The boys do recognize this issue, and appreciate the few times that we do get them food. This article was not aimed towards all of the football players, but to the few who do not appreciate the cheerleading team. As captain, a few girls have come to me informing me that their football player was angry that they did not receive a gift in their locker. Whether this statement is true or not, this is the reason why some of the cheerleaders are worried about not giving their football player food.
They were informed by their coaches that they all must attend the practice, due to the big game at the end of the week. This, is completely understandable. We would have loved to have the football players there supporting us, however, they were unable to make it due to scheduling issues. With the amount of money spent each week, it has slowly been coming to an end, reducing the amount of times we buy them stuff each year.
The only part of our bodies that are initially seen is our legs and I in no way can see how that exemplifies sexual behavior. I support both the football players and cheerleaders of course in this situation.
I can see where both points come in to play, but this tradition has been coming to an end for a long time. Fabulous editorial written by an even more fabulous individual. Way to tackle an issue that for years has been talked about but never truly analyzed.
Journalism is a field steeped in curiosity, discussion, and the quest to find feasible solutions to both small and large-issues. Saying that Emily should not write about secret psych between the cheerleading squad and football team simply because she is not a cheerleader or football player herself is a petty reason for why you believe she should not have written the article. Do you mean to tell me that Boston Globe columnists Dan Shaughnessy and Bob Ryan are not suited to write about controversial sports issues because they are not somethings playing professional football or baseball themselves?
Should he not provide witty comments and opinions about the latest upset in sports simply because he is not a professional athlete or coach? If that were the case, Splaine, our beloved Barstool would be nonexistent. Keep writing, Emily. Telling a girl how to look and dress IS sexist, they should not have to live by the standards of boys.
As a former WHS cheerleader I can say that I expericed encouragement, respect, and support from the football players, therefore I actually enjoyed making signs for their lockers to encourage them on game days, seeing that this respect was mutual.
I was extremely impressed with your editiorial. I have witnessed these candy bags for years and have always commented on how backwards I feel this tradition to be. I applaud you for taking a stand and shining a light on an issue that needs to be addressed. You have definitely gotten the conversation started. Kudos to Emily for writing this story and for speaking out when others were afraid to do so. This tradition should come to an end, and it will when the adults involved in managing these teams make it happen.
I applaud cheer parent. She has told it like it is. Thank you. Hey, Really enjoyed the article! I think Russell has a point, but altogether, I understand your stance. I suppose where I could find some sort of complaint may be in how your back up cheerleading as something that has evolved but you still find it intrinsically sexist?
To me, your suggested solution would be ending to the cheering on the sidelines completely, which would satisfy its inherent sexism. To me, this will be the final steps in a complete dissociation to take place. Perhaps, this will upset some, but the notion that these girls are having an effect on the game is far-fetched. I guess the crowd can be a factor, but why do young women have to get these people fired up? Just cut all ties.
This sport needs to develop out of the spotlight of American football. It needs a top-down reconstruction. For chrissakes, the NFL cheerleaders were are? Even though there are aspects of this article that could be improved, Emily has several valid points in her writing, many of which have been backed up by comments from cheerleaders themselves. Kudos to Emily for having the guts to write about something so controversial that, seeing as it evoked such strong reactions from both sides of the argument, is an issue begging to be discussed and confronted.
Thanks to this article, people are talking about—and hopefully rethinking—this outdated tradition. Great work Emily. As you already know, I as well as many others throughly resent your article and its sentiment.
It happens on a regular basis. And as for reciprocation, football seniors got their respective cheerleaders food, candy, drinks, and even flowers the day of their Bay State competition. The actions of the few football players over the years who have failed to appreciate the cheerleaders commitment to our program in no way represent our overall sentiment towards cheer or any of its members.
I suggest you find and use evidence to support your claims. Without it they are egregious and utterly outrageous. Leave the cheerleading team to think and speak for themselves. You are on the outside looking in on this tradition. They signed up for their activity, we signed up for ours. In the future, let sleeping dogs lie and refrain from stirring the pot for the sake of page views.
