Rebekah Tinner

Mrs. Jankowski
English 12H
23 Nov 2015

The Importance of Cheerleading and Being A Mentor (1,500)

Cheerleading is an extravagant sport that has multiple lifelong benefits. What makes
cheerleading even more beneficial is having a good mentor/ coach. These are the people that
teach cheerleaders everything they know, but are also there for their mentees no matter what. A
mentor is important to have even if there isnt a sport being played. Mentors are very effective in
shaping a childs life. A relationship with a mentor is cherished long after the mentee is older.
Mentors give insight on emotional, mental, and social skills.
Cheerleading is a sport that uses physical, mental, and social skills. With that, cheer is
very demining, and is harder than most spectators believe. If one were to be a cheerleader, that
person would have a strong heart, bones, and muscles. Plus, exercising with others is
motivating, and has proven, lasting psychological benefits (Carey, pp. 2). Cheerleaders jump,
tumble, and stunt; these three aspects of cheer help bones in the long run. Jumping increases
bone density, so you can actually prevent osteoarthritis by jumping, says Rachel DeBusk, CPT
at Unstill Life (Carey, pp. 3). Cheerleading is an amazing sport to partake in, and gives so many
beneficial aspects to have in life.
To have a strong cheer team, cheerleaders must practice at least twice a week to train
for the big game on Friday nights. One high school football game is 48 minutes long- that
doesnt include timeouts or halftime, so the total could be an hour and a half. A cheerleaders
season is year-round. There is a basketball, football, and then a summer season to prepare, not
to mention if a team does a competition the year is even longer. With that being said,

cheerleaders have a strenuous season that allows them to become very strong and healthy. The
perfect sport to have year-round fitness would be cheerleading. Although it may become tiring, it
is very rewarding to cheer on the sports teams.
Not only does cheerleading give a strong physical skill for male and females, it also
provides a strong mental and emotional skill- which is important to have. It is a key a essential
as a cheerleader to always smile and have a positive attitude. If one was to have a positive
attitude during games and practice, the attitude will flow throughout everyday life, generally.
We smile because we are happy but smiling also makes us happy, says the University of
Cardiffs Dr. Michael Lewis (Carey, pp. 4). Cheerleading is great for young male and females to
have a strong foundation of positivity, because that is a huge benefit to life. A positive life can
become a long life, who wouldnt a long, positive life?
Cheerleading is an all around fun sport, however if there is an inspiring coach/mentor;
the sport becomes the highlight of a young persons life. The role of a mentor is to inspire kids in
whatever sport or activity they are playing. Not only are mentors supposed to be good
influences on the youth; mentors can also learn from the youth (Poppy, p4-4). The importance
of the mentoring relationship becomes apparent as we acknowledge the value of [sports]
(Poppy, p4-4). Every child should have a mentor no matter what the circumstances. It is very
important for a child to have someone to look up to, and learn positive behaviors from. Once a
child learns these positive behaviors, it makes it easier for them to participate in inappropriate
activities.
Whether or not mentoring is effective was tested in many studies. Studies show that
volunteer relationships may not be as influential or enduring as those that form naturally (Foster
pg. 9). A natural form of mentoring is when the mentor actually cares about the child and their
improvement in life. That being said, volunteer relationships can be sincere, but are more likely
to end when the volunteer hours are completed. A pure mentor looks after their mentee even
when the hours are completed. That is why mentoring is seen as one component of the

