The National Council for Spirit Safety and Education newsletter has a write up on competition sportsmanship. This is not about the cheerleaders as much as it is about the parents and spectators. I have myself have seen behavior similar the what the writer describes. I hope everyone who reads this takes it to heart.
As we begin another competition season, let’s take a few minutes to remind our cheerleaders and parents about their competition sportsmanship behaviors. Cheerleading is an activity that originally began as a support group and promoted good sportsmanship. At a recent competition I attended, the audience was asked to remain seated when squads were performing, and competition staff were standing at the back of the aisles to keep people from entering while performances were ongoing. Parents refused to stop; adults stood in the aisles talking on cell phones; adults moved in and out oblivious to the fact they were blocking the audience’s views of the performing groups. One parent, when asked to stay back, angrily refused to stop, stomped her way down ten rows of seats, sidled in to the middle of the row and began to complain to her seatmates, gesturing back to the competition staff. Another adult kicked at a cheerleader sitting on the floor of the lobby and directed an expletive at the cheerleader when she did not move out of the way quickly enough.
What has happened to common sense and treating others as we would like to be treated? Education is a key point when dealing with parents and cheerleaders alike. Do not assume people will behave as you expect them to. During parent meetings, give clear expectations of what you expect from parents and cheerleaders as it relates to behavior at competitions. Reading and distributing to parents and cheerleaders the event guidelines for dealing with unsportsmanlike conduct is also important. Coaches, teach parents and cheerleaders (and yourself if necessary!) how to win graciously and how to accept second, third, or fourteenth place. Shaking hands and congratulating winners is done in all sports–yet we don’t often see cheerleaders do this.
Let’s all work to bring sportsmanship back to cheerleading–parents, competitors, and coaches.
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