My cheerleading team is considered a club sport at my college. Now, I have never been the type of cheerleader to complain and start an argument over whether cheerleading is a sport or not. I do not get upset when people say that what we do isn’t a sport and we aren’t really athletes. And the reason I don’t get upset about it is because I know how much athleticism and energy and endurance and stamina it takes to be a cheerleader; I know that what we do on the sidelines does not even begin to compare to what our competition routine entails. I am confident that I am an athlete. And I am confident that cheerleading is a sport. For those who disagree, I’m sorry, but I could care less. I love my sport and that’s all that matters.
However, the differences in club vs. Division 1 sports teams do get annoying when they are made blatantly obvious in multiple ways throughout the year. I can’t tell you how many times I see the D1 athletes write their name down on a list at Tim Horton’s or the dining hall to redeem their free meals. They sign their seemingly soon-to-be famous signatures away for a complimentary meal while I swipe my card and watch my GriffBucks that I actually pay for go down the drain. Or how about the wardrobe of free clothes that each Division 1 athlete receives? Must be nice to have new winter coats, warm ups, shoes, t-shirts, shorts, and backpacks every single year. Yeah, my team has warm ups, too. But guess what? We each paid out of pocket for them. I guess if I were offered all of those things for free, I’d take it, too. Who can blame them?
Now it’d be one thing if all of our D1 athletes were top-notch and won titles every season and brought in great crowds to the games and earned the respect of their peers. But I’ll be honest; Canisius College doesn’t necessarily gain its popularity from the winning records of our athletic teams. All of our teams work hard, I will give them that. But it’d be nice if they could see things from the other side. I wonder how many athletes would commit to their sports if there weren’t so many perks involved. Sometimes I look at these D1 athletes and I wonder if they even love their sport or they’re just doing it for the free ride. That’s one benefit that us “non-athletic regular people” have over these D1 athletes. We don’t get the perks. We don’t get the benefits. We barely even get any recognition. But we do it anyways. And we do it because we love it. For the majority of us, that’s the only incentive we have. But for us, that’s enough.
Confidently Katie 
good read katie.awesome to read about how passionate you are about your sport. and yes, i call cheer leading a a sport.
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i’ve seen you flip, do a 360 in the air, while simultaneously smiling and eating a donut. just kidding about the smiling part, how can you smile and eat a donut. you’re an athlete.
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Katie,
I’m writing to you as a fellow women’s soccer player for Canisius College. After reading your blog, I felt the need to also make a comment on the debate between club and Division 1 sports.
First I would like to state that I am not here to question the amount of work or time that it takes to be a member of the Canisius College cheerleading team.
I’m sure like myself, there are many other athletes at Canisius who have been playing their sport since they were very young. We’ve spent our childhood and adolescent years training to be able to play at the Division 1 level. I cant tell you how many dances that I have missed to go out of town for soccer tournaments while I was in high school. I’m sure I can speak for others when I say that we have all made many sacrifices in order to be in the position that we are today.
With that being said, I do not think that any of us, considering all of the sacrifices that we have made in our lives, simply play for the sake of the “perks.” We play our sports because we love it and have dreamed about playing at the Division 1 level since we were little. As a fellow athlete, and someone who has so clearly expressed how passionate you are about your own sport, it is very sad to see someone also question the passion and motives behind those at this school.
I think those who are not Division 1 athletes and see our “new winter coats, warm ups, shoes, t-shirts, shorts, and backpacks” are blinded to the 6am practices, a summer cut one month short to come back for pre-season, weight lifting sessions that make you unable to walk or take the shirt off your back because you are so sore, practices, lifts, missing classes, 10 hour bus trips, and many other aspects of our lives. For us, being a Division 1 athlete is our job. We eat, breathe, and sleep our sports. Some of us are fortunate enough to be provided with scholarships and those are offered due to the years of hard work and sacrifices we have made since we were little.
However, I would like to make a few things clear. Not all athletes at Canisius College are on full-ride scholarships or even partial tuition scholarships. There are athletes here who do not “sign their seemingly soon-to-be famous signatures away for a complimentary meal.” There are people here who pay FULL tuition and show up at every practice, lift, away trip, fitness session alongside teammates who have scholarships. Is that enough passion and love for you?
Also, I think that it is unfair to stereotype all of the teams at Canisius College together while speaking about the “perks” that we all seem to receive. I can speak on behalf that our Women’s Soccer team pays for our own player packages at the beginning of each season in order to receive these “perks.” Now correct me if I’m wrong, but is a “perk” something that you pay for out of your OWN pocket? I don’t think so. There are teams here that have budgets that are more fortunate than others, but please do not speak about something that you clearly know so little about.
Finally, I believe you are blind to the success that other sports teams have had at Canisius College beyond the sideline of our basketball court. Our Women’s Lacrosse team won a MAAC conference title last year, Women’s Soccer were MAAC Regular Season Champions last year, Women’s Synchronized Swimming win MAACs and place nationally every year, Men’s and Women’s Swimming teams have won several MAAC titles, Men’s baseball won a regular season conference title. Many teams at Canisius have also broken dozens of school records set in years past. We will never be at the level of big Division 1 schools and receive that kind of publicity, but I think our successes speak for themselves.
I also would like to say, that myself, and I’m sure many others who have read your blog, are personally offended to think that we play for these “perks” that you speak of. As someone who calls themselves an “athlete” regardless of being at a Division 1 level or not, I would think that you would know that we play because we love our sports. The fact that you would even question it speaks very loudly as to why cheerleading, and many other club sports at Canisius who share the same complaints as you about the petty material things, did not have the same passion, commitment, work ethic, and determination that it takes to play a true Division 1 sport.
