Perspectives in Cheerleading - Beyond the Poms Issue #3

BEYOND THE POMS

PERSPECTIVES IN CHEERLEADING

FEATURED :

ISSUE NO.03

TEAM NEW ZEALAND CHEERLEADER, BETH BYRNE & UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CHEERLEADER, HAYLEY HOLDER

Editor-in-Chief

Maria Peng

Content Director

Kaitlin Keel

Contributing Writers

Alaina Walker

Sophia Guzik

A special thank you to our guests for dedicating their time and efforts to share their stories and perspectivees with us:

In order of appearance:

Beth Byrne

Current Junior Team New Zealand and All Star Legacy Vipers Athlete

Hayley Holder

Current Cheerleader on the University of Michigan Cheer Team, World Cup Shooting Stars Alumni

Dante Martinelli

Current Top Gun Large Coed Athlete

HOW CAN WE BE MORE INCLUSIVE AS A SPORT

Cheerleading, once synonymous with sideline chants and high-energy routines, has evolved into a sport that demands athleticism and precision However, despite its evolution, cheerleading still grapples with issues of inclusivity and diversity. In recent years, there has been a growing call within the cheerleading community to make the sport more inclusive, welcoming individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, and identities

Traditionally, cheerleading has been associated with a narrow set of standards concerning body type, gender, and physical ability To foster inclusivity, it's essential to challenge these standards and embrace a more diverse representation within the sport This includes welcoming individuals of all body shapes and sizes, as well as breaking down gender stereotypes by encouraging participation from individuals across the gender spectrum. Breaking down the stigma and stereotypes surrounding cheerleading is one of the main goals of this magazine.

One of the barriers to inclusivity in cheerleading is the lack of accessible programs for individuals with disabilities. To address this, cheerleading organizations and teams can take steps to create adaptive cheerleading programs that accommodate a wide range of abilities. There have been many steps made in this direction with programs offering special abilities teams and providing support for disabled athletes. Competitions and provincial governing organizations can further these programs by ensuring that competitions are always accessible and gyms are adhering to set policies surrounding the safety and wellbeing of these athletes to ensure that all athletes can participate and thrive.

As America becomes a melting pot of cultures, it is unsurprising that it translates into cheerleading as well. Although it is still a white-dominated sport, there has been an improvement in the cultural diversity in the sport. Teams can incorporate elements from different cultural traditions into their routines, such as music, dance styles, and costumes. By breaking traditional stereotypes of cheerleading, different cultures may feel more comfortable joining the sport. Additionally, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where athletes from diverse cultural backgrounds feel valued and respected is crucial in promoting unity within the cheerleading community

Coaches play a pivotal role in shaping the culture of a cheerleading team Providing coaches with training on diversity, equity, and inclusion can help them create supportive environments where all athletes feel empowered to participate. This training should cover topics such as cultural competency, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and strategies for accommodating athletes with disabilities.

Every athlete brings their own unique strengths, talents, and experiences to the sport of cheerleading. Embracing individuality means recognizing and celebrating the diverse backgrounds, interests, and identities of all athletes. This can be reflected in the design of uniforms, the choice of music and choreography, and the way teams communicate and interact with each other. Inclusivity is not just about expanding participation; it's about creating a culture of belonging where every athlete feels valued and respected. By redefining traditional standards, creating accessible programs, promoting cultural diversity, educating coaches, embracing LGBTQ+ inclusion, and celebrating individuality, cheerleading can become a more inclusive and vibrant sport that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves Through these efforts, cheerleading can continue to evolve as a sport that unites athletes from all backgrounds in the spirit of teamwork, camaraderie, and athletic excellence

CHEER IN NEW ZEALAND

Beth is 17 years old and has been doing cheer for 8 ye ed Allstar Legacy Viperz as well as Junior Team New Zea er in New Zealand!

How did you get into cheer?

The first program I was with was All Star Infinity, which I was with until the end of last year and in 2016 they came to my school and did a performance They were giving out a free term of rec[reational] cheer to 10 people who signed the form and I didn’t want to do it originally but my friends dared me to do it At nine years old I was really competitive so I wasn’t going to lose so I signed up for it and got chosen. Then I was like, okay, might as well go, and it turns out I really liked it!

Describe your competition season. Is it similar to the states since you also attend worlds?

Our cheer season starts in late January and finishes early December. But our competition season runs from late June to early November, because it lines up with our school year, since our schools go from January to November For Worlds teams and ICU teams, they select them around August, and we don't start properly training until late September for choreography and stuff, but you're given your stunt group. You're given a set of skills and you have to find time to go into the gym with your stunt group and you have to do that throughout the year, throughout the whole summer as well. After summer break (December-January), we get back together as a team to train again

What are your competitions like?

Generally, most of our competitions are actually in the same venue because there's not that many places they can host competitions in New Zealand. So I live in Auckland, which is like the biggest city in the country and it is where all of the Team New Zealand teams are based For the most part, all of our competitions are at the same venue with a few of them being somewhere else, but almost all competitions in Auckland are here. It's like a 25 minute drive from my house. So we barely even need to travel.

There's [a few] other competitions that other gyms go to because in New Zealand, there are two governing bodies. They're called NZCU and NZCA and different gyms are a part of different ones. So they go to different competitions hosted by each governing body.

Is cheer a big thing in New Zealand?

There aren’t that many teams here in general. Obviously, it gets more as you go down the levels, but there are not that many level five teams.

What are some ways that you think cheer can reach more people?

