USNA Cheerleading

NAhopeful18

5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2013
Messages
5
I was wondering how difficult it is to make the USNA cheerleading team?

I have over 12 years of cheerleading experience, both competitively and high school. I have only been on all girl teams, where I am a base, and have never gotten the chance to partner stunt. Would that hinder my chances of making the team?

I would also like to know how cheerleading is treated by other sports and clubs? At my high school it is pushed aside because it is not considered a real sport and receives little to no funding form the school.

Thank you in advance for any responses.
 
Go to page 5 and you will find a previous discussion that is similar to yours. There is a link there that may help you find the answers to your concerns. Best wishes.
 
I was in the class of '79, the last all-male class. When I was a Plebe, we had female cheerleaders who were obviously not midshipmen.

The next year, the first year that women entered the Brigade, every cheerleader was a Plebe. At the time, it seemed the only criterion was that you had to be a female. :smile:

I have no idea how competitive it is to make the cheer squad these days. It seems needlessly time consuming, to me - just like many of the sports teams.

Playing on a marquee sports team seems to be the "fast track" to SWO or Marine Ground.
 
It seems needlessly time consuming, to me - just like many of the sports teams.

Playing on a marquee sports team seems to be the "fast track" to SWO or Marine Ground.

Coming from a parent of a mid who preferred Marine Ground before even starting, I found your comment offensive.:thumbdown:
 
Memphis,

I started to type a response, but decided to ask you a few questions first... Your opinion is that some sports/ECAs/etc are not worth people's time? What determines if a sport/ECA/etc is worth someone's time? Is that what you are getting at? Fast track to SWO or Marine Ground, you mind expanding your thoughts on this? I definitely get a negative vibe that these are less desireable service selections and would like to know why you think that. And yes I am a former basketball player who went Marine Ground (In my class Marine Ground was more competitive than USMC or Navy Air selection).
 
Coming from a parent of a mid who preferred Marine Ground before even starting, I found your comment offensive.:thumbdown:

I preferred to take it in the spirit of good humor with which I'm confident it was intended. And if it wasn't intended that way, I at least can still feel good about it.
 
I hope so too kinnem... I guess that is why I was hoping for a little clarification. I definitely believe everyone is entitle to their opinion, just curious how he came to those.
 
What occurred in 1979 and 1980 -- especially as it relates to women's sports and ECAs -- is not particularly relevant to what happens today, nearly 35 years later.

With respect to the general tone of this thread, please keep things civil. And if one is making a comment as a joke that could o/w be interpreted as offensive, it helps to add a smiley or other disclaimer so everyone knows.

Just saying . . .
 
Coming from a parent of a mid who preferred Marine Ground before even starting, I found your comment offensive.:thumbdown:

My intent was not to offend, but these are two of the service selections that do not depend very heavily on order-of-merit. Quite frankly, SWO is very easy to get. Marine Ground basically requires you to do well at Leatherneck. Most athletes do not have much difficulty with Leatherneck since there is a huge physical fitness aspect to it.

If have the greatest respect for all the service communities. But, from a competitive viewpoint, SWO and Marine Ground are not particularly hard to get. That's a simple fact. This is good news for anybody who wants to serve in those communities anyway. Many do. If that describes your mid, then, congratulations!

My point was that competing in time consuming athletics makes academic excellence a challenge. Academics, by far, is the largest factor in order-of-merit. You're not going to see many members of the football team go submarines, SEAL, EOD, Medical Corps - and even aviation can be a challenge for them because of past injuries. The medical requirements for aviation are fairly high. Plus, you have to have a respectable class standing for a pilot slot. Although, with the 8-yr commitment, there is a trend away from the popularity of aviation.
 
Memphis, thanks for the explanation. Yes, sports are a huge time consumer and a Midshipmen has to make a decision if that is of high enough value to them to play. For me, it was. Everyone is different. Then again I held 3-stripes during plebe summer and the ac year. I wasn't a genius or 6-stripper, but I did my job (as most athletes do). Every day I realize more and more the role that sport played for me in what kind of Marine officer I was and what kind of person and professional I am today. It was instrumental. I wouldn't trade those for anything. I suspect as the Marine Corps continues to cut numbers, the numbers for USNA will drop down the road. As I said before, my class... Marine Ground was more competitive than Navy or Marine Air. And yes SWO is the stand by pick. Nothing wrong with it, after all ships are the heart and soul of the Navy. And yes and no on Leatherneck... trust me if someone does not have the personality or leadership to lead Marines they can run a 300 PFT daily and won't be selected. We had several in my class who could and were not selected, to include 2 prior enlisted Marines. Like every class, its a numbers game. Every class is different, needs of the service are different, and class personalities vary which makes every service selection the same, yet slightly different.
 
And yes and no on Leatherneck... trust me if someone does not have the personality or leadership to lead Marines they can run a 300 PFT daily and won't be selected.

I think the leadership and team spirit that goes along with playing a sport also help the athletes at Leatherneck - along with their athletic abilities. So, I maintain most (obviously, not all) have little difficulty in excelling at Leatherneck and getting Marine Ground - if that's what they want. Again, if you do well at Leatherneck, a modest order-of-merit is not going to hurt you much whereas that would be a killer for other service options.

The original question was about getting on the cheerleading team. I admit, I don't know about that. The reason we got off on this slight tangent was me mentioning how time consuming it might be. And, I really don't know how time consuming it is, although, wherever the football team is, the cheerleaders are always there. But, when the football team is having their lengthy practices, for all I know, the cheerleaders are back in the hall studying for their Physics exam.

It's something every midshipman has to decide for themselves, like you said. I know of many midshipmen who got themselves into some academic hot water because they were far too involved in their ECAs when they probably should have been dedicating more of their time to studies. This can even happen if you're a Masquerader (theater group), the Glee Club or the Drum & Bugle Corps.

Those who can juggle both and still excel are truly special people. My hat is off to them. Not everybody can do it. Each person must decide if they can perform that juggling act.

Most candidates were very involved in ECAs and sports in high school. Sometimes that doesn't work so well for them once they arrive at the academy.
 
The tangential discussion here was very informative!

I am hoping to bring things back around full-circle with a reply to the OP:

NAhopeful18,

My DD, a plebe whose cheer background was somewhat like yours, is now on the USNA cheerleading squad as a flyer. The process for making the squad was/is competitive (it varies by year, but there is currently a lot of stunting and tumbling talent).

The Commandant/Administration considers the cheerleaders to be "important to the success of the Brigade" (see my prior post, referenced above, and note that intramural exemptions for the squad have increased this year from 30 to 60 per season). I cannot speak to the views within the Brigade, but have heard nothing at all negative from DD. Some of what the squad needs and does is USNA-funded (e.g., game travel), some is not (e.g., uniforms and spirit wear). DD's financial obligation has not been onerous thus far.

The time commitment, however, is significant (akin to most sports teams). On weekdays, there are early morning workouts (weightlifting and core work) and also afternoon practices during the athletic blocks. Then add games (and travel time) during football and basketball seasons. Finally, the squad participates in numerous community service obligations for "spirited" USNA outreach and other good reasons.

My DD absolutely loves being on the squad, and considers it as an important part of her overall experience at the academy. That said, she does wish right now (like many other plebes) that there were 8+ additional hours in each day (for more homework time, and SLEEP).

I hope that my reply here is helpful. Good luck with your application process!

OysterMom
 
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