#14
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Christina,
First off, let me start by saying that if I personally upset you or offended you by my post, then I’m sorry. I did not mean to generalize or stereotype all Division 1 athletes. I write my blog from my own perspective. I never claimed myself to be someone who knows everything about all division 1 sports or all the athletes who play them. I write things as I see them and as I know them, and that is all.
I have admitted in this post, and others that I have written, that each athlete, D1 or not, is an extremely hard worker. I’ve cheered since I was 8 years old, but I also played lacrosse for 9 years and softball for 5 yearsand can resonate with the hard work, sacrifices, dreams, aspirations, and dedication that each athlete puts into their sport of choice.
I do understand that there are teams at this school who have won conference titles, championships and national placements. I see the banners every time I step into the gym. I read about them in The Griffin and I see the photos on multiple websites. I never questioned how hard those teams worked for those successes. I have had classes with D1 athletes, have been on orientation staff with some, worked with some, and congratulated all who I know that have accomplished things that I know are difficult.
I’m not blind to your triumphs and I am not naive to your dedication. But I stand by what I said that although you are passionate enough to even take the time to write your opinion, there are dozens of others who do not even come close to measuring up to that same dedication and humbleness. Just like one peppy annoying cheerleader can ruin the reputation for many, one arrogant and cocky D1 athlete can do the same. There are D1 athletes that walk around in their grey sweats as if they own the place, take advantage of the things that are given to them, and look and speak to others as though they are insignificant. No, you are not all like that. Maybe I could have made that point more obvious, and for that, I apologize.
An argument can be made for both sides. And i’m glad that you took the time to argue yours. It did open my eyes to some things that I did not take notice to before. But like I said, I write from my own personal perspective just as anyone else writing a blog about their own interests would.
Katie
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LETS GO GRIFFS BLUE AND GOLD!!!!
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There is currently a debate among the American public as to the value and benefits of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. While it is easy for society to draw conclusions based on an opinion, personally I find these opinions to be nothing more than uneducated assessments. For an individual to attack an organization for its core values without considering the impact of the organization is unjust and frankly unacceptable. Chuck Neinas, the Interim-Commissioner of the Big 12 conference, shared that the NCAA has provided more scholarship opportunities for the American youth to receive a higher education, than any other institution in the world.
While I understand that 2011 may not have seemed like the best year for NCAA sports, it is actually the opposite. Instead of focusing on the minute number of scandals involving a handful of individuals, we should be focusing on the unprecedented success. (I am not under assessing the severity of the scandals, but merely sharing that they are in fact not the norm.) This year the NCAA has shown increased emphasis on education as it has increased the standards for high school students to become eligible. In addition to increased eligibility standards, in order for teams to compete in post season play such as the Bowl Championship Series or the NCAA Basketball tournament they have to achieve increased academic standard as well.
Power conferences such as the Atlantic Coast Conference, BIG Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conference draw mass amounts of attention however; those conferences only hold a fraction of all NCAA institutions. In fact there are over 300 Division Institutions, which is more than three times the number of schools in the preceding conferences. Division 1 athletics provide an opportunity for hard working, driven individuals to continue their passion for sports, and even provide assistance with college tuition. It is in no way the norm for the 300 plus Division 1 schools to grant full tuition waivers as if they were candy bars just laying around for athletes to consume.
To sit back and attack a system which provides such an essential piece to the “College experience” is not only crude, but offensive and ultimately irrational. Student athletes at the majority of Division 1 institutions are essentially full time employees of the College/ University. They start off their day incredibly early, typically attend two or three practices, and then attend classes, work on assignments, and some even work throughout the day as well. These students are faced with the challenge of balancing a tough schedule while maintaining their academics in order to compete in their sport.
Now to address the specific issue at hand:
For someone to make statements that suggest student-athletes are only competing for a cash benefit is beyond insane. Outside of Football and Basketball, full scholarships especially at mid-major programs, are exceptionally rare. Students typically receive some financial assistance towards their tuition cost; but the majority of the burden is on the student and their family, like every other college student. Student-athletes do receive meals that are paid for by their Athletic departments after competition and over school breaks. This occurs because these students are away from their institutions or typically competed during normal dining hours. We do not just wake up and decide we do not feel like paying for a meal today and call our AD or Head Coach. To address the player packages described as “new winter coats, warm ups, shoes, t-shirts, shorts, and backpacks” I can speak as to how these are purchased for my individual team. Our new winter coats were purchased for the program, not the athletes (they are turned in after each season) and were paid for by two families of current student-athletes. Aside from our grey sweats and two shirts and one pair of shorts, the rest of our apparel is purchased out of pocket by the students and their families (shoes and backpacks included). So the “must be nice statement” most definitely applies to students at larger institutions if their schools provide larger budgets however, here we pay for our apparel to look as a united group.
The student-athletes at this college are no different than any other organization or club, who puts in significant time to accomplish a goal, and wants to be united. If someone is to question our apparel than why not do the same of the student government, which has their own polo and logo; or even question as to why Fraternities and Sororities bother to buy letters. The answer is these items have value to each of their owners and to overlook that is ignorant.
