Every movie about high school includes at least one scene with high school sports. A typical part of that scene is a group of cheerleaders rooting the team to victory. I was one of those cheerleaders. It started with me playing with my friend's pom-poms during halftime. Then I joined the team for almost 2 years until I graduated. I stopped in college because I knew I wouldn't be able to perform the stunts required to try out for the team. I am happy to report that Para-cheerleading is now a sport.
A team is qualified a para-cheer team if half the team members have a disability. I hoped that they would have modified stunts that even wheelchair users can do, but as of right now they still only have stunts for people who can stand. I appreciate that the squads can be a mixture of people with different disabilities.
I think it's important to showcase people with disabilities working together because at the end of the day we all belong to the disabled community. I also think cheerleading helps with confidence. You are a part of a team, and that team has your back.
The moves are based upon your ability. A wheelchair user would just stick to arm movements and chair turns. You still have the same moves as in normal cheerleading, but people with disabilities are a part of the conversation. Why shouldn't people with disabilities cheer for their favorite teams? It's okay to have fun shaking some pom poms. Maybe one day we can have more adaptive sports on television. Then young people with disabilities can see themselves represented. They will need people to cheer them on to victory. Some athletes sit on the sidelines and cheer. Some athletes play on the court. They are all a part of the game.
Written by Stephanie Wyatt
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