God bless. I am a football player playing right now for walpole high and I would just like to say that we have the utmost respect for the cheerleaders and appreciate everything that they do for us. The thing that bothers me about this article is that we did not have a choice to go or not.
We did not have the field until later that night, and considering it was the day before our playoff game we have to practice. Therefore, we were unable to attend the cheer competition.. I decided not to continue the next year because the way that the cheerleaders are treated, it frankly made me quite sad.
It felt a lot more like we were supporting each other equally and actually trying to psych everybody up for the competition. Whether people decide to acknowledge such or not.
Emily, thank you for having the courage to write about this difficult topic. I am the parent of a current WHS Varsity cheerleader and your article has given me a voice I have been trying to find a way to be heard for three years.
But the reality of this situation is that my daughter would bear the brunt of my actions and words. I have in the past encouraged my daughter to speak up for herself and her team when she was a Walpole youth cheerleader. However, that backfired and she still suffers the negative ramifications today. So again I thank Emily, a non-cheerleader, to voice her opinion through this editorial for those of us who felt pressured not to speak in the name of tradition and in fear of the repercussions on our daughters.
In fact she was in elementary school. Immediately out of her mouth was for us not to send her to WHS if she wanted to be a cheerleader with respect as she then spilled her distain at the tradition that as a duty of being a cheerleader at WHS she had to give the football players gifts before home games. She also told me she quit cheerleading because she did not agree with what she was being asked to do.
That night I could not believe my ears. That in this day and age this tradition would be a requirement of being a cheerleader! I thought for sure this tradition she described to me could no longer be going on at our high school. I was painfully wrong. There were enough upperclassmen cheerleaders that year to handle all of the senior football players. Aside from the money spent, my larger fears were that my 14 year old freshman daughter was being asked to contact her football player through social media.
This tradition supports my then 14 year old daughter to contact a senior 17 or 18 year old football player! This idea was not sitting well with me.
This is a recipe for disaster! I am grateful I had the support of another cheer mother for hearing my concerns that year and not having the 4 freshman girls receive football players. However, a consequence that year of not having a football player for secret psych they were not allowed to join in on the tradition of toilet papering the football players houses.
For the past two years freshman cheerleaders have been given football players. Sophomore year my daughter did have a football player. At that time she was instructed to contact her football player. To get to know him, ask him his jersey number, his locker number, and his likes for food.
She was instructed to buy her football player a sandwich or gift card to a local sub shop , drink, chips, candy junk food and to make a sign to decorate his locker.
Back then the tradition happened once before the big Walpole vs Norwood game. This year the girls were asked to give their football player something for 4 different regular league games and playoff games if they were to happen which as I currently write this is 4 plus playoff games.
One issue of concern during this current season was the issue of the cheerleaders trying to revive an old WHS tradition. In the past the cheerleaders wore the football players shirts during a game. The cheerleaders this year asked their football players for their shirts to wear during the rivalry game against Natick.
Although many football players were initially willing the final choice that came from the football team which stood together on their decision was to not allow the girls to wear them. Fact: The football team rallied together under the direction of their captains and coach to not allow the girls to wear the shirts. Opinion: disrespect. Fact: If you have attended any of the home football games and stayed at the field during half time you witnessed the cheerleaders performing while the field is over run with the youth of Walpole running all around them and throwing footballs while police officers and football personnel stand by doing nothing.
Opinion: disrespectful and unsafe. Fact: At the Bay State Cheer Competition it appeared that the town of Walpole was the only town that did not have football players present to support the cheerleaders. Fact, practice got over thirty minutes before the competition began. The girls performed late in the competition giving the boys time to arrive.
Opinion: Lame excuse. Fact, while the boys are in playoff season, the girls are concurrently in their competition season. This means as for the boys the girls practice schedule increases adding to their 4 day practice week the fifth day of practice on Fridays game day. The girls have been practicing before the last two home playoff games before they come out to support the football team. On top of that last week they competed in three competitions all the while showing support for the football players during their playoff games.
