Expert: James - 4/27/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hey, look I never cheered before and I'm gonna try out for my high school.
but i'm scared and nervous, cuz if i become a male cheerleader, my friends maybe they're gonna call me "Cheerqueer" and I'm afraid about that, can you tell me what to do? and what a guy do in cheerleading?
I dnt wanna be a cheerqueer, i wanna be a male cheerleader.
ANSWER: It depends, someplaces will expect you to tumble, at my college if the guy can tumble great, but typically we throw girls in the air and hold them. If you really want to do it then it shouldnt matter what they say about you. Anyone who has ever made fun of me I just dare them to hold a 120lb girl in the air with one arm for over a minute and that usually shuts them up.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey, thank you for answer.
But I have one more questiom.
Look, some boys dont wanna cheer and the captain told me that if i could hepl her to find boys for the cheerleading squad, and i dnt know how to tell the guys that if they would like to be cheerleaders, cuz i'm a little shy, what do you recommend to tell them?
Also I have a problem, I dont like to cheer I mean to shout a loud, I just like to dance and hold girls in the air, but I dnt if that is a problem with the cheer-cap.
It is a problem?

Answer
Honestly, unless they are your friends already (the guys I mean) in my experience its always easier for the girls to recruit guys, so I dont know what to tell you to tell strangers. Secondly, yes screaming loud is kind of a requirement to be a cheerleader. So whatever your captain expects of you is what you would have to do, just like any other sport.