Cheer routine is safe
February 25, 2004
Martin Kelly
This is in regard to a certain incident that happened at a recent men’s basketball game here at SDSU. It is fair to say that the cheerleaders and dance line are a big part of the game, for they keep the crowd in high spirits and entertain during time outs and halftime as well.
The cheerleaders recently came up with a routine that was truly awesome and really made our school look like the Division I status that we are working up to be.
The athletic department, however, deemed some of the stunts in the performance as dangerous, even though they were specifically constructed within the guidelines given to the cheerleaders.
Only after the performance did someone in the athletic department decide that the stunts performed were “unsafe,” and demanded that the cheerleaders could not perform their scheduled halftime show for the next night.
I believe that this shows a distinct lack of faith and knowledge in the coach and the cheerleaders’ capabilities. Since August the cheerleaders have been training and working hard, and the improvement is nothing short of incredible.
As a member of the cheer squad, I say on behalf of all of us that we want the athletic department to realize that if SDSU is to be a Division I school, all sports are going to have to progress in what they do, and that includes cheerleading and dance line. The cheerleaders are trying to prove that they can perform all of the stunts that the other DI schools can, without being punished for it.
The crowd had a great reaction toward the routine because it was strong and they saw the work that went into it.
This change in our division is all about adjusting and betterness.
The athletic department needs to be aware of the fact that cheerleading is a sport as well, and it is unfair to take a great halftime performance away from the crowd because someone who knows nothing about stunting thought that one or two things appeared unsafe.
They have also gone as far as to say that cheerleading could possibly be canceled altogether, and I’m sure everyone agrees that this would be a great sacrifice to all the football and basketball games.
Thanks very much for your time.
Martin KellyBrookings