WHY THE WORLD NEEDS NFLCHEER
BY
Jainbrain
National Football League Cheerleading is a professional league in the United States of America. 26 of 32 teams include a cheer squad in their franchise. For the NFL, the Baltimore Colts were the first team to have cheerleaders, this was back in 1954.
So, the question I think most of America would ask is a simple one: “Why NFLCHEER?”
And I think the answer most people would come up with without much thought is “T and A of course! Just another excuse for scantily clad women to roam around and be stared at by men.” Nothing more.
The reality is that National Football League Cheerleading, or, NFLCHEER, is a popular attraction that can give a team more coverage, airtime, popularity, local support, as well as extended media coverage. But the question still stands; “WHY NFLCHEER?”
I am writing this because I think that the latter question or in this case, misconception is that Cheerleading is in fact just an excuse for women to be put on display as nothing more than trinkets, and as a result, NFLCHEER goes on as not much more than a niche interest. Nevermind the hours upon hours that these women spend in the gym to make sure that they aesthetically represent their team in the best way possible, or the fact that 90% of NFLCHEER leaders either have a degree from or are currently attending a university. (They’re not just mindless dolls!)
One word you’ll inevitably hear from an NFL Cheerleaders is “Ambassador”. This word is used in NFLCHEER circles almost as much as the word “Love” is used in everyday life. Something we aspire to, yet, find so often unobtainable, that it finds itself sentenced to the abyss of general trivialization.
To an NFL Cheerleader one of he main goals is to be not just a dancer or the hottest girl in the stadium but to, in fact, be an ambassador for a team. So to look at the word ambassador in terms of NFLCHEER what you’d be referring to would be representing your team. And representing your team well. In your life on and off of the field. Living to the highest standard possible whether or not you’re being watched by your Cheer squad directors. For most NFL Cheerleaders this means being a good Christian, working hard, having a good work ethic, making a difference in your community, making a difference in people’s lives. I think being an NFL Cheerleader, and consequently, an ambassador for your team on some fundamental level is a conversation about integrity. The way you live your life; do you keep your promises? If you know you have to break a promise, do you let someone know as soon as ya find out you won‘t be keeping your promise? Do you make a new promise to make up for breaking your word? I think these amongst other things are the types of inquiries that these NFLCHEER ambassadors, make of themselves. I think that’s what NFLCHEER is about. Not putting something worthless or cheap on display to the masses, like so many companies get away with doing, but making a difference in someone’s life even though they may not be in the highest tax bracket or drive the fastest car. MAKING A DIFFERENCE in the world via the way you live your life, via NFLCHEER. That’s what NFLCHEER is about.
And this is why the World needs NFLCHEER. Because it’s one of the few things in this country, that since 1954 has been a CONSISTENT display of integrity, dedication, and tradition. Even when our own government and economy have wavered, Cheer has not wavered.
Another element of NFLCHEER that I think is worth a mention is the community it entails. These girls don’t just roll out of bed after eating ice cream all week and go dance. They have to learn complex routines, they have to work as a team. This is only a part time job but given the effort NFLCHEER ambassadors put in, it seems more life a full time job. And during all those practices and workouts, which start well before the NFL preseason begins, there is a community that gets formed and is tight-knit and unique for each Cheer squad. Their not just friends, these NFLCHEER ambassadors are a family. Twenty-six families in the NFL. And they have a commitment to loving one another. If they have a problem, they’re gonna talk. They gotta talk, they gotta work it out. Because your Cheer, your own personal Cheer, your state of mind as a football fan is too important to them for them to let a personal issue mess with you. They will not let a personal issue mess with you, or the quality of the performance you’ll receive. That’s part of the integrity involved in being an NFLCHEER ambassador.
So, in closing; Yea. Maybe it is just T and A and you’ll never see it any other way. But if it is just T and A, that’s a helluva lot of commitment, dedication, love, effort, and being a dreamer, and LIVING your DREAMS, just for a little T and A. Think about it.
NFLCHEER LIVES!