I do not question the work ethic or students, club athletes or student athletes who compete at the Division I level and neither should ANY other individual. Unless you are that specific person you have absolutely no right to question their motives or state that they do not care. Every person handles emotion differently; and if you feel student-athletes are the only people to ever complain about something in college you must live in a bubble. I do not discredit the hard work of others and take offense that someone would take the time to do so for their fellow classmates. It is opinions or assessments such as these that cause conflict among students and create blinders which instead of uniting a student body ignite conflict; something which this current world is in no shortage of.
Signed,
The heart of a lion of, the soul of an eagle…
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Rob,
I appreciate your comment and am not in the least bit surprised that it contains paragraphs full of statistical information. You opened my eyes to a few things; however, hear me out on the following…
You wrote, “I do not question the work ethic of students, club athletes or student athletes who compete at the Division 1 level” – Neither do I. Nowhere in my post do I say that a division 1 athlete works less than any other student. Nor do I “discredit the hard work of others.” I actually commended our teams by saying that “All of our teams work hard”.
Yes, I wrote that I questioned whether or not some student athletes played their sport for the “free ride” – that was a general statement. You are correct that of course, not every D1 athlete receives a full scholarship, and that not every D1 athlete receives scholarship at all. I stand corrected on that, but as I mentioned before, I wrote this post based off of my own perspective and my own insights. I never claimed to know the logistics of your scholarships. This is not meant to be an informative blog, it is meant to be a blog from my own insights. Like you said, “Every person handles emotion differently” – these are my emotions, and each individual, D1 athlete or not, is entitled to have his or her own opinion or emotion. I’m glad that you stated your comment and I appreciate the insight you gave me. However, this post is based off of my emotion and thought, and nothing else.
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I feel like the whole point of this post was overlooked. The point most likely wasn’t to criticize D1 athletes, the gear/food they get, and their awards. There is no doubt in my mind that you all work very hard and dedicate most of your day to working your ass off.
The point was that we do it too, and we don’t get recognition for it. We have 8 hour practices at 8 in the morning on Saturdays, we know what it is like to have to get up early and get our asses handed to us. As a matter of fact, 3 girls got trampled (literally) by a basketball player today at the game. We have had so many injuries this season and very talented girls now have to sit on the sidelines. We don’t even get much practice time in the gym, and when we do the trainers aren’t even there. We don’t get help for the injuries that take place at practice because we get shoved into the last possible gym at the last possible time. We’re not asking for free gear, food and benefits, we just ask to get a little more credit for what we do. We have to travel back to school early for winter break in blizzards, paying out of pocket for gas and food because we don’t get any recognition. We miss going home on breaks for practices and games. We miss all of our senior events this semester because we have a game or practice. We don’t get to participate in half of the events Canisius holds because we have practice that night. We love it though, so we overlook the “perks” that we don’t get because going to practice and doing what we love is enough. Is that enough love and passion for YOU?
How much work every D1 athlete puts into their sport was never a question or doubt in anyone’s mind. It’s the principle that credit should be given where it is due. I couldn’t agree more with what Katie said, there are ungrateful D1 athletes. Some of them don’t value their education that they are getting here. There are a couple who don’t even try to work hard to get good grades, mostly because they know professors will hand them a passing grade on a silver platter or their eligibility will be threatened. I’ve seen it myself. It’s actually rather sad because like Katie said, they are making all athletes look ungrateful. So for those of you who try really hard and dedicate their lives to their sports and education.. Good for you. You deserve everything that you get from Canisius. Another good thing? Katie wasn’t referring to you at all.
Everyone has their own opinion. The great thing is that we are allowed to state ours freely. For every person who agrees with her, there will probably be someone who doesn’t. That’s the beauty in it.
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I am not one to be confrontational in any sense of the word and I like to keep my opinions to myself but, I feel as if I need to express myself on this topic.
Being a fellow cheerleader at Canisius I see Katie’s perspective but, I do also see the other side. I lived with a Women’s Soccer player my sophomore year and I saw first hand how much time, hard work, and dedication it takes to be a D1 athlete. The long weekends when you have to travel countless hours, the mandatory study hours, the weight lifting, the numerous practice hours, and on top of that their academics. I respect all D1 athletes when regarding the amount of time and effort they put into their respective sports while still holding a decent GPA and sometimes even having a decent social life.
On the other hand, as it has been said, it takes one arrogant D1 athlete to form a bad reputation for the others. Being a cheerleader is difficult because nobody realizes that outside the pretty uniforms, the pompoms and yelling “Go Griffs!” we work hard. Our practices consist of suicide runs, stunting drills, and endless efforts to improve our tumbling. When performing during a time out at a basketball game and seeing an athletic team poke fun at us the entire time, it is hard to have respect for those people. We don’t go to your lacrosse games, or soccer games, or any other athletic event and laugh when you miss the net or trip over the other players foot. Some (not all) D1 athletes take their status for granted and act like everyone else is inferior to them. And I emphasize the word SOME. But those few ruin it for the other athletes.
I personally understand Christina’s frustration about these “assumptions” because people are assuming things all the time about cheerleaders. Everyone’s heard that cheerleaders are all “un-athletic dumb blondes”, when in reality, it is completely untrue. Speaking for myself I am a brunette and I am on my way to getting a Biochemistry degree, while holding a job, a good GPA, and I am training for a half marathon in my “spare time”. I ran cross country and played tennis and softball in high school.
Stereotypes are one of those things that won’t go away but they are hurtful.
So from either side of the coin it is difficult not to be biased. I am not discrediting D1 athletes in any sense, I respect how much hard work it takes to be in their spot and many of us wish we could have that chance to represent our school in such a respected area because sports are a huge part of our culture and our society today.