Some of our programs do performances at school galas and [I think] that's a really good way of advertisement. Generally, the advertisement is pretty good, but it's obviously very niche towards the people who already do cheer So if you don't cheer, you’re not typically going to see it

After ICU, all of the Team New Zealand videos went semi-viral on TikTok and all the comments were like, oh my God, I didn't know New Zealand had cheer so I guess that was a good way of getting it out there more

Are there any differences you have noticed between US cheer and NZ cheer?

I think the general thing is definitely the amount of teams in a division and the size of the teams because over here, it's not unusual to see a team of three stunt groups and it's surprising to see a team that manages to put up like five or six But over in the States, it's so standard that if they came over here, they'd probably be shocked by how small our teams are But obviously, it's a way smaller country and way smaller gyms so we can't really manage to put together that big of teams anyways.

Is there school cheer AND allstar cheer or just one or the other? Which is more popular?

Our school cheer isn't anything like American cheer. Most schools generally don't even have it. But basically, if the school already has a lot of cheerleaders, they’ll approach an all star gym that is close to them and be like, hey, can you coach a cheer team for us?

I would say our school cheer is more like a rec level because we don't really do sideline because we don't do American football or basketball and have the big games and stuff so there isn't really a need for school cheerleaders. All star is definitely a lot more popular.

CHEER AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

While many cheerleaders do not continue cheering beyond their high school career, many others still do. Here at Beyond the Poms, we really want to highlight different options and pathways for athletes to pursue the sport that they love so much, even after high school. One of the most common ways is to cheer in college! Hayley has so graciously agreed to share some parts of her journey to the University of Michigan Cheer Team with us and we hope you can learn and takeaway lots from reading about her experiences!

Introduction

Hayley is a current freshman at UMich, studying Industrial Engineering. From 2020-2023, she was on World Cup Shooting Stars, a large all-girl cheer team and one of the most popular in the world. Currently, she flies on the UMich Coed Team

When applying to universities and ultimately, choosing schools, was being able to cheer a priority for you?

Cheer was not a priority but rather a bonus. Hayley knew that she wanted to attend UMich because of its amazing industrial engineering program as well as family ties. Her mothers’ side of the family are all big UMich fans because that is where she went for university

After she was accepted, she reached out to the cheer coach (and her current coach now) to learn more about the cheer team and what they could offer her. From there, she was able to get additional tryout info and even the chance to attend clinics beforehand.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to tryout for UMIch cheer next season?

“Tryout no matter what! Even if you are unsure. Be confident in all of your skills; don’t worry about what you don’t have and have fun with it!”

Can you walk us through what the tryout was like?

She was sent a skills list by the coach that she reached out to earlier and she pretty much just worked on those She found that the tryout was mainly tumble and jumps because she did it on a different day than most people. Her tip is to make sure to come with the cheer and dance prepared It can be the hardest part when transitioning from allstar cheer but it is one of the most important aspects of college cheer.

How are you liking the general environment?

The environment of the team was “just what [she] needed”. It is definitely more chill than allstar cheer and everyone on the team is super encouraging and helpful.

What was it like switching from being a base to coed flying?

This is what many are scared of when going from an all-girl team to a coed team and Hayley admits to having a bit of a fear of flying as well. However, the more she did it, the more her confidence began to rise. Especially under the supportive and encouraging environment of her teammates and coach, she has become more comfortable with being a flyer now.

How do you navigate school and cheer?

For the first half of the year, in order to make sure that all the freshman are well adjusted and can handle the demanding schedules, there is no freshman travel for games, competitions, etc. The cheer team does practice 4 times a week which is a big commitment alone and especially on top of rigorous college work, it is no doubt that time management is an extremely necessary skill to master

FLYING 101 Advice Column

“Have confidence in yourself and your stunt group and always remember to LIFT”

“Stretch a lot.”

“remember to work on your core strength!!”

“Watch Gabi Butler’s videos if you want to do exercises made for flyers. It has really helped me.”

“squeeze in and up”

“LOCK YOUR KNEES”

“The best advice I ever got is that if you don’t feel stupid doing facials you ain’t doing them right!”

DANTE MARTINELLI

Dante Martinelli is a 19-year-old cheerleader on TGLC (Top Gun Large Coed). This is his 10th season and he is super excited to share some parts of his journey with us!

What made you start cheer?

When I was younger, I was in a power tumbling program that also had a cheerleading program. They ended up having a practice during one of ours, and I couldn’t keep a smile off my face watching them. From there I went on YouTube and watched as many cheer videos as I could find.

What sports did you do prior to cheer?

I did baseball, soccer, and power tumbling

Did you face any challenges being a male athlete and a person of color?

Growing up in a predominantly white state, and being on a team of that nature, I always felt a little bit different being POC and Male. There were a few times where I was treated differently because I was the only boy, but nothing too abnormal.

What advice would you give to new atheletes looking to be successful in cheer?

Keep pushing yourself. You may not see the results you want right away, but success comes at different times for everyone, but it especially comes to those most determined, and willing to go the extra mile.

And finally, what is your favorite thing about cheer?

My favorite thing about cheer is that it’s like no other sport. There’s a huge shared community that supports each other that we all get to be apart of.

HOTTEST HITS

Unwritten

Since its reappearance on the charts after the release of the rom-com “Anyone But You” starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, this song has be screamed at the top of everyone’s lungs. Blasting form speakers at every competition, it is without a doubt that this is the hype up song that triumphs them all.

Where Have You Been

While this song has been a steady classic since its release, it has been making its comeback at awards ceremonies, inciting hundreds of teenagers to fall to their knees begging the question “where have you been?” as they passionately sing along with their friends.

NEVERMISSANISSUE!

Enjoy insider access

Exclusive sneak peaks

First looks