
In Rush-Henrietta, New York, the Superintendent changed the Varsity and
JV's local
cheerleading schedule by allowing them to not cheer at the Varsity boys Basketball team's away games and instead cheer at the Varsity girls home games. Most of the varsity
cheerleading squad disagreed with this simply because none of their students were asked their opinion on the topic.
Because of the Title IX ruling in the supreme court from a number of years ago women were granted equal rights in all sports, but in Rush-Henrietta the girls varsity basketball team is mad that cheerleaders will be attending their games. Of course it's great that girls will have another opportunity to have the same rights as men, but is
cheerleading really the best thing?
It's been an on going tradition at Rush-Henrietta to cheer at the boys away varsity basketball games because we're a very talented school in basketball and our boys team usually attracts a big crowd, home and away. The cheerleaders are
disappointed that they can't be apart of the crowds at these away games. Of course the girls are very talented too, winning three state championships in a row, but most of the girls on the team disagree with having our
cheerleading squad there.
We are glad to have
opportunities opening up for more women, but we want to feel wanted where we are cheering at. For many of the seniors it's
disappointing that all these changes are
occurring at the end of their high school careers and are some of the "last times" they'll be cheering. For the underclassmen however, they'll have to get used to the new rules made by Rush-Henrietta and soon their fall football seasons will be affected to. This changes moves us in the direction of cheering at not only football but soccer games too. Sooner or later two squads will be needed to do all of these events, plus competitions.
Rush-Henrietta is one of three schools in Monroe County (Rochester, NY) that will be cheering at both women and men's varsity basketball games.
-Missy