“Research shows that participating in youth sports can lead to immediate and long- term benefits for youth, their families, and communities,” states the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition Science Board. Children that participate in sports not only better their physical health but also improve their mental, emotional, and social well-being. “Cheerleaders are some of the most intense, driven, and passionate athletes in the world,” states the Cheer Information Center. “The variety of elements of the sport, mixed with the extremely competitive nature of the sport, produces tough, strong-willed athletes.” Cheerleading especially teaches athletes time management. During a routine, cheerleaders have a set amount of time, and everything is done to eight counts. This teaches students and children time management skills by counting throughout a routine. Depending on how competitive of a team your child’s on, the time commitment to the sport helps athletes learn to balance their social life, academics, and team responsibilities. Commitment “I will definitely say in the beginning, the level
of commitment may not be as high because they’re younger and parents are exploring different avenues for their children to find themselves,” Lagarde says. “With competitive cheerleading, it requires a lot of commitment and dedication.” Lagarde describes cheerleading as a developmental sport where athletes with no experience will slowly learn the basics of cheerleading. Many athletes that are new to cheer want to learn exciting and thrilling moves right away, like a backhand spring, but it’s crucial for them to learn the basics first. “When an athlete comes in with no experience. We train them as beginners, and then they grow in the sport,” Lagarde says. “It allows kids to grow and not to be rushed to learn certain skills so fast.” On the other hand, competitive cheerleading is a lot more of a commitment and tends to be a year-round sport. Competitive cheer teams range in age, but most teams don’t start going competitive until age 13. The commitment and cost changes once athletes and families choose to compete competitively.
Sport for Everyone Despite some beliefs, cheerleading is not just a women’s sport. There are several benefits to having a coed cheer squad, one being that males tend to be stronger than females, and as cheerleaders, they make great bases. “The good thing about cheer is it’s so versatile that they have all-girl and coed teams. It allows those boys to be a part of the team. And, of course, boys are bigger, and they’re stronger,” Lagarde says. “They’re going to enhance any routine they’re in because they’re able to help with the stunting.” Yet, there is still this stigmatism surrounding cheer that continues to discourage male athletes from joining. “If people would not be so close-minded about the sport itself and just realize that anybody who has the love for those things–the tumbling, dancing, stunting–they can enjoy cheer,” Lagarde says. “At BRCA, it’s an open door policy for girls, boys, whoever wants to come in and learn the art in the sport of cheer.”
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