Maypole Dancers Mad When Dancing Pole-Free

I don't understand the point of this, probably because I've never understood the point of cheerleading to begin with:

Thirty girls signed up for the cheerleading squad this winter at Whitney Point High School in upstate New York. But upon learning they would be waving their pompoms for the girls’ basketball team as well as the boys’, more than half of the aspiring cheerleaders dropped out.

The eight remaining cheerleaders now awkwardly adjust their routines for whichever team is playing here on the home court — “Hands Up You Guys” becomes “Hands Up You Girls”— to comply with a new ruling from federal education officials interpreting Title IX, the law intended to guarantee gender equality in student sports.

“It feels funny when we do it,” said Amanda Cummings, 15, the cheerleading co-captain, who forgot the name of a female basketball player mid-cheer last month.

Whitney Point is one of 14 high schools in the Binghamton area that began sending cheerleaders to girls’ games in late November, after the mother of a female basketball player in Johnson City, N.Y., filed a discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Education. She said the lack of official sideline support made the girls seem like second-string, and violated Title IX’s promise of equal playing fields for both sexes.

If you read the rest of the article, you'll find the predictable cast of upset athletes, cheerleaders, parents and fans. You'll also find that it's part of a growing trend:

The ruling followed a similar one in September in the Philadelphia suburbs, and comes as high schools nationwide are redefining the role of cheerleaders in response to parental and legal pressures as well as growing sensitivity to sexism among athletic directors, especially as more women step into those roles.

Federal education officials would not specify how many Title IX complaints concerning cheerleading the Office for Civil Rights is investigating. But a spokesman said the department received 64 complaints nationwide last year concerning unequal levels of publicity given to girls’ and boys’ teams — which includes the issue of cheerleading — most from New York state. That compares with a total of 28 such complaints over the previous four years.

So, the answer to giving female athletes greater publicity and emphasis is to have other girls grind it up inject "a level of excitement and spirit" in their honor? Hmmm. Right. Okay. Gotcha.

Comments

[B.D.]

I've never understood cheerleaders either. "Hands Up You Guys" sounds like a cheer for a whole different arena, to my corruptible mind.

In any case, why not have 2 squads - one for guys and one for girls - and allow more people to participate? Or get rid of the squads altogether. I couldn't have cared less then or now.

Then again, we live in an age where cheerleading is considered a "sport" worthy of "coverage" on ESPN.

[Sueb0b]

I guess my question would be - what is the role of cheerleaders, and why is that different for boys teams or girls teams?

If teams really NEED cheerleaders, shouldn't the cheerleaders be happy to cheer for both sexes? And if the teams don't need cheerleaders, what is the point?

[PansyFaye]

Cheerleaders are either delusional or liars. They always claim
"Our team's number one". When was the last time you heard a cheerleader chant "We are 6-3!" How about a little honesty. Okay, I'd settle for "We are having fun!"

[Amanda Marcotte]

Nice to see that they want to spread the tragedy of cheerleading to women's sports to ruin the view there as well.