Cheerleaders, dancers, footballers, and soccer players put equal trust into the hands of their teammates. What distinguishes these athletes from one another is the fact that cheerleaders and dancers place their trust in their hands to not be dropped during complex stunts and routines. Despite their efforts, cheerleading and dance are often overlooked as legitimate sports, facing persistent stigma that undermines what they do.
10th grade cheerleader, Jiannah Garcia, says “If you fall, there’s concussions and if not, some injury. We’re usually only wearing skirts and no-sleeve tops so you get scratched a lot”. According to Garcia, she has been an all-star cheerleader since she was five. The sophomore was in JV cheer last year and was inducted into the Varsity team this school year. Garcia ponders, “I don’t know why anyone would think we do less than other athletes. We do drills to keep our stamina just the same.”
Senior cheerleader Ashley Morejon offers an explanation, addressing stereotypes of the sport. “People think we’re dumb, we’re messy, we don’t have a plan. That’s not us.” She says. Morejon has been a cheerleader since she was two years old, growing aware of the stigmatization in her adolescence.
“You can’t change the minds of closed-minded people. If they don’t think it’s a sport, okay, they’ve probably never tried it. They’ve probably never tried their hardest to accomplish something either”
To cope with the criticism, Morejon relies on the strength of her teammates. She states, “when you are being stereotyped everyday, you need other people like you to build you up and make you feel more confident”, the senior thanks her teammates for that needed support.
According to other athletes, camaraderie applies just the same. Senior dancer Andre Arana notes that “teamwork and trust is a very important thing,” he continued, “we have to build that connection together as partners and as friends”.
In his 4th year of dance, the senior has heavily relied on teamwork. He dedicates the most teamwork in his experience to his performance in the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Showcase. Arana had carried a girl midair on multiple occasions before their final performance.
“If you guys are not getting along, the dance is not going to look good whatsoever” he added. His dance coach, Mrs. Cordova, believes the debate over whether dance or cheer qualifies as a sport misses the point.
“At the end of the day, whether you’re doing flips, dribbling, throwing, or kicking a ball, it’s so physically rigorous,” she explains. “My students train and compete just as other sports and deserve to be seen as athletes”.
That being said, these performers compete, fitting the “sports” definition. Although a spot in the cheer or dance team will not earn students the necessary physical education credit to graduate, the members believe the adrenaline is the best reward. Their resilience, discipline, and positivity parallels the spirit of an athlete.
