What do you think of cheerleaders?

[AshlynCheerleader]

Should cheerleading be considered a sport? Do you think they are mean and snobby? Are they spoiled? Have you ever visited Disney World during a cheerleading competition?

 

[dish rag]

No.

Some are some aren't.

Some are some aren't.

Yes.

 

[cjbcam]

Yes
I don't paint one group of people with the same brush
Some are some aren't
Yes it was awful

 

[AshlynCheerleader]

Yes
I don't paint one group of people with the same brush
Some are some aren't
Yes it was awful

Awful? In what way? Were the cheerleaders rude?

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

 

[cjbcam]

They filled up the cafeteria at ASMu to practice or whatever and there was no where to eat. They were really loud, like all teens are but in all honesty I noticed more because it was frustrating trying to get around big groups and so I was grumpy. Most were well behaved and nice. It's just not my idea of a holiday being "stuck" with a bunch of noisy teens. Busses were really loud because they would do their cheers on them.

 

[elphaba91]

I think All Star Cheer is fabulous and should definitely be considered a sport. I'm not familiar enough with other forms of cheer to make a judgment.

I'm sure there are some cheerleaders who are 'mean and snobby' and plenty who aren't. I think it's an activity that requires a lot of self-confidence though (even just wearing the uniform) and also comes with a certain amount of status so they likely are the 'popular' kids (especially girls).

Cheerleading (especially All Star) is expensive, so it is likely that participants come from families with a reasonable disposable income. In comparison to many other kids they probably are 'spoiled' but if that is how their parents want to spend their money, so be it. Many cheerleaders also work very hard to excel in cheerleading.

We were at Magic Kingdom the first day of Worlds this year, but obviously no cheerleaders were playing in the parks yet. We did see some cheerleaders in Epcot or Hollywood Studios after the Summit, but there weren't excessive numbers - just a kid with a bow and tank top here and there.

 

[disykat]

In general, I have a prejudice against cheerleaders as something I wouldn't want my own daughters doing (I don't actually have daughters.) That is based purely on my junior high and high school opinions of the girls that participated in cheer leading at my school.

I do think that cheerleading is a sport. I think that it less so when it's less competitive to get on a squad. My kids went to a pretty large high school, but cheerleading there wasn't particularly competitive or particularly athletic. However, I've seen competitive cheerleading on tv - definitely a sport.

 

[Disney Doll]

I would call it a sport at the higher levels. I have a friend whose daughter (high school age)cheers and there’s a huge amount of athleticism...very gymnastic if you know what I mean.

Do I think all are mean and snobby? No. Like in any other group, people have different personalities.

Do I think they’re spoiled? I live near a very urban area where there are public high schools where the kids/families have fairly low incomes and they still have cheerleaders, so if by “spoiled” you mean “financially wealthy so their parents can afford to have them cheer”, then no.

I have never visited WDW during a cheer competition, but if there are groups of kids cheeringvas they walk through the parks, on buses or other transportation or making lots of noise around the hotels at night, then I’d find that annoying. But I also find any group that walks around loudly chanting or yelling in unison to be annoying (I’m lookin’ at you South American tour groups! ).

About the only time I don’t find a chanting Group annoying is during a race when it’s the military and they’re doing cadence. That’s inspiring.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We were at Disneyland during a cheer leading competition. One of the darlings was shopping in a Disney hotel store and had pulled her hotel blanket off the bed and wrapped around herself, dragging it on the floor. The store clerks didn't say anything but....

We were at an airport and a cheer squad had extra time on their hands, so their trainer (teacher?) had the girls line up and practice their cheers on the concourse. The airport waiting area was noisy enough without that.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I don't consider it a sport but I consider cheerleaders athletes, if that makes any sense.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Yes, it is often the level of sport, although I'm sure there are less rigorous squads, too.

Some will be mean, some snobby, just like in any activity.

No, I've never been to WDW at that time, although from descriptions I actually don't think I would mind.

OP, I'm curious..what prompted you to ask these questions?

 

[jevs]

I haven't given it any thought to be honest. It isn't really a huge part of our culture here. I kind of think they're like dancers in my head.

