon Doe. After two years of Taw Kwon Doe I unfortunately found out that I was in the third stage of lyme disease, and began getting tired more easily then normal. Soon I had to stop athletic activity for a while, when I finally felt like my body had the strength to start partaking in athletic activities again I decided to join my new towns pop warner program. I instantly fell back in love with the sport of cheerleading. Since then I have continued to participate in cheerleading all throughout high school. While participating in pop warner, I developed a new mentality. I was more positive and involved in not only cheerleading but in other events offered to participants of the pop warner organization. I made friendships with people that I am still friends with today, and the pop warner days are now our good ole days. Pop warner was a great part of my childhood, it gave me my own sense of independence. I felt like I had more responsibilities when being apart of a an organization, and it made me stride to be the best me.
I personally think being involved in such activities at a young age is better preparation for the future, and a future is what every child needs.

Oh The Many Stunts You Can See!

Now that I have explained the job of all the members of the stunt group, I will now talk about all the many different stunts that cheerleaders perform. This blog post will have a series of videos attached so that my audience will be able to visualize the stunts that I talk about.

First, I will talk about the different skills that can be performed at the half extended level. Half extended stunts are typically what you see in youth cheerleading, it is a safer level for them to perform at. Higher-level cheerleaders use half extended stunts as support stunt groups for pyramids, or as connecting or transition stunts. Connecting and transition stunts are stunts typical used when connecting a row of stunts, or when in transitioning between one stunt to another. These stunts usually are used in the pyramid and cheer portion of a routine. Stunts performed at the half extended level are less difficult, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t be transformed into a more interesting stunt. Here are a few half extended stunts with a little added skill.

This is a half twist up to a half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk5uvGzBXcw

This is a full twist up to a half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-fcrG0Xmr8

This a 360 to the load in position: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE991cEUVCo  (This stunt can also be done to the half extended level)

This is a 1 and a Half twist to a half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7g113Acb3E  (can begin watching 5 minutes in to see stunt)

Next is the full extension level, this is where things get fun, and sometimes dangerous. Performing stunts at this level need to be throughly practiced on a safe surface. 

This stunt is a 360 to a full extension: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S4Uw8v09XM

This is a one legged heel stretch, full extension, with a twist down pop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVy23sfxPPA (The stunt begins at 1:42)

This is a full up to a one legged heel stretch, with a double twist down pop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PoYzZJ0RyA

This a one legged stunt called an arabesque, at the full extension level with a twist down pop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsGAvcJ2AKo  (The stunt begins at 1:50)

This a one legged bow and arrow stunt at the full extension level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NcdvMCbkz8

This is a full up to a one legged full extension stunt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3CRwBaMpBo (Stunt begin at 3 minutes in)

This is a one legged liberty tic toc at the full extension level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6KbxqeaO9s

This is a full extension full around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQUHPCoPuDg (Stunt begins at 3:30)

Next is the basket toss category. These stunts involve five members: two bases, a back spot, a front spot or spotter, and a flyer. These are automatic release stunts, which means the flyers are thrown in the air from the load in position, performs a skill, and then is caught by his or her bases.

This is one of the most common basket tosses for more advanced levels, it is a single kick twist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6DFtHx8tyA

This is a double kick twist basket toss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgBQ3yRQeJw

This is a tuck toss basket toss, this stunt is only allowed in college cheerleading and higher levels of all start cheerleading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlr1aPHEZc

These are all just a few of the many stunts one can witness being in the audience of numerous cheerleading competitions. These are the skills that cheerleaders work for, together as a team. They work together to put on an exciting performance for their audiences. Cheerleaders deserve more recognition then they currently receive. 