As I sit and read this article I do not place blame with our youth. Children learn through good role models. I do not fault the boys for their actions and perceived lack of disrespect to a group of girls who support them. I look to the leaders of our school, the administration, athletic director, football, and cheer coaches. For the past three years I have heard rumors that this tradition will stop, but every year it continues.
Who is making this decision? Is it cheer? Is it football? Similarly, I have been asking these questions. What does it serve to both parties? I have yet to get a straight answer. As parents we look to the administration and the coaches to continue our jobs as role models during the day while our children are in their hands. Somehow disrespect has been allowed to happen right under their noses in a disguise of a tradition within one of the most treasured sports organizations.
My hope is that this article brings reality to all those involved and change occurs. I hope the men and women in charge of these organizations show respect to our young men and young women to bring forth change. This is a sexist tradition, that encourages entitled football players and subservient cheerleaders and ultimately as history has shown disrespect from one group to the other. Cheerleading already has enough stereotypes for these girls to filter through to their school community.
WHS does not support these girls in their sport especially the organization they choose to support the football team. I look to change occurring with in the leaders of WHS and the football organization. I would like to conclude this lengthy response by saying there are many respectful football players. He thanks her each week through a text. He is pleasant to her and acknowledges her when he passes her in the hallway at school. And he just provided her with an unexpected, generous end of year gift of thanks.
Opinion: Respect. I wish the young men on the football team continued success in their upcoming game on Saturday. Emily, thank you for writing about something that has generated much conversation. As a parent of a former Varsity Cheerleader, I was shocked that so much was expected of these girls in terms of shelling out their own money i.
I am not sure that this is sexist I agree with you on this Russ Ollis but it IS an issue nonetheless. When ANYTHING that feels unfair is not raised as a concern and their voice feels silenced because of a fear of repercussion then something is very wrong.
It was a sentiment shared by many of her co-cheerleaders. That makes me wrong too. This is why it makes me very happy to see Emily tackle this topic.
Remy — you provide a very solid perspective here and we can all learn from you. I agree with you that this tradition should stop immediately. Bill Cullinane —you are so right that it is unfair to paint all football players with the same brush. Many of the football players respected these girls and many are decent people who did appreciate what the cheerleaders did including you and Russ.
Are there players who believe they are better than all others? But that is in great part to the system and a tradition that has long since passed its prime. This is about a sport that has long since changed from its early days to a very seriously competitive and athletic endeavor worthy of more respect than it currently gets.
This is about an administration that needs to step in and recognize inequality. According to your definition, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are also dressing too sexy, even sexier than cheerleaders since it is far less material and their private parts are really accentuated. Shame on those swimmers for dressing so sexy and creating a sexist issue. The football team has become one of the most disrespectful and sexist group of students in the school and do not deserve any fans.
Shame on them for thinking they are entitled to special treatments. Regardless of how you feel about her opinions, this kind of writing creates new discourse and evokes diverse perspectives within the community, as is seen in the comment section. While many of the commentators wished to see student quotes, interviewing football players or cheerleaders as an investigative means would have been an incredibly bad idea. Admittedly, sometimes the school does not like certain articles being published.
But this article clearly deserved a chance to show its merits, and I am happy to see it has. I actually graduated a few years ago. Just like you guys have your opinions, I have mine. I respect cheerleading and consider it a sport, but that being said I do not believe high school cheer is that serious. Rebel cheer, I am happy to hear they happen to have tucks and back handsprings, but I know people who were on the varsity cheer team with neither. I understand why some people such as the football players may feel attacked by this article but what those people need to understand is that this discussion is not meant to offend or belittle them, it is simply meant to end a fundamentally sexist tradition that is far beyond outdated.
