Cheering for Keeps

Of all the sports that can be accused of recruiting violations, the last one that would likely be mentioned is cheerleading.  How bad must the basketball and football players feel?  The girls rooting them on are more highly sought after than they are.

Cheering on another level

Along with the unfair actions of high school recruiting, breaking up the cheer squad can lead to an epic showdown in the lunchroom.


It is truly unfortunate that such actions are taking place in our country for a sport, that, on a high school level, don't keep track of wins and losses.  It discourages other participants to stick with the sport because they recognize the two best cheerleaders in the state are walking the hallways Monday morning, whereas they were a distant, mythical newspaper clipping a week earlier.  The coach obviously has a say in such an instance and it is clear there are now two less spots on the squad for the girls that paid their dues and bided their time up through the classes.  As Coakley notes (2010, pg. 472), much of the focus of sports distracts the students from their primary reason of wearing that name across their uniform, to earn a respectable education.  The girls not as good take more time to practice their cheering to try and compete with the elite, neglecting their studies.  The recruits also are quite literally, as seen in the video, put on a higher pedestal where their family just so happens to purchase a house and join the gymnastics studio in the area the same week they start school.  It is very discouraging, especially from a sport that is not traditionally this corrupt.