<p>In cheer, teams compete according to both age and skill level - e.g. Senior Level 2 doesn’t compete against Senior Level 4, nor does it compete against Junior Level 2. In studio dance, teams compete by age but not by skill level (although some competitons have a rec category.) In school dance, teams compete by age (JV or Varsity) and size of team. (Of course, in gymnastics, they also compete by age and skill level [although all we ever see on TV is Senior Elite.])</p>
<p>I recognize a whole bunch of English words in there (#121), but all of the concepts are foreign to me. Are you telling me that down there in Tejas your daughter engages in dance competitions for both a studio team and a school team? That this statement would make sense?: “I moved up from JV to Varsity in classical, and we’re going to States in the AAA class. We’re gonna smoke those hos from Greenfield. Wait’ll they see my enjambement! Yee-haw! Stick 'em, Lady Armadillos!”</p>
<p>Just try and say on your college app that you did a lot of yoga and got really strong and fit from it. Nope, gotta be competitive, apparently. My downward dog is better than your downward dog. </p>
<p>Here’s the t-shirt that the school yoga team can wear to express their sentiments against other schools:</p>
<p>Si, Senora! Both are big business all over the nation.</p>
<p>For the private dance studios, there are probably 20 companies that host regional and national competions. (If you do a you tube search of whoever is on *So You Think You Can Dance *any given season, you can usually find footage of their younger selves at these competitions.) Here is a link to the Showstopper website, so you can get a flavor of what the competitions are like (their site includes videos of the national champs.)
[Welcome</a> to Showstopper Online!](<a href=“http://www.showstopperonline.com/]Welcome”>http://www.showstopperonline.com/)</p>
<p>Contrary to what one might believe from reading the comments on this thread, cheerleading is growing rapidly in virtually all parts of the country because kids like it. It appeals to a lot of girls. It also appeals to some boys. They join co-ed cheer teams and then go off and use the tumbling for snowboard tricks. The kids like being on a team and working in a group. It is an inclusive sport because there are teams for all ages, levels of ability, and time commitments. As in many high school sports, there are both private and high school teams. </p>
<p>It is hard to understate how inclusive cheer is. There is a team for everyone. In my area, one high school team worked a student with Downs syndrome into their routine. One of the private gyms has a team for special ed students–they don’t compete but they do a fair number of exhibitions.</p>
<p>Some of the comments on this thread have been rather uninformed. Yes the team has to look alike. No, there are no eyeshadow or glitter requirements. However, girls are girls and a lot of them like to dress up. They guys stick with tee-shirts and pants. Usually the kids and coaches determine at least some aspects of the team uniform. The level of uniform nonsense varies from gym to gym. Parents are parents. Some are reasonable and some are sports wackos. Some girls participate both in high school cheer and are on private competitive teams as is the case in other high school sports at very competitive levels.</p>
<p>Having a piece of clothing fall off during a competition is a big deduction, largely for safety reasons. Hence the emphasis on getting clothing right. It is tight and short because doing tumbling runs in long skirts is ridiculous. I have no idea why they wear bows, but hair has to be both uniform and stay out of people’s faces when they are upside-down. This means pony tails since most teenagers have long hair. Kids with short hair use a lot of hairspray and bobby pins.</p>
<p>High school cheer teams are attractive to gymnasts. Cheer gives middle school gymnasts another sport in which they can compete. Many of them prefer the cooperative aspect of cheer as they get older. The other thing cheer teaches is organization. Getting everyone to the right place at the right time in a routine requires a good memory and situational awareness. Plus, the time commitment at the high school level is formidable.</p>
<p>High school competitions have very specific rules about routine content and form. The private competitive rules differ depending on the association holding the competition. Some kids are members of both high school and private teams. A number of states have all-state recognition for cheerleaders just as they do for students who play more traditional sports.</p>
<p>The courts can rule as they like and the uninformed are free to turn up their noses in disgust because they haven’t updated their information or because traditional cheer doesn’t fit their notion of an acceptable sport. The people participating in it know better. The kids are having a lot of fun with it, and it keeps them fit and busy.</p>
<p>The thing is, why is a school going to start a program if the courts have decided it doesn’t count? In case you’ve been in a hole, budgets are tight around the country. With possible exceptions at the big schools (Florida, LSU, Penn State, USC, etc) athletic budgets are getting cut left and right. Why would an administrator want to put money into something that doesn’t count for anything? </p>
<p>I would debate the “sport” of competitive cheer until I’m blue in the face, but I won’t. That doesn’t matter. I have no problem with competitive cheer being considered a “sport” when it comes to Title IX. But the problem is Title IX says NOTHING about sports…</p>
<p>I don’t understand why it matters if it is a “sport.” Things that are considered “sports” are not necessarily the only legitimate athletic activities. I don’t think anybody that has seen modern cheerleading would deny that it is a legitimate athletic activity regardless of if it is a “sport.”</p>
I think the original purpose of Title IX was aimed squarely at high school and college sports, even though there is no specific language. And I think most of the litigation about Title IX was for sports.</p>
<p>The Federal Judge in this case made a narrow ruling on technical grounds that cheerleading as implemented at Quinnipiac doesn’t meet the definition of sport as regards Title IX and equal funding and participation. Given a few more years to get more organized and get the governing bodies in place, I think it is inevitable that cheerleading will be considered a sport for Title IX.</p>
<p>Whether or not cheer ever counts under Title IX, or as a high school sport, it accomplishes what we need for any sport to accomplish: teaches team work, makes young women more comfortable in their own skin, takes away the fear of perfoming in front of others. </p>
<p>I know that when I was in junior high, I was so uncomfortable with my body, I constantly wished I could just crawl under a table. As a dancer and as a gymnast turned cheerleader, my daughters never went through that gawky/awkward stage and neither have their friends in those activities. They are comforatable in their bodies and can perform anything in front of anyone anytime.</p>
<p>A quick FYI … while checking out club and intramural sports at about 15 schools I noticed about 1/3rd had either club or intramural cheerleading … so it certainly is getting a toehold on campus.</p>
<p>Last Sunday when I went to pick up D from stunt choreography, two girls were in tears - the one who had been kicked square in the face and the one who had done the kicking. That girl will start school with a black eye better than any guy on the football team (actually it is a black whole side of the face with a few cuts thrown in for affect.)</p>