Cheerleading is a competitive sport just as much as football is and they deserve just as much respect. Therefore if the cheerleaders are going to be spending their time, energy and money on the football players every home game, the football players should also spend their time, energy and money on the cheerleaders.
That is what I would consider fair. But the fact that the cheerleaders go above and beyond to support the football players and then get almost nothing in return is indirectly supporting an incredibly flawed idea that the football players are more important, and in turn that men are more important.
That is where the sexism lies. If the football players are unwilling to buy gifts for the cheerleaders every time the cheerleaders buy gifts for them, then the practice should end altogether and neither side should receive gifts.
Another important point to make is that the inequality exhibited is at the fault of both sides of the matter. Cheerleaders should not be expected to take part in such a sexist tradition, but they should also take a stand of their own to end it rather than waiting for the tradition to be ended for them though I understand the unwillingness of an individual to do so considering the potential harassment that could -and has- ensued.
That might have been the case when you graduated, but it is , so not a single thing you said is correct. We are a highly competitive cheer program and have been to nationals twice in the past 4 years. If you would like to come see them tomorrow at Whitman Hanson High School as they battle to regain the Regional Champs title, it starts at am There you will witness their team TUCKS and back handsprings… Know what you are talking about before you comment!!!!
You can debate this until the cows come home. I had a daughter in the cheerleading program and a son in the football program. They both knew how I felt about this tradition. I was tempted at times to express my opinion to the coaches of the football and cheerleading teams. I did not as my kids expressed concerns about repercussions on them. But Prinicpal Imbusch, Coach Greener and Coach Dougherty should have recognized this as a backwards practice and put an end to it. As a senior cheerleader for a high school very close to Walpole I completely agree with this article.
For our team it is an issue we constantly discuss, and have even brought to the football captains. We feel not just that it is sexist but also that it is simply disrespectful to show absolutely no appreciation for all the money we spend on food for psyche bags. We often do not receive even a verbal thank you, nevermind food in return or their attendance at even one of our sporting events. I for one appreciate the points made and perspective provided by the author.
Being an editorial, it does not require sources or even factual data for that matter. The respondents whose opinions differ from the writer, near as I can tell, also did not provide sources but a perspective, which is equally valid. The author should be applauded for raising these issues in a comprehensive and thought provoking manner. This article is very biased. Right when I started reading it I could tell it would be all in the cheerleaders favor without any appreciation to the football team.
I have always believed cheerleaders not just WHS but most high schools hold themselves higher than the rest of the student body. Signing up for high school cheerleading is about supporting the football players and cheering at their games.
Yes the cheerleaders have competitions, but no that is not what highschool cheer is about especially at WHS. The trophy comment bothers me because most of these victories were won against only 1 or 2 other teams. The athleticism of the cheerleaders does not compare to that of the porkers or the football team, but of course cheerleaders think they are better than them.
And in all honesty most of the football players are inconsiderate and ungrateful so most of them are undeserving of the gifts that they recieve. As Krystal noted, quotes are not required to express an opinion.
That said, if one wishes for his or her opinion to be seriously considered by others, he or she should provide some sort of tangible evidence to support his or her claims. After all, something must separate reporting from writing a diary entry or a Facebook status.
As you can see above, cheerleaders, regardless of age or gender, are fully capable of recognizing sexism, injustice, inequality, etc. Frankly, to suggest otherwise is downright offensive. Similarly, to suggest that no football players appreciate the generosity of the cheerleaders is equally unfair. If one wishes to make these statements as if they are fact, one must be prepared to support his or her argument. The perception of cheerleading has changed dramatically over the years and, in my opinion, this sport should not need to be affiliated with any other sport s.
I read your article, and congrats for stirring up such a controversy and I do truly believe in a lot of the things you said, but I do not like your article. You start off the article with a mostly fair look at the issue, stating that cheerleading is inherently sexist and that you do not think the football players sufficiently repay the cheerleaders for what they do, but then after the second paragraph your tone changes from cool and logical to harsh and emotional.
