Cheerleaders

[tonywalt]

This post ties to an earlier post where I spoke of readers and introversion and the fairly strong connection. But curious, I would bet there are no more than 3 cheerleaders active on this entire forum.

I realize this is exclusive to North America, as they are not common outside Can and US.

So how many girls are cheerleaders out there?

I know it's a bit, well, shallow, but it does give you the fairly predictable social parameters that are in force.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

What?

[MystyrMystyry]

Cheerleading is the most dangerous sporting activity of all organised sports - more injuries and deaths result from it per year than in any other, and indeed, many others combined

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I don't know if I'd call cheerleading a sport (I also realize you didn't call it such, MM). A sport needs competition, and not in the kind solely based on judges. Still, cheerleading (at least competitive, not the kind in football) is insane. Huge amounts of skill and daring go into it. I have a cousin who does the flying through air stuff. It drives her parents insane with worry.

Still, I'm unclear on what point the OP was trying to make, :).

[stlukesguild]

Where do we get these blanket statements that are never backed up by the least bit of fact?

U.S. Consumer Produce Safety Commission on injuries treated in emergency rooms.

The Top 15:

Basketball: 512,213
Bicycling: 485,669
Football: 418,260
Soccer: 174,686
Baseball: 155,898
Skateboards: 112,544
Trampolines: 108,029
Softball: 106,884
Swimming/Diving: 82,354
Horseback riding: 73,576
Weightlifting: 65,716
Volleyball: 52,091
Golf: 47,360
Roller skating: 35,003
Wrestling: 33,734
*****************

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) reports:

Basketball leads the AAOS's list of 10 popular summer recreational activities with the most injuries. Last year in the United States, 1.6 million injuries related to basketball were medically treated, according to US Consumer Product Safety Commission data.

Bike riding had 1.4 million injuries and baseball had 492,832 injuries in 1999. Other sports on the list are soccer with 477,647 injuries; softball, 406,381 injuries; and trampolines, 246,875 injuries.

Next is inline skating with 233,806 injuries, and horseback riding, 196,260 injuries. Rounding out the top 10 list are weightlifting with 189,942 injuries, and volleyball with 187,391 injuries.
****************************

Cheerleading in not even recognized in these statistics although other sources site it as the leading sport for injuries in women... 20,000 in the US. This measures up against 100,000+ on trampolines, over half a million injuries in basketball, slightly less in biking, 400,000+ in football... and even 45,000+ in golf. However, it might be added that cheerleading is not even considered a legitimate sport by most standards including the NCAA and the Federal Courts that have ruled upon funding for school sports. Yes, the participants are involved in physical activities that are often quite demanding, and they are quite often exceptional athletes, however the primary purpose of cheerleading is not competition, but rather entertainment. The NCAA has stated that they would not even begin to consider cheerleading as a sport until the primary purpose was competition (with clearly defined standards and rules) and not entertainment at other sporting events. This is not likely to change any time soon. Under the present situation one might just as well call the ballet or circus entertainers "sports".

Recreational vehicles, or ATV riding, is statistically more fatal than any other sport, with an average of between 200 and 300 deaths every year. Other top contenders include swimming, scuba, mountain climbing, horseback riding, etc...

[Alexander III]

I don't know if I'd call cheerleading a sport (I also realize you didn't call it such, MM). A sport needs competition, and not in the kind solely based on judges. Still, cheerleading (at least competitive, not the kind in football) is insane. Huge amounts of skill and daring go into it. I have a cousin who does the flying through air stuff. It drives her parents insane with worry.

Still, I'm unclear on what point the OP was trying to make, :).

He wants to know how many people on litnet are Cheerleaders

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

He wants to know how many people on litnet are Cheerleaders
:lol: I did manage to gather that much. I'm not that dense, haha. I'm confused as to what end. The OP is inquiring as to the connections of introversion and reading, which is interesting, but I'm failing to see how cheerleaders are relevant. He's positing that people who are social and/or popular don't read a lot (something I disagree with), and since all cheerleaders are popular and social people (another questionable generalization), there won't be many cheerleaders who participate on this forum. It seems a better way to approach the topic would to just ask if there is any connection between reading and introvert personalities, and see what kind of people on LitNet were--i.e., social or not.