positive youth development approach (Foster, pg. 7). One essential program that is involved in
mentoring is support and supervision- which is key in providing the mentee with positive
development. Developmental needs and assets include a sense of safety, challenging and
interesting activities, feeling of belonging, leadership, etc (Foster, pg. 8). One of the most
important developmental needs is positivity, so learning that early is very necessary.
There is a multitude of benefits that cheerleading provides. Some benefits that help life
in the long run. This aerobic activity is great for hearts, bones, and muscles ( Carey, pp. 1).
Cheerleading also adapts youth to a social, team based activity. With that, it improves youths
self confidence and leadership skills. Some cheerleaders start this sport as young as the age of
three. So they are learning these skills and following them throughout adolescence. The
benefits of cheerleading can only be taught through a coach/mentor. So its very important that
the coach/mentor is a great teacher and motivator. Mentors are [an extremely useful]
resource opening up new vistas for children offering life lessons and support, or offering a
much needed sounding board for ideas and struggles (Herron, pp.3). One thing that makes a
tremendous mentor is if that person has overcome the same obstacles that youth they are
mentoring are facing. It better to learn from someone who has been there instead of someone
on the outside looking in. A coach/mentor, helps their mentees to bolster all important social
and emotional skills. A shared interest is a great place to start in a strong mentoring relationship,
and that shared interest is cheer.
One thing every cheerleader should have is a cheer role model. It does not matter if its
a celebrity, cheer coach, or just an older girl on the team, as long as they are a positive role
model. A cheer role model and mentor; a strong influence in shaping the person they strive to
become someday (Phillips, pp. 3). Even the little things can shape the views of a role model,
that is why it is extremely important that role models act as if someone is always watching. A
good cheer role model is one who embraces the enormous influence their social media behavior
has on hundreds or thousands of other athletes (Phillips, pp. 5). Anything that is posted on

social media can been seen by the general public, one of those people in the general public
could be the little girl or boy that thrives to be like that role model. Its a tremendous weight to be
a role model, but once the task is taken it must be used efficiently. There are five qualities that a
role model should have, and they include:
1. Passion and ability to inspire.
2. Clear Set of values
3. Commitment to their team as a whole and to serving their community.
4. Selfless and acceptance of others.
5. Ability to overcome obstacles.
If one were to possess these five qualities plus more, would be the best role model that anyone
could have. ... there are people in their lives that they look up to that provide that extra dose of
inspirations to keep them focused on their goals (Phillips pp. 1). A cheer role model is almost as
important as a coach/mentor, it is important for the cheerleaders to have multiple, trustworthy
people to fall back on.
To conclude, it is more than a necessity to possess a positive cheer coach/mentor. To
have an amazing time enduring in the sport of cheer, it would benefit to have a role model that
enjoys the same sport. A strong mentor is key to have, to learn multiple social, emotional, and
mental skills. While also gaining a strong body, heart, and muscles. Cheer is an all around fun
sport that provides a positive, happy vibe that will last a life-time, and will be passed around to
the people around. Who wouldnt want a long, happy life to live? Cheer gives the opportunity to
smile constantly, and cheer on their teammates. Everyone should receive a mentor to look up
to, and have as an accountability. A relationship with a mentor is cherished for a lifetime.

Works Cited
Carey, Elea. The Benefits of Cheerleading. Healthline. 13 Jul 2015. Web 18 Nov 2015
Foster, Lisa. Effectiveness of Mentor Programs. California Research Bureau. 3 Mar 2001.
pgs. 7-19. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Herron, Kelsey. How Mentoring Can Make a Difference. remakelearning. 5 Sept 2015
Web. 18 Nov 2015.
Phillips, Leslie. What Makes a Good Cheer Role Model? Heart of Cheer. 18 Aug 2014.
Web. 18 Nov 2015.
Poppy, Sarah. Mentoring Role Can Benefit Everyone Involved. The Advertiser (Adelaide).
10 Apr 2012: p 4-4. Newspaper Source. Web. 2 Nov 2015.
Price-Mitchell, Marilyn. Mentoring Youth Matters. Psychology Today. 29 Jan
2013. Web. 2 Nov 2015.

Outline
I.

II.

The Importance of Cheerleading

A. Benefits
1. Healthy body,positive life
2. Builds social, mental, and psychological skills.
3. Builds self improvement
B. Teamwork
1. How to be a team player
2. Friday Night Lights
3. Work Ethic
C. Skills
1. Mental
2. Emotional
3. Psychological
Mentoring
A. Importance
1. How to be a good mentor
2. What it means to mentor
3. Why it is important
B. Effectiveness
1. How it affects the mentee
2. Outcomes of mentoring
C. Benefits
1. Benefits that come with mentor and mentee
D. Significance
1. how it affects the mentee
2. lifetime significance
E. Role Modeling
1. Cheer role model
2. Why its important to keep a positive social media
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