BUT, just because we (not just cheerleaders) are not on a D1 athletic team does NOT mean that we are not athletic, or have other things that we are very dedicated to.
Miranda
“Hard work. Dedication.”
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Katie,
I appreciate the work you girls put in at practice to become successful cheerleaders. Next time you want to go to dining hall let me know. I can swipe you ;).
Blue and Gold!
#25
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Well thank you very much! I appreciate the compliment and the dining hall offer!
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I’m going to be over $100,000 in debt when I graduate from Canisius. Being a division 1 athlete, I don’t think it is “spoiled” to get athletic apparel for the countless hours and dollars I have put in to getting myself here. How many of you cheerleaders have spent thousands of dollars throughout the years to get equipment, trainers, pay the cost of travel athletics, and cover hospital/dental bills from countless injuries? I have a sister who is an all-star cheerleader that goes to world championships every year and has been doing it for 10+ years. As much as I recognize and congratulate her accomplishments, she can verify that she has not put in as much time/money/effort as it takes to be a division 1 athlete.
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I appreciate you taking the time to post your comment. I did not, however, ever say that student athletes were “spoiled” for getting athletic apparel. I respect and appreciate the effort that athletes put into their sport and into their academics, and i’m happy to see that you have a familiarity with cheerleading and can respect the effort that we put in, as well. To compare monetary costs for each sport was not my intention, nor do I think that’s how my post came across. I, too, will be in debt after Canisius. I, too, have spent countless hours and dollars to put myself in the position I am, both with my academics and with cheerleading. I have spent my own money on equipment, medical bills, physical therapy, and travel expenses. Every athlete is different, whether D1 or not. I know some athletes who have been blessed and fortunate enough to have never been injured. Yet as a club sport, we don’t even have a trainer at our practices or at the games we attend to help us with possible injuries. We get jammed into the back corner of gyms at 10pm at night just to practice because D1 sports take rank. It’s things like that which frustrate me. I respect each athlete who works for what they have and appreciates what they are given. Unfortunately, not all athletes do. And unfortunately, not all athletes understand that club sports, in my perspective, do not receive the same privileges as D1 sports – even right down to the gym space. There will never be an agreement on this issue. I just wanted to shed light on my perspective. If I offended people along the way, I apologize.
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Practice outside? I saw men’s lacrosse out there shoveling snow one day when I was going in to throw.
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Well that is commendable of the men’s lacrosse team. We don’t control the gym availability. We just get the back gym of P.Lee or up against the bleachers in the KAC because other teams take precedent when it comes to scheduling of the gym space. This issue is not up to the individual athletes of either the club or D1 sports, it is just a fact of the matter that frustrates me.
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CheerDummy,
Generally speaking, I try to avoid public ‘blogging’ debates; however, the issue discussed in this blog is one that I am extremely passionate about, so I’ll make an exception.
For starters, I would like to commend you on your clear passion for cheering. I have never doubted the athleticism necessary for being a successful cheerleader, nor have I played with the idea that it should not be deemed a ‘sport’. To be honest I can’t touch my toes or do a cartwheel, so there is a lot that you are capable of that I never will be. Through reading the introduction to your blog I can see that you feel very strongly for your sport, as well as other ‘club level’ sports, and you simply wish for them to have greater support from the athletic department, in terms of funding and recognition. So, what I am saying here is that I agree with you on that point, the point discussed in the first portion of your post. As far as the rest of it goes, I would have to place myself in complete opposition with you. There is a great deal of incorrect information in your post, too much to pick apart individually, so my response will be directed, more generally, at the idea behind everything stated beyond the first paragraph.
I believe that what you were initially trying to accomplish with your post is a great idea, however you could have achieved your goal without having to take down a whole athletic department full of student-athletes along the way. Maybe you have heard stories or even had your own bad experience with an athlete here or there, but to generalize about the whole department is not right. What you have said would be the equivalent of me following the ‘ditzy cheerleader’ stereotype by saying, “Wow, I’m surprised this girl could even put together a complete sentence, let alone an entire post.”
‘Now it’d be one thing if all of our D1 athletes were top-notch and won titles every season and brought in great crowds to the games and earned the respect of their peers.’
In the preceding quote from your post, you managed to not only attack the skill-level of each individual athlete and the success of teams as a whole, but you also decided to speak for the rest of us in regards to the amount of respect we have for one another. This is why I find it hard to believe that your post was not meant to ‘offend’ anyone. I have a great deal of respect for everyone and anyone who wears a Griffs uniform or supports those who do, but it seems to me that you do not. In addition, your sarcasm regarding ‘great crowds’ shows a certain lack of knowledge on your part.
As seen through the Buffalo Bills and Sabres, the success of the team is not the deciding factor for getting fans to attend the games. The final decision on whether or not to attend games is primarily dependent upon how fans perceive the atmosphere at the event. A fun and exciting atmosphere will undoubtedly ensure a return visit. So for the Griffs, although winning records may not always be in store, it is even more important to ensure that the special atmosphere is present at games. So, when you look out into the stands and see the nice blue backs of the chairs, remember that it is not all based on the performance on the court. It is very much dependent upon the atmosphere, the one that you, specifically as a cheerleader, are responsible for creating.
