Cheer Mom Blasts Women’s Sports Foundation in NYT Letter to the Editor

Over the weekend, the New York Times published a letter to the editor from the mother of a competitive cheerleader that probably wasn’t well received at the HQ of the Women’s Sports Foundation on Long Island:

To the Sports Editor:

Re “Cutting Men’s Programs Now to Satisfy Title IX in Future,” May 2: By lumping cheerleading with drill team and marching band, the Women’s Sports Foundation has argued against including cheerleading in the count for sports participation.

My husband and I were skeptical when our daughter joined cheerleading. But in a generation, I’ve watched it evolve into an athletic, competitive team sport. Our daughter built muscle, skills, endurance, confidence and leadership during her cheerleading years.

As gymnastics teams are dropped, men and women are gravitating toward competitive cheerleading. But cheerleading just doesn’t sit well with old-school feminists.

While discussing the Gender Games series recently, my daughter said, “Mom, real feminism is about choices.” Three cheers for that.

Carol Taylor
Boulder, Colo.

Make that four. As the College Sports Council has said in the past, varsity status for competitive cheer is all about safety. Click here for the CSC’s official statement on competitive cheer.