to not let daughter do cheerleading?

[undercoverfunster]

Am I BU? She's 8, school have a cheerleading club once a week. ( they don't actually cheer a team, just learn routines) Some of the 'cool' girls do it, so now she wants to. I think it's pointless, sexist and outdated. And the 'cool' girls are also the not-very-nice ones in her year, who make fun of her for being in the football team.

She''s a VERY active kid, plays football and tennis competitively, swims, runs, plays basketball. All of which she loves so doesn't need the exercise.

She has tried various 'girls' activities over the years ( to try to keep in with the 'cool' girls) but gets bored of them quickly ( dance, gymnastics, musical theatre, ballet, netball).

I just think cheerleading is shite! And sends the wrong message to girls - don't cheer for the team be IN the bloody team.
And I sure a heck don't want her quitting something useful to try it for 2 months and get bored...

The OP has said that the 'cheerleading' activity offered at her DD's school is NOT the skilled gymnastics where team members are thrown high into the air with lots of tumbling.
Funnily enough when you start acrobatic based sports you don't start with high level skill. You start on the basics.
The basics include moving in time with others to set beats, turns, jumps and leaps etc. .

Eg A pike / tuck / straddle jump has to be mastered before doing any further skill or stunt.

You wouldn't do national level gymnastics tumbles without being able to to basic jumps. You wouldn't start doing no hands trucks with multiple rotations until nailing a roundoffs.

Even when competing, we'd spend whole training sessions nailing basic jumps as part of trick sequences.

For a primary school group I'd expect some coordinated movement, jumps and a bit of light gymnastics. I'm sure those of you with no experience will decide that's old school sexist cheerleading. Most people in any sport would consider the basics to be a reasonable starting point.

It sounds ghastly. I'd use delaying tactics and hope she goes off the idea. Your daughter sounds far more cool than the cool girls!

If she doesn’t like dance and she doesn’t like gymnastics cheer probably isn’t for her.
For anyone who thinks it’s a soft option, it’s one of the most risky activities in the US - although injury rates are low when they do happen they can be very serious. Cheer participants are tough.
www.activekids.com/cheerleading/articles/cheerleading-the-most-dangerous-sport

She sounds like the kind of mum who thinks cheering at 8 is a bit of a waste of time given that her DD hasn’t stuck out dancing or gymnastics.

If that was the case, why did she use such derogatory language about it in her OP?

What was the point of this post?
You've been told by the posters who seem to actually know about cheerleading, that it's a tough sport. You've ignored them.
So, was it because you've run out of people to boast to in real life about how amazing your dd is? Only that you've, utterly pointlessly, shoehorned in about half a dozen references to how amazing your dc are, when their standard is utterly irrelevant to the thread.

Cheer in it's origins is absolutely sexist.

I want to ask the other women on here-

What is your opiniok of NFL footballers wearing full length body clothes,
And the (all female) cheerleaders on the sidelines, wearing underwear style clothes?

Why are NFL cheerleaders, only female? It is is incredibly sexist.

if that was the case, why did she use such derogatory language about it in her OP?

Because she thinks cheerleading is ‘pointless’, ‘sexist’ and ‘outdated’ as well as something DD will jack in.

She’s entitled to her own opinions. You may not agree with her but you have to accept that the internet is a big place and not everyone will.

Update! DD has got home and said:

1. She's not sure she actually likes the girls in her class doing the Cheer stuff as they made fun of her hair today in front of everyone and are a bit mean.
2. She asked the music teacher about joining cheerleading and they had a chat. MT told DD that there would be no cartwheels or handstands as it's dangerous but lots of pom pom dancing and making up chants.
3. Therefore cheerleading sounds a lot like the dance club and she didn't like that. She's allowed to cartwheel at football so will do that.

So she no longer wants to do cheerleading.

Thanks for the input!

I am just watching a video of the Dallas cowboy cheerleaders right now.

My questions:

1. Why are they all female?
2. Why are they wearing bra tops and hot pants.
3. Why are they paid less than the male mascot?

'I am just watching a video of the Dallas cowboy cheerleaders right now.

My questions:

1. Why are they all female?
2. Why are they wearing bra tops and hot pants.
3. Why are they paid less than the male mascot?