It is clear that Division I athletes, such as myself and others who have responded to your post, take their dedication to their team/ sport, as well as their passion for representing their school, home with them. You may go out and cheer for fellow Griff-athletes with everything you have in you, but you have made it quite clear that once you throw your uniform in the wash, your support for the athletes, as well as our institution, goes with it. Taking pride in the name on your uniform and in the school that you attend is a part of being a college athlete. Realizing that you are not only part of a team, but also an athletic department and institution as a whole, demonstrates an entirely different level of athleticism and passion for what your hard work goes toward.
Yes, we spend a large number of hours in the training room, weight room, in the gym, in the pool, and on the turf/ice, but we also take our sport home with us. We trade in house parties on Blaine, dancing on Chip Strip, and weekend visits with the family for uncomfortably long bus rides, study hall hours, and working concessions at the First Niagara Center. That’s not new information to anyone and I’m not looking to get recognition for any of it because it is just something that comes with the title of ‘Division I Athlete’. Also, I am, by no means whatsoever, complaining about my experience as a Division I athlete at Canisius. I don’t regret a single moment of my 5-year commitment to the Golden Griffins, and I wouldn’t trade in a single 120 or timed 2-mile for the chance to go back and live the ‘true college experience’. I’m sorry that you do not feel the same way about your current experience at the school, I truly am, but that is not at the fault of the other Canisius athletes.
I chose this path for myself, and I knew what I was getting into when I signed my “seemingly soon-to-be famous signature” to my Letter of Intent. After months of visiting schools and assessing my options, I chose Canisius College because it was what I was looking for, both academically and athletically, it fit. I don’t know why you chose Canisius, but if it was based on their cheerleading squad then you, too, knew what you were getting into. There are a number of colleges and universities with Division I cheerleading programs, if that is what you are looking for then you should have taken that into account prior to deciding upon Canisius.
Division I athletic departments across the country vary greatly in size and structure. However, within each, there are always going to be certain sports that receive more attention, more funding, and yes, more ‘gear’. This isn’t high school anymore, and we need to recognize that the sports that bring in money to support the department as a whole are the sports that get the most ‘perks’. After all, the school is a business and needs to function in certain ways in order to keep any and all programs running. The fact that you are unaware of a number of successful programs that the department has to offer shows you how even Division I teams can receive little recognition for their great accomplishments.
In my opinion, and getting back to the topic that was initially supposed to be discussed in your post, the fact that you even posted this blog shows the biggest difference between club and Division I sports. You feel that we are more concerned about the ‘perks’ we receive than the sport itself. However, we are not out posting blogs about all of the ‘gear’ or funding that we do or don’t receive. We post about competition results and performances for our teams, as well as others in the department. In fact, through the changing tone of your post as it progressed, it seems to me that you are far more concerned about all of the ‘extras’ and not your own sport.
Prior to responding to myself and others, I think you should take a minute to go back and re-read what you wrote. I only mention this because it seems that there is no consistent idea being explained. Yes, it is entitled it “Club v Division I”, however I only see one brief section that relates to this topic. In fact, the only common theme that can be taken from your initial post is the constant bashing of fellow Canisius College student-athletes; the very athletes for whom you cheer, those who you ‘support’ on the court.
I think it’s clear that I could discuss this issue to no end, so I’m just going to leave it at this. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I know that from time to time we all need a good venting session. The problem here is that you decided to carry-out your venting in a public arena. If this posting was for you to help cheerleaders receive more recognition, then I can say, without a doubt, that you have successfully achieved your goal. I cannot, however, say whether or not this is the type of recognition that you were hoping to receive.
Biggest GriffAn in Buffalo,
#4 & #9
“Ask not what Canisius College can do for you–ask what you can do for Canisius College.”
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Boom… Roasted.
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you suck at cheerleading you chode
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i would def go to the basketball games if the cheerleaders didn’t suck so bad!!
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I am a member of one of these D1 teams…actually not even, we’re varsity but synchronized swimming is not an NCAA-recognized sport anymore. I can completely understand your frustrations when people question the validity of the sport you do- we get it all the time! However, I can’t see how you could question ANY athlete-club or not- based on their desire to compete based on “perks” and a scholarship. The amount of time each team puts into training for their sport, having to make up class work for traveling, and attempting to balance academics and a high-level sport are simply not worth a pair of sweatpants. If I didn’t love this as much as it seems you love cheerleading (if not more), I’d just buy the stupid outfit.
Our team also does not have trainers present- I know that contact sports it is required that they be there, and let’s be honest here, synchro is not exactly (intentionally) a contact sport. However, it would be simply unsafe to not have trainers at those kind of practices and if we had to spread trainers so thin that they could not be at practices where they are required to be so they could be at ours that would be unfair. Yes, varsity sports will take preference over club sports- go to any college and see that. That’s just how it goes, but in participating in club sports you must be aware and accepting of that. Practicing at 10pm sucks, but we’ve all had to do that, that isn’t a situation that only club sports find themselves in. Academic schedules amongst other conflicts make it so that we have to practice whenever we can- knowing only experiences from our team, we have to share our small pool with a huge swim team, and it can be difficult to get swimming diving and synchro the amount of time we each require to succeed- yet we do it with little complaint. Come to the KAC at 5:30 am and see how many of us are there. They’re never going to be able to make everyone happy, but as athletes knowing how to work with what we have is second nature.
Your comment about our schools’ reputation for success seems questionable- sure, some of our high-publicized teams may not always have a perfect record- that’s the beauty of sport and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Like Christina’s previous comment said, we have so many other sports teams with awesome records. The swim team has shattered almost every pool and team record in one season, junior Shawn Parkhurst was a dual MAAC champion in his first year here, and they are setting up an amazing program a long way away before their conference meet. Our women’s soccer team was regular season MAAC champs only one season ago, and while I can’t pull many other stats out of my head I can tell you that my team has had at least one national champion since 2008, and our team has been ranked 3rd or 4th in the nation since then as well as 14-time ECAC champions going for our 15th. If just those few examples of great records for our teams are not enough, there are plenty more to find with some quick research.
