Cheerleaders were once considered to be all the same-simply clones of one another, girls who wanted to get noticed. Now, cheerleading has progressed to be a sport for athletes. Combining dangerous stunts, gravity-defying tumbling, and fast dances with complicated choreography, it attracts an assortment of people and personalities. Of these diverse personalities, the mental block, the attention-grabber, the fake, and the beast stand out.
The Mental Block

This cheerleader claims that she used to have her double full and a running tumbling pass so long that you have trouble believing it would fit on a mat…or so she says. Now, however, her palms begin to sweat when asked to throw the simplest of tumbling passes. She used to fly in a scorpion full down, but now hesitates to try an effortless stunt. This girl is all talk and excuses. She claims to have had all of these skills mastered until that fateful day when she fell from (insert difficult stunt or tumbling pass here). While this fall caused no actual damage, it did result in her “mental block.” She cannot do any of the things that she used to be able to do. Unfortunately, no one who ever saw her tumble before the fall can be found.
The Attention-Grabber

This girl is not to be mistaken for an attention-getter. She is not noticed because of her talent or sparkling smile. She does not simply get attention, she grabs it. She is neither the best, nor the worst person on the team. She falls somewhere in the gamut. She wears tight shorts and short tops-apparently believing this makes her appear more legitimate or talented. She is well-acquainted with the art of getting everything that she wants and she somehow has a spot in the front of every formation.
The Fake

This girl is responsible for the stereotype placed on cheerleaders. She is ditzy with fake platinum blonde hair and an unnatural tan. She chose to cheer because she liked the color combination on the uniform. She misses practice because she signed up for the uniforms, not the early Saturday morning practices. When she does come to practice, she has on more make-up than a beauty queen, despite the fact that it will all sweat off within an hour. This girl can be found trying to complain her way out of strength work.
The Beast

This girl truly is an incredible cheerleader. The skill she possesses is more than the result of hours of hard work- it is a God-given talent. She seems to never tire and is always available to “show you how it is really done.” She has the muscles of an Olympian and throws her tumbling as if she has been doing it since she was born. As a matter of fact, she probably has. This girl has been raised in the cheerleading gym. She is impossible to miss, but not in the way the “attention grabber” is. Always chosen by the coaches to show the example, her teammates look on in silent envy and amazement.
Cheerleaders work to dispel the many unsubstantiated stereotypes placed on them. However, there are a few types of cheerleaders that one can find on almost any squad. While most cheerleaders are dedicated to the success of the team and work hard, one can always find the few that stand out, for good or bad reasons.