Tryouts meant girls had to earn their positions as cheerleaders. During my first few weeks of cheer, my coaches were mainly responsible for socializing me. At practice I learned cheers and dances meant to promote school spirit, the manifest purpose of cheerleading. However, a great deal of what I learned about being a cheerleader came implicitly from the older girls on the squad. Watching how these girls acted in and out of uniform taught me what it meant to be a cheerleader at my high school. Since I looked up to these girls, I assumed their actions were what cheerleaders were supposed to be doing. When one of the older girls partied and drank alcohol on the weekends, I assumed I too should be going to these gatherings. The same resulted for the contrast; if an older cheerleader worked hard in school it was motivation for me to do the same. As a result of my observations of these girls, I created my own stigma of