I guess the point of my unnecessarily long comment is I don’t understand how motives can be questioned when we each dedicate so much of ourselves to our sports- regardless of the d1/non-d1 status of it. Sure, some teams get free food as part of their scholarship- a vast majority do not, which I hope you know. Some athletes are here on full rides- which they have earned from their accomplishments- some are not. Some teams get more outfitting than others, others fundraise just as much, if not more than, club teams in order to get what we have. While I can absolutely respect your opinion and appreciate where you are coming from, I cannot see how you doubt anyone’s “motives” behind putting that much time and energy into a sport just for a few free meals and a backpack. I think it’s obvious that we all are bigger people and better athletes than that.
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Just for the record, Cheerleading is NOT a sport.
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How much Cheerleading “gear” do you need? Keep it simple…and skanky then you probably won’t get laughed at
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Shoes, uniform, warm-ups, travel bags, braces for ankles, wrists, and knees, plus equipment for better stretching techniques. Along with mats and tumbling equipment.
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Ha good luck with all that, maybe you should hold a formal protest and not go to the games sort of like those dweebs at occupy wallstreet.. cause that worked out real well for all of them.
-Future 1%er
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I think that bashing cheerleading and bashing Katie is a very disrespectful and rude thing to do when she wasn’t bashing anyone in particular and more or less bashing the vast differences between the club and D1 sports. It comes from being pushed and prodded and made fun of for everything that cheerleaders do and being told and shown that we’re not as good as D1 when its a totally lie.
So keep your rude comments to yourself and maybe try posting something to shed light on the subject not make you look like an ass.
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Thank you, Miranda. I appreciate that one.
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How are you as good as a D1 athlete? You bring in no revenue to the school one bit, (every other team does) and quite frankly your job is to pump people up in the crowd, and you lads are abysmal at it. Canisus College has some of the worst fans in not only the MAAC but probably the rest of D1 sports. You practice for ‘8 hours’ and all you have to show for it is: bored fans, this demented blog, 2 simple cheers and some pom-pom shaking; but ya you should be getting full rides.
Get it through your small, simple minded heads, you are a club sport because the only thing you bring to the table is bitching and moaning about how you don’t get cool ‘gear’ and gym time. Maybe you should stop worrying about clothes and start worrying about why you suck so much. If we cancelled our cheerleading program i would go out on a limb, and say 90% of our student body and administration wouldn’t bat an eye. Hey Miranda, judging by how many people have responded negatively to this blog, im going to say that you cheerdweeb look like the assholes here.
Sincerely,
Finklestein
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It would actually be “cheerdweebs” not “cheerdweeb” – if you’re going to be referring to us as “assholes” then it would be plural, not singular.
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Couldn’t agree more brother!!!
Sincerely,
Finklestein’s Brother
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Do not be ridiculous! She was bashing the whole community of Division 1 athletes come on.. as an athlete we have every right in the world to be pissed at such ignorance. Please live my life for a week and i will bet any amount of money you will cry home to your mom. We are under a microscope constantly and suffer way more then we would like to in college. Please keep that in mind when you are cheering on the court at a basketball game, which is one of many sports at this school and the one you were clearly bashing altogether. Just admit it, we athletes know that is the team that gets ALL the perks and even we are pissed at that. But please put that sport in a whole new category OUTSIDE of everyone else and then make your judgements.
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I don’t know how you can compare cheerleading to any D1 sport. You may work hard and such but think of whats it is like to actually be a D1 athlete. We have countless hours of practice morning and night. Not to mention all the hours spent on treatment, practice, and meetings. Over these past four years I have spent the majority of my time here in KAC. I dont think the cheerleaders are always in the KAC practicing as much as others. You should not criticize athletes for the “perks” we get. Yes some are given to us cause we earned them and some we have to pay for. Your a club sport for a reason. You dont have an athletes for athletes and yes every other team comes before you no matter if they are good or not. Sorry you get trampled at basketball games, maybe dont sit so close to the court. I would have more to say but I dont want to say anymore to bash cheerleading. I admire your enthusiasm but there is no comparison between us and the others.
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Thank you for sharing your point of view. I hope you’ll read my most recent blog where I corrected a few of my misjudgments. Have a great evening.
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It’s ironic that someone who’s supposed to be rooting for school spirit and the athletes that fight for it is bashing the SHIT out of them.
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I also corrected myself on the points where I misspoke and was misunderstood. I hope you’ll read my most recent blog post “To Make Amends” and see that the last thing I would want to do is “bash the shit” out of all the athletes.
