Athletes have priority, but not all of them.
Cheerleaders and dancers are “athletes,” but only selectively.
George W. Bush. President. Leader. Role Model. Athlete. CHEERLEADER. Did you know that in the 1960s at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, President Bush was a cheerleader?
I went to www.dictionary.com and looked up the word “athlete.” The result: A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.
Sure football players, soccer players, tennis players, and golfers all posses these traits, but cheerleaders and dancers do also.
Sophomore Aaron Getty responded to the definition saying: “By the definition I read above, everyone is considered an athlete, even Jerry on the Subway commercials who lost 200 some-odd pounds by ‘exercising.’ It’s this kind of ignorance that has pissed off the dancers, the cheerleaders, and their supporters.
Athletes at almost every NCAA school, FAU included, get what is called “priority registration.” Students with this privilege don’t have to wake up at 7:00 a.m. on their “day” and race to the OASIS website to hope that their classes aren’t already taken. They are the first to register. They wake up when they want to, go and have breakfast. Then stroll to a computer, leisurely sign on to OASIS and then have to make some of the toughest decisions they will ever have to make: Do I want to take ENC 1101 at 11 a.m. or at noon? Do I want to end classes at 3 p.m. or at 4 p.m.? Do I want Fridays off, or Fridays and Mondays off so that I can have four-day weekends?
I might sound bitter, but I am not. Athletes deserve to have this privilege because the NCAA requires them to take certain classes during certain semesters. And of course, they have to juggle their classes around practice schedules and games.
“The biggest reason student-athletes receive early registration is the academic progress rules mandated by the NCAA,” said Melissa Dawson, associate athletic Director at FAU. “Because the NCAA does not recognize cheerleaders and dancers as athletes, they are not held to these same rules. Therefore, the privilege of early registration has not been extended to these squads.”
But it is that juggling around practice and games that the cheerleaders and dancers are asking for.
The dancers and cheerleaders (national champs in ’99, 2nd in nation ’03) have to go to the same games the football players and basketball players go to. Some of these games are on school nights, especially basketball. So they sometimes have to sacrifice class in order to stay on the dance team.
Don’t forget, both squads have at least three practices a week. The squads’ practice schedules aren’t during class time, and that’s one thing that has been a benefit for them so far. The practices are 8-10 at night and 7-9 in the morning, when the other athletes are just hitting the snooze button, or gearing up for a nice bedtime Sports Center episode.
In January, the Boca Raton Senate passed a resolution showing support for the early registration procedure to be extended to dancers and cheerleaders. After that, my real work began.
I first spoke with Mike Allen, director of academics for the athletic department. He fully supported my ideas and my endeavor. He agreed that the squads do need it, but it wouldn’t be easy selling it to the rest of the university. As a consolation prize, he has always offered his professional assistance to the dancers and cheerleaders when they have academic questions on what classes to take and when.
Next step: I set up a meeting with the registrar’s office. Already very closed minded on the subject, Registrar Harry DeMik understood the concerns and listened, but to no avail. He thought that it would start the ‘slippery slope syndrome.’ Once one group gets it, who will be getting it next?
After that meeting, I emailed our provost who set up a meeting with me, the associate provost Dr. Mike Armstrong, Allen, and DeMik. Once again, and for the last time, I was stopped and my gas tank emptied. I was at the end of the line, and I couldn’t go any higher.
The three of them agreed with me: there is a need for it. But the syndrome must be in the water in the administration building
Here are some of the groups that they thought would want early registration if it was granted to the squads and my feeling and response to that:
Residence Assistants (RAs): There are more RAs to fill an easier schedule than the squads dancing around practice times and game times that they don’t ever set. The RAs have one meeting a week and that can be changed if no RA can make it due to class conflicts. The cheerleaders can’t demand the NCAA change the FAU vs. FIU football game because half of the squad can’t make it.
