OPINION

MORE THAN THE

STEREOTYPE

Written by Julia Moser

Imagine a cheerleader. Often, the activities is our athleticism. A sport at state in 2019, it definitely changes image of a dumb blonde with a is defined as an activity involving the way they are viewed by others. short skirt and bratty personality physical exertion and skill in which an “I know the girls had put in a lot pops into people’s minds. This individual or team competes against of time and effort last year to have a stereotype is what people have seen another or others for entertainment. successful state run and show that on TV all their lives, and therefore, Cheer is not your average activity. It is they are capable of performing at a what they believe to be true. As a simply much different. We fit the mold high level,” Addington said. cheerleader, I believe the way we of a sport rather than an activity. At our state competition the student are portrayed is damaging to our What we do may look easy, but in body sees us in our pleated skirts and reputation. reality is difficult and requires hard full makeup assuming we participate The Kansas State High School work. While football players work in cheer for our looks, but in reality, Activities Association classifies hard to get better at their game, we our motivations are much different. cheerleading as an activity, not a build our strength to throw girls Senior and varsity captain Presley sport. As a member of the BVNW above our heads and flip in the air. Ward said when she started cheer, she cheer team, I feel that very few people We are just as physically active. What soon figured out how much she loved know the level of work that actually we do athletically might differ from the sport. goes into being a cheerleader. If other stereotypical sports, but that “I really got into cheerleading, but you told a football player the thing does not mean we are not athletes. We it wasn’t for the look of it or being they dedicated their time to is not show off our skills to an audience and cool, it was because I really liked it technically a sport, chances are, they compete against others, again, just as and it’s what I enjoyed doing,” Ward would be upset. Cheerleaders devote other sports do. Just because we don’t said. the same amount of time and energy tackle people or use a ball, we aren’t The stereotypical cheerleader as any other sport, so you can imagine considered a sport? the media has created is degrading how we feel as we are not categorized You have to be tough to be to the sport. I take offense when alongside them. successful in cheerleading, both people think of me as a stereotypical Being classified as a sport, rather mentally and physically. You have cheerleader. I am tired of people than an activity, would bring more to be able to fall from a stunt and laughing when I tell them I am on the respect to cheerleading. In the eyes of get back up. If one person fails, the cheer team or being stared at in the KSHSAA, we are not seen as athletes, whole team fails. If halls for wearing my and therefore not treated like ones. one person messes up uniform. We want to Activities director Andrew Addington said he has watched cheerleading become more while performing, you lose. We put all our effort into practice, OUR COACH DISCIPLINES AND be respected like other sports are. Our coach disciplines and treats competitive over his time working in schools. “The way their peers view them and the activities they do matter,” which can become quite difficult. While we perform in traditional TREATS US LIKE ATHLETES, SO IT IS INFURIATING us like athletes, so it is infuriating to be viewed as anything less. Addington said. “If a cheerleader wanted to be designated as an [athlete] it would be because they feel competitions, we also attend a state competition, just like TO BE VIEWED AS ANYTHING LESS. People classify us as cheerleaders like it is our entire personality. the work and the effort they put into any other sport. We We are more than that. [cheer] is similar to the work and practice for strenuous We are hardworking, effort other students put into their hours to be named Kansas State committed, athletic and strong. We own activities.” Champions, yet KSHSAA classifies our work to win. We are athletes and Anyone can work hard at the hard work as a “non-athletic activity.” deserve to be acknowledged as such. activities they participate in, but what Addington said that due to the separates cheerleading from other success our BVNW cheer team has had