When You Work Together, You Have Successful Stunts

Stunting is the most important component in cheerleading, at least in my opinion. This is the part of the routine where cheerleaders do their own thing. They are not tumbling like gymnasts or dancing like dancer, they are stunting like cheerleaders. I believe stunting is a defining skill for all cheerleaders and the sport in general. Cheerleaders go through great lengths to learn how to stunt, the basics are normally taught during the youth ages of cheerleading, but not everyone starts so young. Either way stunting is a main component, and it needs to be taken the most seriously.
I think that stunting is different because the skills you learn when performing different types of stunts doesn't just rely on one single person. This is done in a group effort, a stunt group that is. Now a stunt group can consist of different numbers of people depending on the stunt or pyramid being performed. Typically, the basic stunt consist of four members; they are the two bases, a main base and a secondary base which are place on the left and right sides of the stunt. Depending on the stunt these members may have to perform different tasks, but in a basic stunt they will be demonstrating the same skills. The third member is called a back spot, they are placed in the back of the stunt. Then the fourth member is called either a flyer or top. This member is the one who is being put up in the stunt, the person that everyone sees. This does not mean that most of the responsibility of the stunt is on her, even though she is being tossed in the air, she is dependent on the members underneath her. They control her, they basically give the flyer her stage for performing. Each member needs to learn how to work together, and at times of frustration learn how work through it as a team. It's like the whole cheerleading team is broken in to mini teams each time a stunt is performed.  Needless to say, each member is equally important, and without one you will have none.
The bases are the main powerhouses for the stunt group. They are the two members on each side of the stunt and are in control of the flyers feet, and for higher skills foot. The main base is typically placed on the right side, this is because the majority of cheerleading teams have their flyers complete their one legged stunts on the right leg. The main base needs to have the dominant control over that foot in one legged stunts. In a two legged stunt the have equal control of the flyer with the secondary base. In two legged stunts, timing is crucial. The bases need to work in sync, they basically control the timing of the entire stunt. Having off timing can potentially mess up not only the flyer and the back spot, but it can mess up the entire stunt. By not being on time, problems can occur easily. Sometimes the entire stunt group realizes they are off timing and they fix it, other times they get to flustered and fail to put the stunt up. Timing is the most important because each member is going at a certain pace, they have practiced a stunt at a specific timing rate, and when one person is off everyone can be off and be going at different paces. if everyone is moving at different times, the stunt will not be completely smoothly. Typically stunts are wobbling due to off timing, go up late (in comparison to other stunt groups), or the stunt will go up and fall. Having a stunt fall is dangerous for each member, that is why every member in a stunt group needs to be tentative to their surroundings.
The back spot is important in a stunt group because they are sometimes needed for different things in a stunt. They can be used as an extra power house, they can be used to boost the stunt up, they can be used to control the stunt and flyer, and they also are important because back spots help the bases. Without the back spot the start of a stunt would be much more difficult. They are placed in the back of the stunt, and in loading or starting position they begin with their hands on the flyers hips for two legged stunts, and an ankle and the seat of the flyer for one legged stunts. This is how the back spots give stunts their extra boost. They are assisting mostly the flyer at this point. For two legged stunts the back spot helps the flyer up and into the hands of the bases who can then from their lift the flyer to the desired high which is either at shoulder height or at the extended level which is when the bases and back spots arms are fully extended. For one legged stunts, which back spots push the flyer to the top, there hands are positioned on one ankle and the rear of the flyer. This helps the flyer reach their designated position so they are able to get there and fully straighten out their knees. The back spot and the bases are also responsible for catching the flyer in a cradle for the dismount. After the flyer is up in the stunt the back spots main responsibility is to "pull up" (in cheerleading terms). Back spots pull up on the flyers' ankles or ankle which helps relieve weight off of the bases. Even though there is only one flyer, stunting is harder they just lifting a girl up in the air. After the skill is finished in the stunt, the final step is the dismount. Back spots and bases need to make sure they catch the flyer fully and the flyer should not land below the bases mid torso level. The bases are responsible for catching the torso and legs of the flyer by cradling them at waist and just below the rear so that the flyers legs are up. The back spot is responsible for cradling the upper portion of the flyers body and catches them underneath their armpits with their forearms.
The flyer is the main attraction in a stunt group, they are the person that the audiences' eyes are all on. It is important for the flyer to contribute to the work of the stunt group. In the loading position the flyer should be able to hold their own body weight with their arms locked out on the bases shoulders. It is important for them to do this because it makes it easier for the bases and the back spot to get under neath the flyer before suspension into the air. When a flyer is lazy, it makes the harder for everyone. Supporting their own weight also makes it easier for them to push off the bases shoulders which gives them momentum to be able to stand up straight. After the flyer is loaded into the bases hands and has pushed off their shoulder, the next step is to stand up straight. After reaching the designated level for the stunt there are a few techniques that a flyer must always keep in mind to make sure the stunt is done efficiently. The most important of those techniques is to lock their knees. Whether the flyer is on one leg or both they must keep their legs locked. Locking the knee provides stability to the flyer, especially when performing a skill in the stunt. There are only certain times where a flyer is supposed to bend their knee. When a flyer starts to unlock his or her knee the stunt tends to wobble. Wobbly stunts are not only points off from the judges, but can also lead to a stunt falling. Flyers should also focus on not "toeing" or "healing" in cheerleading terms, this is when the flyer distributes too much weight to either their toes, or their heals. When a flyer toes or heals they are making it more difficult for the bases to provide a surface of stability for the flyer. Flyers should try to remain flat footed the entire time, when a flyer begins to toe or heal the stunt tends to become wobbly which would result in points being taken off by the judges. Another technique that flyers need to remember to do is to stay straight. Most of the time when a flyer feels unbalance they begin to stick out their bottoms, this is referred to as "butting out of a stunt". When the flyer begins to "butt" out of stunt, it usually doesn't end well. Sticking your bottom out towards the back of the stunt distributes the majority of the flyers body weight to the back of the stunt, which leads to the flyer dropping backwards, resulting in a dropped stunt. All of these techniques are important because each one of them can lead to a dropped stunt which is potentially dangerous to each member of the stunt group. If every member of the stunt group focuses on their own responsibilities the stunt should flow smoothly.
Sometimes stunts are performed during while a cheer is being chatted. Typically in this situation the flyers are the ones being watched the most because they are in the air performing both the cheer and the motions that go with the cheer. Once again all eyes will be on them, therefore it is important for them to be sharp. Flyers should have tight motions, straight wrists, and good facial expressions.

Attaches are pictures of basic stunts: one at the half extended level (shoulder height), the fully extended level, and of the most basic one legged stunt which is called a liberty.