 

[mamamary]

Should it be a sport? I really don't know. My daughter cheered in HS for three years. She never cheered before and I was honestly surprised she wanted to. Her team was big into gymnastics. So it sorta seemed sporty. She really loved it. Were some girls snobby and mean? Maybe but I''m sure you can have that on any team. Spoiled? I have no idea. No I have never come across the cheerleaders at Disney. I have no idea if they were ever there when we were.

 

[bdcp]

I was a cheerleader in HS (40 yrs ago) and I would say it is a sport. We didn't do half the stunts they do now, but we practiced a lot and we cheered at multiple games during the week since some sports overlapped. I was in the best shape in my life when I was cheering. At the time all 5'3" 97 lbs of me. Solid as a rock. The cheer teams can be crazy and I think the girls attitudes come from the way they are coached and pushed. Just like dance, pageants and other groups, there will be the few that have moms that create the child who thinks she is superior to everyone. So, yeah, some are spoiled, and some are snobby, but it's also the attitude they are taught.

 

[Klayfish]

Is it a sport? No, I don't think so, but it's definitely an athletic competition. Some of the things those girls do takes amazing skill...and flexibility that would send me to the hospital if I tried it.

Are they snobby and/or spoiled? Some of them are...but frankly in those cases the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Youth cheer is pretty big here, so I deal with them a lot (and my daughter did cheer for one year...then realized she hated it). Many of the cheer moms are nice, but many...well, maybe they're trying to relive their glory days through their daughters...I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Magpie]

Should cheerleading be considered a sport? Do you think they are mean and snobby? Are they spoiled? Have you ever visited Disney World during a cheerleading competition?

Sport: "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment."

Yes, cheerleading is a sport.

I'm appalled anyone would characterize an entire group of girls as "mean and snobby" or "spoiled" just because they're involved in a particular sport. It's no different than asking, "Do you think football players are dumb thugs?" Of course not! People are people. Some are nice, some aren't. I'd rather decide on an individual basis, than judge someone's character based solely on the sport they play or any other superficial quality, for that matter.

Yes, and it was just fine. They were mostly absent from the parks during the day, and at the beginning of the week. Occasionally we encountered large groups of happy girls roaming the parks, but it was easy enough to avoid them. You could see them coming, and sometimes hear them if they started chanting. No different than other tour groups. And they were very well behaved on the resort busses!

 

[Hikergirl]

Yes, I think it is a sport.
There is a stigma with cheerleaders that they are snobby and bratty, but in my experience that really isn't the case. I don't know a lot, but I do know some and none of them are that way.
I have never visited WDW during the cheer competitions.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Is it a sport? No, I don't think so, but it's definitely an athletic competition. Some of the things those girls do takes amazing skill...and flexibility that would send me to the hospital if I tried it.

Are they snobby and/or spoiled? Some of them are...but frankly in those cases the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Youth cheer is pretty big here, so I deal with them a lot (and my daughter did cheer for one year...then realized she hated it). Many of the cheer moms are nice, but many...well, maybe they're trying to relive their glory days through their daughters...I'll just leave it at that.

I'm with you. But don't believe that "entertainment" should be included with the definition of sport.

Can a sport be entertaining? Sure. But when points are based on the entertainment factor, I (me, personally) feel that it loses some of its "sporting" appeal.

I guess I lost interest in "sporting" events that consider what music is playing as part of the scoring. Looking at you Figure Skating.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yes I think it is a sport. For me it's a lot like gymnastics. In DD's gymnastics studio they also have cheerleading and you have to be "moved up" from gymnastics in order to do their competitive cheerleading.

No I don't cheerleaders in general are mean or snobby. Some people are just mean and snobby and some of those people happen to be cheerleaders. Just like their are mean and snobby doctors or lawyers.

No I don't think cheerleaders in general are spoiled. Some people are just spoiled and they play all kinds of sports.

No I've never visited WDW during cheer competitions but I believe in March 2009 there was something going on and there were a lot of giddy hyper loud girls at one of the value bus stops. You could tell they were in a group and I'm thinking cheerleading. Eh it didn't bother me. They're kids having fun. They weren't hurting anyone, causing trouble, defacing property, etc.