That aside changes the tone from a passionate analysis of the argument to an attack on the reader. Even if it is sarcastic, that sarcasm belittles the reader by setting yourself apart as a superior.
The superiority and tone makes the article feel more like a lecture than an argument which is by definition a two-way affair. Not only does the reader feel alienated by your argument, but you offend those that actually have the ability to implement real change. Shaming people is not a good way to get them to believe you; Shame only serves to put people down. The football players are also outright insulted. No one is going to give your argument any merit if you are calling them a simple beast.
Even the cheerleaders might be offended. You depreciate the cheerleaders into Stockholm Syndrome-d slaves, and compare the men are into brutes. This article needed to be written.
As a former WHS Varsity cheerleader of 4 years, in addition to being a senior captain, I can absolutely speak on behalf of the cheerleaders. At least, I can speak on behalf of those who see the utter ridiculousness of the practice. In return, the football teams attends merely one competition of ours. In response to the alumni cheerleader, the gift which they give us during the pasta dinner is paid for by the Gridiron Boosters.
My mother, as treasurer of the Gridiron Boosters, constantly vouched for us cheerleaders, and one year she encouraged the football players get us gifts before one of our competitions.
Needless to say, this never became a tradition. I felt pretty stupid when I discovered that, so I, along with the other seniors, enforced the rule that we will only give gifts for 4 of the games. Our intention was for the following years to give even less gifts, and eventually phase out the practice, but I cannot say whether that is happening or not.
This tradition has been going on since the 80s, which is much more sexist than The purpose of cheerleading was to cheer on the football team; now, in competitive cheerleading, cheerleaders compete for themselves. No practice time in the fall is dedicated to game cheers.
I cannot say that this is an issue of gender inequality, but it is an issue of inequality nonetheless. My advice is that cheerleaders cease the tradition immediately, since there is simply no use for it. That is what good journalism is about — being bold.
It got you to react, and usually, beneath that reaction, there is some thinking going on. Given the gender dynamics at play with this tradition, and given the angle of her article, an exploration of this idea was needed to make the point.
The writer does a good job voicing her opinion about a tradition she sees played out in the hallways of her own school — her status as an editorial writer and member of the student body validates her point of view; technically and ethically , quotes are not needed given her position as a literal witness to this stuff.
I admire the author for writing such an article and absolutely agree that it is an outdated tradition. It should at least be reciprocated by the football players if the cheerleaders feel they need to continue doing it. First of all, this is a very well written piece.
As a former football player, I firmly believe that most seniors truly appreciate the efforts put forth by cheerleaders during secret psych. Of course, this is not true in every case. Verdict 1: I think Lyla must be a cheerleader.
She's often shown on the sidelines of the game, cheering in the uniform and with pom-poms, just like my school's cheerleaders. Plus, she was dating the star quarterback--clearly a role only a cheerleader can fill.
Verdict 2: I have spent too much time thinking about this. Verdict 3: I love the internet. I would like to add: 1.
Rally girls are definitely below cheerleaders. It seems that some football players think they can use the poor rally girls to satiate their other, non-cookie related, appetites. Rally girls, you will not be his girlfriend if you agree to a threesome. Also, since when were people even considering threesomes in high school?!
I feel so old. The rally girls may or may not wear sequined outfits, as opposed to the quite cute, i think. I love how you can take a simple quandry and complicate it into a masterful, hilarious, and informative argument. Also I've never heard of a rally girl or a spirit box but it sounds dirtily peppy. Give me a W. Give me an H. Give me an O.
Give me an R. Give me an E. Maybe, since pilots are often written long before any other episodes, Lyla was originally intended to be a rally girl?
Thank you Lisa and Sarah for inspiring me to watch this show. You see, I have been toying with the idea of trying to get the first season from the library for several weeks now, but I have not put much effort into it. Especially since the writer's strike does not appear to be ending any time soon, and I need a show to be obsessed with besides bad reality TV on Bravo!
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