Submitted by EDA-The First Cheerleader to change the rules (not verified) on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 5:24pm.
By accident I discovered this topic page about male cheerleading.
Consider this, in 1957, I was the very first elected black or male cheerleader in a high school of 1200 stduents in which about 110 were minorities (all four grades) in the Mid-west-Sandusky,Ohio. and the second black cheerleader in the entire Buckeye Athletic Conference of nine different high schools. For four years straight, teams of minorities girls had tried out at our school and none ever made it into our cheerleading squad of six girls. At the same time, some of the stars of the sport teams were African Americans. Also election to be a cheerleader was based on a closed poll of the student council members and I was the only Africian American on student Council that year. Plus I am sexually straight and most of the cheerleading skits consisted of fonding, and grabbing some of the cutest and best built girls in school.
Strange how it happened. I had just resigned from the wrestling squad in an argument with the coach and later when I went to a match, and was yelling from the stands for a friend still on the squad, the wrestling coach lost his cool. He went to the public loudspeaker and in front of everyone said, "Hey E.... if you want yell so much. Why don't you become a cheerleader and join the rest of the girls>" I answered back, "I just may do that" Guess what? I thought about it some more and remembered that black girls have been trying to get on the cheerleading squad for years. Besides, I was in great shape, could do flips and spilts. I practiced, and three weeks later quietly told my fellow student council members what I was going to do and would they vote for me. I want just a few votes to get back at the coach and make a statement. But at my audition I jumped higher and made spilts better than anyone else. Plus it was fun and leading the students through the cheers was an additive form of power.
When I won, as the top ballot getter of the one boy (me) and 27 girls who tried out, for the six open slots. They had a rule that each year, all girls must re-try-out. In fact the same year the current captain of the squad was voted off because she crossed too many other members. She was from the wrong side of the track, became the girlfriend of a very popular boy who had previously gone with a popular student, was not a virgin , drink beer and so on was the whisper campaign against her. When she lost, she walked out in tears and later switched high schools for her Senior year. To be a cheerleader was the top slot for a girl in high school...mothers and families spent time and monies throwing parties and inviting the voting members of the student council
What an explosion and time of change...In my case, there were meetings with the principal and chaperons of the cheerleaders, plus two parents of the girl members wanted me to kicked off the team. For two days I was constantly being called into meetings with this and that proposal. First they offered me to be head of a new pep squad they were establishng as they were aware that the black kids were not being presented. I learned much later that two of the teachers stood up for me and said they would file charges if I was not offered the slot as a cheerleader. The problem,as it was explained to me, that with six people, all the routinues would be off balanced with me as one boy with five girls. Previously they had two boys acting as cheerleaders but they were offically called the cheer squad and were appointed by the school...yelled through big megaphones and did flips independent of the girl squad.
Another proposal was to increase the squad to seven with me in the middle. The problem was that next three girls all had the same number of votes after the top six top votes getters. In the end, I was not allowed to travel with the girls to away games. They created a new school mascot for varsity games, who was me. And I agree to be the reserve member of the varsity squad and to start a second reserve squad with four other girls. I was on both squads for two years. My first year on the squad letter stated that I was a member for the varsity squad and also on the reserve squad. No one else letter stated this. The next year, my letter said I was on the reserve squad only. Also I agreed not to place my hands on the bodies of any girls. The next year, a policy was made that before a student could try -out for cheerleading, the supervising teacher had to agree before the student could appear before the student council. I understand it was years before there was another minority cheerleader and decades before another boy.
Great Fun and after a while I enjoyed all the pleasures being a boy cheerleader when they decided to enter our squad in a statewide contest...having a boy member gave us an advantage -EDA.
»
Reply
Search Serendip
Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate
but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)
Male Cheerleading-Yes it was Adventure
By accident I discovered this topic page about male cheerleading.
Consider this, in 1957, I was the very first elected black or male cheerleader in a high school of 1200 stduents in which about 110 were minorities (all four grades) in the Mid-west-Sandusky,Ohio. and the second black cheerleader in the entire Buckeye Athletic Conference of nine different high schools. For four years straight, teams of minorities girls had tried out at our school and none ever made it into our cheerleading squad of six girls. At the same time, some of the stars of the sport teams were African Americans. Also election to be a cheerleader was based on a closed poll of the student council members and I was the only Africian American on student Council that year. Plus I am sexually straight and most of the cheerleading skits consisted of fonding, and grabbing some of the cutest and best built girls in school.
Strange how it happened. I had just resigned from the wrestling squad in an argument with the coach and later when I went to a match, and was yelling from the stands for a friend still on the squad, the wrestling coach lost his cool. He went to the public loudspeaker and in front of everyone said, "Hey E.... if you want yell so much. Why don't you become a cheerleader and join the rest of the girls>" I answered back, "I just may do that" Guess what? I thought about it some more and remembered that black girls have been trying to get on the cheerleading squad for years. Besides, I was in great shape, could do flips and spilts. I practiced, and three weeks later quietly told my fellow student council members what I was going to do and would they vote for me. I want just a few votes to get back at the coach and make a statement. But at my audition I jumped higher and made spilts better than anyone else. Plus it was fun and leading the students through the cheers was an additive form of power.
When I won, as the top ballot getter of the one boy (me) and 27 girls who tried out, for the six open slots. They had a rule that each year, all girls must re-try-out. In fact the same year the current captain of the squad was voted off because she crossed too many other members. She was from the wrong side of the track, became the girlfriend of a very popular boy who had previously gone with a popular student, was not a virgin , drink beer and so on was the whisper campaign against her. When she lost, she walked out in tears and later switched high schools for her Senior year. To be a cheerleader was the top slot for a girl in high school...mothers and families spent time and monies throwing parties and inviting the voting members of the student council
What an explosion and time of change...In my case, there were meetings with the principal and chaperons of the cheerleaders, plus two parents of the girl members wanted me to kicked off the team. For two days I was constantly being called into meetings with this and that proposal. First they offered me to be head of a new pep squad they were establishng as they were aware that the black kids were not being presented. I learned much later that two of the teachers stood up for me and said they would file charges if I was not offered the slot as a cheerleader. The problem,as it was explained to me, that with six people, all the routinues would be off balanced with me as one boy with five girls. Previously they had two boys acting as cheerleaders but they were offically called the cheer squad and were appointed by the school...yelled through big megaphones and did flips independent of the girl squad.
Another proposal was to increase the squad to seven with me in the middle. The problem was that next three girls all had the same number of votes after the top six top votes getters. In the end, I was not allowed to travel with the girls to away games. They created a new school mascot for varsity games, who was me. And I agree to be the reserve member of the varsity squad and to start a second reserve squad with four other girls. I was on both squads for two years. My first year on the squad letter stated that I was a member for the varsity squad and also on the reserve squad. No one else letter stated this. The next year, my letter said I was on the reserve squad only. Also I agreed not to place my hands on the bodies of any girls. The next year, a policy was made that before a student could try -out for cheerleading, the supervising teacher had to agree before the student could appear before the student council. I understand it was years before there was another minority cheerleader and decades before another boy.
Great Fun and after a while I enjoyed all the pleasures being a boy cheerleader when they decided to enter our squad in a statewide contest...having a boy member gave us an advantage -EDA.