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Listen NARP…
I don’t know who you think you are by saying all this about D1 (yes that’s Division One) athletics. Maybe you’re still stuck in the high school days where you had the satisfactions of calling yourself a varsity sport but now you’re in college. Your routines are a complete joke and I still haven’t seen the whole gang of you really do the whole dance or whatever you call it without messing up. Back in high school I almost never made fun of the cheerleaders because they knew their place and could at least not mess up. So you want to call yourself a D1 athlete? Well there are just a few things you may want to fix. First of all you know that nasty FISH smell that always presents itself when you and your friends run around on the gym floor like a bunch of kindergartners? Yeah, you gotta get rid of that. Next, to become a athlete you will have to start up your study hall hours, but seeing that you cant remember a easy floor routine those hours would rack up fast. Although there is always the idea of putting out to some how get rid of the hours but again another problem with your team is that most of you look like trolls except for a small bunch. I’m sorry for saying all this stuff but its true and you were asking for it #sillyNARP. If I was in your spot of being in a sport that couldn’t take me anywhere, I would drop it right away. Like be honest, do you really think you gonna end up getting a spot on a NFL cheerleading team, because I don’t see that happening with this squad. The way I see it is the many athletes at Canisius must have done something right and worked much harder because they didn’t only just go to school and a club practice that met up 3 times a week to talk about their feelings. They must have spent hours upon hours practicing and if they didn’t like the sport why would you keep participating in it at a college level. Now if only you knew your spot and stopped with your drunken drama we wouldn’t be dealing with this problem. Now about the clothing problem… If you want canisius gear go buy it, I’m not sure but I think the Petey gives you wings shirt was around $3 and if you cant afford that why are you even here because I mean you don’t have a free ride or whatever it is people get that have real skill. Basically the only thing i can say now is to sum it up is that athletes are winning because we made it to a D1 level and you just wish you could have done something better in you life than try to entertain people in between water breaks.
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I’m sorry that you have so much negativity boiled up inside of you, it can’t be that good for your health. I hope you’ll read my latest blog post – “To Make Amends” to settle some of your pent up aggression. Have a good night.
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First of all, please understand that Cheerleading is, leagally, not a sport. This is a link to a ruling in Connecticut where a U.S. Judge ruled just that.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38347400/ns/us_news-life/t/us-judge-conn-cheerleading-not-sport/
Now, having gotten over that, this is not the first time. In recent years, a judge in the state of Washington ruled the same way. There is precedent for this and it is likely that rulings will continue in such a fashion. Congratulations, you are now aware that you deserve to be a “Club”, not a “Club Team.”
So, before you start to rip apart athletes for the “winter coats” that the college didn’t buy or the “perks” that we purchased ourselves or the “free meals” that were given to us because most everyone else was at home with their families, please join or rejoin a true sport.
As to the “Non-Athletic Regular Person” comment, I hold the acronym NARP to mean “Non-Athlete Regular Person.” You can be as athletic as you want to be, just don’t hold that you’re an athlete. Defined as “a participant in a sport,” athlete does not apply to you. It applies to Club Soccer and Club Hockey and Club Volleyball because those people, even if they’re not D1 athletes, participate in what is legally recognized as a sport. I have tremendous respect for D1, D2, D3 and Club athletes as well as athletic individuals and I hold that all of those classifications require effort, time, and committment. But, please, don’t consider yourself to be on the same level as someone who trained enough to be able to be play or compete for a collegiate athletic program. You’re not.
Oh, yes, you just had to complain about gym time. I believe that the reason you don’t get prime gym time is because you are not endorsed by the college’s athletic program, to whom the gym belongs. Actually, everything you do in the gym is a result of the college allowing or, as I like to call it, tolerating you putting wear and tear on a gym you don’t deserve. The only things you guys do for the gym is give the crowd something to shake their heads at or laugh at.
Also, you think that you put as much time and effort into your activity as we put into our sport? Are you kidding me? What a joke. Have you been doing doubles 5 times a week plus Saturday or Sunday practice for most of the last 11 years (just in case you can’t do math, that’s between 17 and 22 hours a week)? After less than two weeks at home for Christmas, did you come back to Canisius so you could get your ass kicked until you went an entire fortnight without a sinlge day off? I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think so. I’ll bet that in that two week span, I put in more effort that your entire club does in an entire scholastic year’s worth of performances (if they can be called performances: they’re pretty shitty and poorly synchronized) at events.
Honestly, if you want more respect, you should probably try to earn it instead of bitching out the entire athletic department then demanding the respect of those people you just bitched out. Really, maybe think a little before you post. Yes, this represents your thoughts and emotions, but have you considered that your thoughts suck? Can they even be called thoughts? They weren’t anything you put a lot of effort into, that’s for sure. But, maybe that’s because you put into it everything a cheerleader could.
As far as the “full-rides” that we “all” get, the scholarships I get that HELP (not cover) with my tuition come from my academics. I’m helped with my tuition at Canisius because I worked hard through high school and got good grades, not because I sold my love for my sport for “perks” or “free meals” or “full rides.”
So, maybe you should’ve concentrated on one real sport instead of a few real sports and a fun activity that you ended up doing in college because you couldn’t cut it as an collegiate-level athlete.
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“Actually, everything you do in the gym is a result of the college allowing or, as I like to call it, tolerating you putting wear and tear on a gym you don’t deserve” – I’m glad that you feel the need to state who deserves what when that is what you are criticizing me for.
“have you considered that your thoughts suck? Can they even be called thoughts?” According to definition a thought is: noun
1 an idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind. So yes, my opinions could be defined as thoughts. I’m sorry you feel as though they suck.
For the rest of your comment, please read my most recent post called “To Make Amends” – because it addresses all of these issues. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Have a good night.
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Freshman Griff,
By your grammar, I really hope you are a freshman… in high school. Kidding, but these posts are getting kind of nasty and I think it’s completely disrespectful and indecent. I respect you, you are a D1 athlete, however, it is not fair to compare and contrast your sport and Katie’s. You have no idea what it takes to be a cheerleader. There are many different levels of a “d1 athlete”.. just like you compare yourself to Katie… I’d like to see someone like..hmm Tim Tebow or the #1 ranked Virginia lacrosse team…compare his/their work ethic to yours.
