Cheerleading

Call from the AD of one of the local schools Saturday night —"Hey, our cheerleaders finished fourth in the state competition. Wondering if you could get something in." Passed it on to the news department, who put it on the education page.

This morning, a call from a mother — "(Area school) won its fourth consecutive state cheerleading title. I sent you a team photo to get in. This is A BIG DEAL. This is just as important as volleyball and the other sports. You didn't run any photos of our Homecoming court, and we don't know why. That's why you need to get this in, because there will be a lot of angry people in the community."

Ah, Mondays.

 

Hmmm ... either a big spread on A1 or a 3-inch brief in sports.

How bad do you want to get in the sports section, Mom?

 

Why do you hate America, Hawkeye?

 

... not a sport.

 

No, but we can't use that as a reason to keep it out of the paper. Too often, I think we play a shell game with things like this, knowing the eventual outcome is going to be that the paper never writes anything.

Which, really, is unacceptable for most community papers.

Cheerleading and competitive marching band are two things that come to mind that are of sufficient community interest -- in most communities -- where the local paper needs to act like it gives a sh*t.

Some of you, I know, live in places where it's not regarded as important. I bet your circulation figures didn't improve in 2005, either.

 

Nice local news page stories....NOT SPORTS

 

So, as Spnited said, let the community news section handle the non-sports competitions.

Activities that are created and supported specifically to root for other teams, are not sports. Athletic, sure, but not a sport. If the school took away the cheerleaders, the school would still have football, basketball, wrestling, etc. If the school took away sports, they would not still have a cheerleading squad.

 

I love America. This is our country.

Actually, I made sure that it got in the news section. And our circulation has gone up every year.

 

My daughter's in marching band, and I'm very confident that no one outside the band members' families give a hoot about the results. (They won the event last weekend, btw.). Parents like to see their kids' names in the paper, but you'd have to be at a pretty small paper for band to make the cut.

 

I have never once run into a reader who was upset that we didn't cover a cheerleading competition unless that reader was A) directly involved in said competition or B) the parent of someone directly involved in said competition.

I have, however, had readers who have no family or friends involved in other sports ask about our coverage of them.

That tells me all I need to know about why I shouldn't cover cheerleading competitions.

 

I never said you should. Your paper? Another matter altogether.

 

In my state, competition cheerleading is governed under the auspices of the high school league's sports division. Band is governed by the non-sports arm of the high scool league (along with drama, forensics, debate and freestyle masterbating). So while I don't agree with the league's decision, it's one I abide by and put cheerleading in my section.

It's worth noting that cheerleading is the only sport that has thus far engendered the comment I got after the regional meet last year, which I covered with a small photo package. Some mom was upset that I ran a photo of a really high basket toss for one of the schools, the reason being you couldn't see their faces. Funny how I've never fielded that one from the football and basketball parents, eh?