High School Cheerleaders

Words: 581
Pages: 3

Throughout the four years I spent in high school, one of the most defining social statuses I held was that of a cheerleader. From the high ponytails to the bright red uniforms I, along side my fellow cheerleaders, promoted school spirit. From the ages of 15 to 18 I danced and cheered for my athletic peers. Before I learned the school song or nailed my cartwheel, I had many preconceived notions of cheerleading and the girls who held this status. In my mind cheerleaders were beautiful, thin girls who wore short skirts and dated jocks. These notions resulted almost entirely from the media’s portrayal of the activity. Beginning at a very young age, I watched movies and television shows portray cheerleading as a master status, as if these girls had nothing in their lives outside of cheer. The media I was exposed to was explicit in showing cheerleaders as ditzy and peppy. The portrayal of these figures led me to believe that cheerleaders were little more …show more content…
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