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| JennBmom
April 22, 2007
8:28:34 PM
Entry #: 2091048
| Sorry - hadn't realized I never posted my letter on the site...here is it:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter not only to express how deeply saddened I am with the rules of Pop Warner, in connection with the amount of cheer squads compared to football, but to explain how much cheerleading has been a major part to my daughter’s upbringing. Monroe Township may be an isolated group but Monroe Wolverines football and cheer are one big FAMILY. My daughter has been a wolverine cheerleader for 8 years. She started as flag and currently a midget. During those “non competition” years, she enjoyed cheering as much as she has competing. While in those competitive years, as a junior pee wee and pee wee, Monroe cheer did not go pass the Central competition, but that made no difference to my daughter’s love for the sport. As a junior midget and midget, she has had the opportunity to compete and win to go all the way to National’s one year and the Regional’s another. Again, each time it was the love for the sport, the passion to be a cheerleader and the drive to want more for herself, the team and for the coaches. Every year these coaches have sacrificed their personal time to enable my daughter, along with hundreds others a fantastic time cheering.
My daughter, Jessica, has such a commitment and passion to cheerleading. If she could do this all year long, she would. She strives to become a better person, not only physically but with her school work. She knows how important it is to have good grades especially with any sports and carrying both loads. She has taken this responsibility on without a second thought since passion of cheer and the willingness to learn in school are equal in her drive to become a better student and cheerleader. She also understands how the younger squads look up to the older girls and they are the role model of what to become. Be working towards becoming a better person, physically, intellectually and emotionally, these girls have an opportunity to share it all with others. This is what cheerleading means to my daughter.
What is upsetting to me, as a parent, is how unfair the rule cheerleading squads depending on how many football teams each town has. While I would love to see more football teams, our town offers many sports within the schools which don’t allow being on two different teams at the same time.
The rule for cheer compared to football is very discriminating. The rule goes on to say, you can as many football teams as possible, which isn’t dependent on needing a cheer squad for each football team. How can this be? How is Pop Warner standing up to their mission statement, which says, all children between the ages of 5-15 are welcomed to participate in Pop Warner. Not only that, but how sad it is that an organization as large as Pop Warner represents a bias on football compared to cheer. I do understand Pop Warner is allowing each level to have a cheer and dance squad. This cannot happen in Monroe. First all girls want to be cheerleaders. Those that enjoy dance are associated with a private studio for dance. Not only for this reason but to have a dance squad, most of our girls have the skills relating to cheer and our coaches, which volunteer, do not have a background for dance.
While I can appreciate concern for safety on the number of cheerleaders on each field, there must be a way for squads to rotate each week or cheer for visiting teams which do not have a cheer squad. This way everyone get involved, enjoy the game and gets spirited up.
I guess the biggest issue here is why is such a rule in effect to begin with? Meaning, is there a cost issue, safety issue, number issue, etc???? While all of these can be addressed separately, the fact remains, Monroe Township is a community which has grown to large numbers over the years. Our schools have seen this; we are currently building 2 new schools to accommodate this demand so why shouldn’t organizations which offer sports of some type be open to allowing as many children to participate as they want.
If the rule will not be change, I would suggest a representative from Pop Warner come down to talk with the cheerleaders so they can hear it first hand why their dreams of continuing as a cheerleader with Pop Warner will no longer be their opportunity to make their dreams come true. To stop a child from dreaming and believing others support their dreams and desire is a terrible situation.
Thank you for your time, understanding and desire to make the world a better place not only for my daughter but for other children regardless of their decision to cheer, dance or play football.
Arlene Baum
Mother of Jessica
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