Weight?Loss
Posted by michigancheerleader on September 7, 2011 ? Leave a Comment?
Weight loss always seems to be an issue that surrounds cheerleading whether you?re talking about high school, all-star, or college. Whether the girl is a base, backspot or flyer the pressure to lose weight is constant. Not that responsible coaches or officials would ever encourage such things. The real issue is with the very nature of cheereleading and sports in general. Cheerleading isn?t the only sport that has issues with weight loss (example: wrestling).
The nature of cheerleading is that you have to be somewhat light on your feet; jumping, tumbling, stunting, it?s all easier when the girls are in good shape. Some girls who join cheerleading teams will naturally lose weight as they go to practices and become more active. Some girls will try to eat healthier in order to look better in their uniform or so that they?re easier to fly. This is where the problems start.
All sports require a certain amount of physical health, but cheerleading is the only one that requires participants to wear short skirts and?form fitting shells or crop tops. It?s also the only sport that throws human beings in the air (as opposed to a ball). Next week is uniform fitting for my team, we?re getting crop tops for the first time, I don?t know if anyone has taken unhealthy steps, but I do know that there has been a lot of talk about losing weight.
More than any other group of cheerleaders, flyers feel presssure to be skinnier and skinnier. Everyday they have the potential of hearing a comment like, ?That was?hard,? ?You feel heavy today,? or, my personal favorite, ?Wow, she?s a lot lighter than you.? When these kinds of things are said by trusted teammates they?re probably hard to ignore.
It?s a fine line. I always lose weight during the season, but I?ve never starved myself or exercised excessively. How do you know if someone is being unhealthy with their diet and exercise? Usually, there?s no way to know until it?s too late.
Another reason that cheerleaders have such trouble with weight is the stereotypes that surround cheerleading, especially the stereotype that cheereleaders have to be skinny. This is not true. Cheerleading does require physical strength and talent, but it does not require girls to be skinny. I?ve known many strong and talented cheerleaders that weren?t ?skinny.?
One of the great things that the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association?has done is take away skirts and crop tops and replace them with fitted?shorts and jerseys.
I?m very excited for the time when the NCATA takes over the world of cheerleading. I can?t wait for high schools to have Acrobatics & Tumbling teams instead of cheerleading squads. The NCATA won?t be able to fix everything, and there will probably always be other forms of cheerleading, but as far as I?m concerned Acrobatics & Tumbling is above all of the others and has already mad a lot of headway. Breaking stereotypes is one way we can fight against unhealthy weight loss in cheerleading, and the NCATA is breaking all stereotypes.
Unhealthy habits in cheerleader and other athletes can be decreased with the right attitude toward the problem. Loss of weight should not be praised, progression in ability should be praised. The most important thing to do is to attack the problem head on by talking openly about the dangers of eating disorders.
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Source: http://michigancheerleader.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/weight-loss/
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