That can't possibly be the demanding, unisex sport so many posters have mentioned here... are you looking at the wrong thing?? Anyway I got my century old grudge against pom poms off my chest and managed to post about my amazeballs kids to boot so I'm outta here...

If that was the case, why did she use such derogatory language about it in her OP?
Because "DC has tried similar sports to X and I'm wary of wasting time and money when she's already not enjoyed similar sports" doesn't afford the same opportunity to complain about a sport they know nothing about.
Eg.
"DC wants to do girls rugby. The problem is she's already tried football and netball and has a track record of not enjoying team sports. AIBU to not want to spend the time and money on another club she is unlikely to enjoy".
Or
"DC has previously found dance and gymnastics boring, but now wants to do cheerleading. We already do a lot and I'm concerned she's going along with what others are doing rather than doing something she might enjoy. AIBU to say no this time?"

don't have the same frothy potential.

That can't possibly be the demanding, unisex sport so many posters have mentioned here

Well if you don’t think it’s demanding I’d suggest there’s something wrong with you.

Anyway I got my century old grudge against pom poms off my chest and managed to post about my amazeballs kids to boot so I'm outta here.

It’s been delightful

'I am just watching a video of the Dallas cowboy cheerleaders right now.

My questions:
1) Why are they all female?
2) Why are they wearing bra tops and hot pants.
3) Why are they paid less than the male mascot?

That can't possibly be the demanding, unisex sport so many posters have mentioned here... are you looking at the wrong thing??

Yet again, because this is clearly a highly challenging concept.

All star cheerleading is a competitive team sport. It is NOT cheerleading at the side of sports matches.

Seriously OP this has been said so many times. The more you (and others) repeatedly ignore this, the more wedded to your own ignorance you seem.

So she no longer wants to do cheerleading

Well knock me down with a feather, who saw that coming....

I’m intrigued by this super serious football club she’s been scouted for, where they’re allowed to do cartwheels as part of it

I’m intrigued by this super serious football club she’s been scouted for, where they’re allowed to do cartwheels as part of it'

Just to clear this one up - that would be for the girls team she plays for, a local kids team. Having said that before training starts all under 10 girls seem to be always doing flipping handstands and cartwheels... it's one of the things that stands out from the boys who usually just charge around...

I was thinking that @JacquesHammer
I think any girl caught doing a cartwheel on the pitch for my dds (fairly serious) football team, also 8, would be gently asked to move to one of the more sociable teams.

Some of the posters on this thread need to take a deep breath, step back and accept that not everyone on the internet will agree with you. People can hold opinions you don’t like - but you will survive.

Going on at the OP will change absolutely nothing.

I'm unimpressed that your primary school's football is just for boys. My daughter played in her school football team (as the only girl) until she was 11. From then on, unfortunately, teams had to be single sex, but that was a national ruling, not the schools. Her boy team mates were gutted that she couldn't continue playing for them. She played until the end of university.

But as regards the cheerleader thing, I'd let her try it. It's not like it's going to affect her attitude to sports in general. She'll probably give it up within months, but she may not be wrong to think that it will help with the way she's viewed by other girls. Trust her to remain true to herself, even of some of the others are bitches.

it's a fantastic sport and discipline in its own right yabu

Oh, cross posted with the update. Not a problem then.

Have you never seen some of the gymnastics some Professional male football players do when they score ? They’re not really allowed to do it any more but back tucks, handsprings etc used to be a common sight !

It’s because tumbling, which is part of gymnastics and all star cheer, is a massively athletic discipline and footballers are very athletic and their body types lend themselves to it.

My 7 year old asked about this. I said no.

I don't see it as a form of exercise and I think it can be very sexual (dress inappropriately and prance around cheering on the boys). No thanks.

Plus we are British. I am not anti-American (love Orlando!) I just don't see the need to adopt traditions that we don't use in this country. It's pointless.

Also everyone should watch this video... just coz it’s Great !

@BRITISHAIRWAYSSUCK honestly what’s inappropriate about this?

Fine if it’s not for you but I don’t get the thing about ‘sexy outfits’ , how can they be construed as sexy? They’re little girls ?

I'm unimpressed that your primary school's football is just for boys.

Me too, but the boys team is way over subscribed and not enough girls for separate one. The school do little to encourage girls in sport in general. DD could join the boys but she has her own team outside already. It seems that most girls want to be in a girls team anyway.