Student Government (SG): As a member of SG going on two years now, I see the need, but there is no way we deserve it. We are no better than any other student, except that we have been blessed with the gift of leadership. We get paid for our work, some get free cell phones, free tuition, and free parking spots too, and the ones that don’t get paid (the senators), have one day that they can’t schedule anything on: Thursdays at 4:30 when the senate meeting takes place. But once again, if no senators can make it, we can always amend the statutes.
The Greeks: If this wasn’t the worst of the ideas then I don’t know what was. Why do the Greeks need early registration? They build their community service and school stuff around their class schedule. I don’t know of any school that allows Greeks to register early for class.
The FAU Marching Band: I can see why they would want it; they perform at the games as well. But as I understood it, they get class credit for their practice time. At least that’s some compensation. Plus they get monetary support from athletics and student government, unlike the cheer and dance teams.
So we are back at square one. Watching some of our top dancers and cheerleaders quit the squads because they have to focus on schooling and can’t miss class for games and practices. The squads are a big part of the game, and the half time shows, and have to reacquaint themselves with their new fellow squad members every year and sometimes each semester.
There is only one person left to go to: President Brogan.
Do I think its necessary?
Yes.
Am I going to do it?
No.
He has too many other things going on, like securing millions of dollars for everything in school, and he would probably just pass it along to the provost anyway. Like any good president would do.
Then again, a fellow student and I sat in his office from 5:15-5:45 p.m. one night, requesting he see us on a very pressing issue. If he didn’t see us at that moment, campus recreation would have had their phones and power turned off in the following 18 hours.
He said he loves students, and students are what make this a great place. He proved that he really is a student-friendly man.
I guess I will be calling the president’s office, but not yet.
We’ll wait a couple more months. Or we will wait until the NCAA decides to consider cheerleading and dancing sports. Then, they will receive the benefits of three-day weekends.
Interesting fact:
In a story written by Erik Brady in USA Today (April 26, 2002), one thing that really jumped out at me was: “In 2001, Varsity Spirit Corp, [cheerleaders and dancers] sold its Riddell Group Division, a leading maker of footballs. ‘Football is not growing,’ says Jeffrey Webb, president and CEO. ‘Cheerleading is.'”
In my opinion, he is absolutely right. Almost all sports have reached their maximum growth potential. Soccer still is growing, as is softball.
Cheerleading and dancing, however, still have a lot of growing left. Not being considered athletes are one of the many growing pains that are being felt worldwide.
Students speak on subject:
Getty later added, “FAU’s cheerleaders are not athletes. The few workouts that I have seen, they did little physical activity. If I saw more physical exertion I would change my opinion. However, I am yet to see them perform at games and therefore base my opinion on the few workouts I have seen.”
Tinesha Davis, who is a freshman at FAU, had the opposing opinion: “Cheerleaders and dancers have competitions and work just as hard [as athletes].” Davis later added that she was a cheerleader in high school.
Freshman Jessica Cafarella seemed to agree with Davis: “I consider them athletes because they work just as hard as any other ‘athlete.'”
Junior James Spring had an opinion that, frankly, made me sick to my stomach. “Cheerleading is stupid. Football is stupid too.”
On the other hand, freshman Levi Crossley responded: “Cheerleading is not a sport, but because they workout I consider them athletes.”
My closing remarks:
To the reader who still does not consider them athletes: I challenge you to a semester of pom-poms and dance steps, practice schedules and athletic games, broken bones and competitions. If you make it through while not letting your GPA slip and holding a part-time job on the side, congratulations.
To the reader who considers them athletes: You have realized, either before reading this story or after reading it, that these men and women go through an extraordinary amount of pressure, work, and difficulties just to have fun. I commend you for listening to opinions, considering the facts, and then forming an opinion. After all, that is why you have two ears, and one mouth.
To the cheerleaders and dancers: The NCAA and the way the games are scheduled control your life, yet you have no say in what happens. You have won my support, confidence, and, most importantly, my heart. Keep up the good work. Your efforts are appreciated. Thank you. I love you all.
That’s all for now. And remember: Although $mitty is spelled with a dollar sign, Student Government using your A&S fees to give you free stuff makes cents!
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To contact Rick Smith call 561/297-1182, or email him at [email protected].
