What don't we appreciate?

Star-Telegram | Joy Donovan:

“Since I hung up my pompons a few decades ago, cheerleading has changed dramatically. What was once a popularity contest, with the cute, bubbly girls winning spots on the squad, has now evolved into a sport that requires years of outside training in such areas as tumbling and dance. ... Schools that have chosen to divide cheerleading duties into school spirit activities and competition teams are the most progressive. This way, the never-ending duties of school spirit are shared among those whose greatest talent might be enthusiasm, and the truly competitive, highly trained, superbly skilled cheerleaders can vie for the trophies.”

Ed Cognoski responds:

As cheerleading has evolved, emphasizing tumbling and dance over actually leading cheers, something has been lost - namely, school spirit. Today, the athleticism of the girls (and occasional boys) is more on display, but the pep in the stands is lacking. A generation ago, the bleachers would rock to the synchronized yelling and screaming of hundreds of enthusasiastic fans, all under the skilled coordination of a cheerleading squad. Today, when the fans watch the cheerleaders at all, it's as spectators of gymnastic routines, not as active participants in group chants designed to rally your school's players on the field or court.

I suppose it's futile to expect that trend to reverse. Cheerleading, for better or worse, is now to be thought of a sport by itself. Which raises the inevitable question, who leads cheers for the cheerleaders? Maybe that's where Ms Donovan's squad for school spirit activities comes in. Where the girls whose enthusiasm is at least as great as their ability to do cartwheels can be put to good use. Let the gymnasts who want to be called cheerleaders go to their own competitions and be judged on their abilities to do aerobatic stunts and choreographed dance routines. And let the girls who can inspire a crowd to cheer, in turn inspiring the team on the field or court to excel, do their own thing.