7 Reasons Why the World Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Cheer

Face it: the world wouldn’t be the same without cheerleading. Sure, we’ve had to battle cheer myths and stereotypes and we work hard to be seen as a sport. It’s a lot of work, but cheer is worth it. We would miss out on a lot of wonderful things if we didn’t have cheer or cheerleaders. Here are just seven reasons why the world wouldn’t be the same without cheerleading: 1) Spirit fingers wouldn’t be the same. Without cheer, we never would have had the movie “Bring It On” or the classic quote from Sparky, the choreographer: “Those aren’t spirit fingers…THESE are spirit fingers!” 2) Hair bows. Yes, there would still be bows without cheer. But, we would never have the styles, colors, and patterns of cheer bows that cheerleaders wear to games and competitions! From upcycling bows to creating decorations, cheerleaders have created incredible ways to show off and reuse their dozens of bows. 3) We would be one hero short. Even though Heroes was just a TV show, Claire Bennet proved that cheerleaders can save lives (and possibly even the world) in a cute pleated cheer skirt. 4) Sports games would be a lot more boring. Think about it. Without cheerleaders, there wouldn’t be any cheers or chants, uniting the fans in the stands and getting everyone pumped up for a touchdown or slam-dunk. Cheerleaders get the crowd spirited and excited. Like the quote goes, “without cheerleaders, it’s just a game.” 5) Incredible stunts. Cheerleaders can do some pretty amazing things. Mix the rhythm of dancers, the flexibility of gymnasts, the power of tumblers, and the strength of weight lifters; add a dash of spirit, and you’ve got cheerleaders! Without them, we wouldn’t be able to see amazing tricks, like Ashlee Arnau’s half-court shot at a college basketball game that shocked the crowd (and the Internet!). 6) Community contributions. When they’re not on the field or competition floor, many cheer squads give back to their communities! Whether it’s donating toys during the holidays, volunteering at soup kitchens, or promoting the sciences (check out Science Cheerleader and the amazing ways they promote women in the sciences!). 7) Sassy sayings. “I’m a cheerleader from bow to toe.” “Athletes lift weights; cheerleaders lift people.” “It’s hard to be humble when you can jump, stunt, and tumble!” Whether they’re competitive, motivational, or cheeky, cheer has great quotes and sayings! We wouldn’t have nearly as much fun on Pinterest and Tumblr if we couldn’t stumble upon fun images with “Keep Calm Flyers and Trust Your Bases.”