Like I said, I disagree with the idea that if someone reads a lot that that person is more likely to be an introvert (maybe there're studies that show I'm wrong, I don't know). I know plenty of people who read a lot and are social, and I know plenty of people who read a lot and aren't very social. I also know people who play video games that are social, and some that aren't. I know athletes that are social, and some that aren't. I think you get where I'm going.

[tonywalt]

:lol: I did manage to gather that much. I'm not that dense, haha. I'm confused as to what end. The OP is inquiring as to the connections of introversion and reading, which is interesting, but I'm failing to see how cheerleaders are relevant. He's positing that people who are social and/or popular don't read a lot (something I disagree with), and since all cheerleaders are popular and social people (another questionable generalization), there won't be many cheerleaders who participate on this forum. It seems a better way to approach the topic would to just ask if there is any connection between reading and introvert personalities, and see what kind of people on LitNet were--i.e., social or not.

Like I said, I disagree with the idea that if someone reads a lot that that person is more likely to be an introvert (maybe there're studies that show I'm wrong, I don't know). I know plenty of people who read a lot and are social, and I know plenty of people who read a lot and aren't very social. I also know people who play video games that are social, and some that aren't. I know athletes that are social, and some that aren't. I think you get where I'm going.

Yes for the most part the cheerleaders are specifically the center of popularity amongst females. Otherwise they are not very likely to be chosen.

But my other thread is a better version, of where I am driving.

[Buh4Bee]

If there are some, they may not admit it. Or they may be offended by the discussion. Most women on LitNet have brains and many are also athletic and attractive. I know this by looking at people's pages. Many post pictures of their pretty faces and share that they like to hike or play tennis.

[The Atheist]

But curious, I would bet there are no more than 3 cheerleaders active on this entire forum.

Yep, I'll go along with that.

I also bet there are no more than four scientists, two acrobats, no Olympic gymnasts and fewer than two equestrian competitors.

Is there a point to your bet?

[JuniperWoolf]

I realize this is exclusive to North America, as they are not common outside Can and US.

I think that cheerleaders are pretty much strictly an American thing. I've never met a cheerleader. There weren't any in my town, nor were there in any of the other towns that we played against in volleyball/basketball (and don't even get me started on cheerleading in hockey - suffice to say, there aren't a whole lot). Maybe they're more common in southern Ontario which is kind of the most "American" part of the country (mostly because of the really dense population, which you don't get anywhere else except maybe the west coast which has it's own thing going on).

I'm wondering now why it's never caught on in Canada, and I'm thinking maybe it's because the only sport we really care about as a whole is hockey and jumping up and down in a skimpy outfit in freezing temperatures on the ice or in the cliff-like bleachers isn't really a smart idea.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Jumping up and down in a skimpy outfit is always a good a idea.

[faithosaurus]

I was a cheerleader when I was younger, but it wasn't my thing.

In my school, cheerleaders weren't considered "popular". In fact, the cheerleaders were pretty much strewn about all the cliques, as well as all grades (last year we had a freshman on varsity).

It seemed that the most popular sport in my school was volleyball.

[OrphanPip]

We don't really have them in Quebec either, but then again my high school also had holes in the ceiling and a problem with rodent infestations.

(I think the CFL has them now though, the Canadiens certainly don't)

[papayahed]

I cheerleaded once at a grade school basketball game, does that count?

[JBI]

I think that cheerleaders are pretty much strictly an American thing. I've never met a cheerleader. There weren't any in my town, nor were there in any of the other towns that we played against in volleyball/basketball (and don't even get me started on cheerleading in hockey - suffice to say, there aren't a whole lot). Maybe they're more common in southern Ontario which is kind of the most "American" part of the country (mostly because of the really dense population, which you don't get anywhere else except maybe the west coast which has it's own thing going on).

I'm wondering now why it's never caught on in Canada, and I'm thinking maybe it's because the only sport we really care about as a whole is hockey and jumping up and down in a skimpy outfit in freezing temperatures on the ice or in the cliff-like bleachers isn't really a smart idea.

Not really present here (there) either. I heard once of a school with a team, but they went to the states to compete. As it is though, Hockey is not a cheerleader sport, and it is a cold country - who wants to see a man or woman to freeze to death?