My point: you will never understand anyone else’s life or work ethic for that matter. You cannot simply think you’re better than someone because you possess a label. “D1.”
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its all in the hips Happy
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Before you sit here and bash someone about their thoughts and call them a “NARP”, you might want to use those study hall hours to improve your grammar. I personally know 5th graders who can write a more coherent paragraph.
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First of all, the comments on this blog post are absolutely atrocious. I have never seen so many people attack someone’s (a quite amazing person at that) character over a mere opinion.
I’ll keep this short and sweet… Cheerleading is by FAR a sport and I have seen first-handed the amount of work that these girls put in and how passionate they are about their school. Simply, they DO NOT receive enough credit. I believe that was the point of the original blog post — as twisted and misconstrued as it became.
It’s embarrassing that SOME of the D1 athletes and commenters have proceeded to BASH her character, call her names, and put down the cheerleading program in general. Katie Costello is an athlete, a Canisius advocate, a great friend and an amazing person.
The bottom line… The inappropriate comments are evidence of how Katie Costello had a POINT. Cheerleading is obviously not respected among some Canisius students. Even more disheartening, the people who proceed to bash the young ladies who cheer on our teams do not even have sufficient arguments against them. They result to character attacks, inappropriate words and negative messages.
May I remind everyone… Canisius students should support each other and ALL of the campus groups, whether they be D1 athletes or from the Habit for Humanity Club. I truly believe that this original post was NEVER meant to overlook the hard work of our D1 athletes, but simply to create awareness for other club sports.
D1 athletes are athletes for a reason… they are hard workers, good students and talented athletes. Let’s not lie, they do receive “perks”– because they earn it. The hard work they put in allows SOME to receive sporting clothes, free meals, etc… However, that’s part of being a D1 athlete NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE…you guys deserve it.
Katie’s point was that, sometimes, the cheerleaders are overlooked. In many schools with D1 athletes, their cheerleaders are also D1. I think they definitely DO deserve more credit as do our D1 athletes for their success in their sports and championships.
I want to conclude by saying that obviously some people took Katie’s message the wrong way… However, she issued a respectable, mature apology in which she demonstrated the ways that she was incorrect/misconstrued. That takes a BIG person– not to mention none of the DISGUSTING comments about her did she EVER delete or remove.
People, we are in college, if you want to voice your opinion it should be free of crude language and character attacks, ESPECIALLY if you do not know the person.
I think I speak for everyone who has EVER come in contact with Katie when I say, someone as hardworking and intelligent as she is does NOT deserve to be harassed online. Please continue commenting with the amount of CLASS that she has clearly shown.
Go Griffs, D1 athletes and club sports included.
xox
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Let’s just put our differences aside and sit on eachothers faces. You don’t have to be a D1 athlete to do that.
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Katie,
I think you deserve a lot of credit for posting this blog. Saying what you said and responding to all of the negative criticism in an adult manner is very mature of you and I commend you for that, you should be proud.
To all those who are bashing Katie, calling the cheerleaders a joke should be ashamed. Canisius should be (and hopefully still is) a place where people can support each others teams regardless of how well they do and where they stand according to athletics whether that be D1, varsity, or even club. I find this ridiculous that people can be so negative towards Katie and cheerleading, when she was merely stating her opinion. Yes, she made some statements that may have been too general, but her argument was correct in that those club sports don’t receive enough credit for what they do.
I played lacrosse for 8 years and know what it’s like to travel, and miss school events and play game after game after game. But, I also cheered. I spent countless hours in the gym getting hit by our flyers twisting down and breaking ankles and wrists trying to flip through the air as many times as I could. I know what it is like to be on both sides of the spectrum, and for people to consider the cheerleaders a joke and not a real sport should come to the competitions to really see what they do. Yes, at basketball games there is just a bunch of jumping up and down yelling “Go Griffs” but outside of the games there is an actual reason to practice and persevere through all the pain: it’s to be #1. Athletes alike can reason with this statement.
Canisius should be unified in all that we do, D1 sports, club sports, clubs and academics and it’s a shame that we are not.
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Amen.
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NamelessChica,
Whoever you are, just wanted to say thank you. Somebody has a solid head on their shoulders.
Mir.
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I would like to point out the name Master Bates…original, very. Original for a guy who sits at home or in his dorm hour after hour and does exactly what his name says. You dont think cheerleading is a sport simply because you can leave your computer and your own hand. As well with all the “D1” lacrosse players here. HAHA, i said D1. How many of these Division 1 athletes actually received accolades in high school?? Let alone in the “high competition” college conference? How many from NY were even ALL WNY in their sport? Well, not many. Quick tidbit here, no im not talking about the tidbit in their pants either. Proven studies show that actually 75% arent even circumsized, not thats a messy situation. For someone to go out of their way and defend that they play a division 1 sport at Canisius and write a huge response to Katie’s post is simply a irrational joke. Eventhough katie never said this, I will, Canisius College “for the most part” are a joke. Actually not for the most part, they are just a huge ass joke. There is better talent and competition in the Division III level up north then there is at Canisius College. There are JUCO schools that would beat the shit out of our lacrosse, baseball and soccer teams. So Finklestein, have fun this spring losing every single game you play, yet still call yourself a Division I athlete. That is, even if you start. My favorite is when people rock their teams gear every single day and they dont even start for their team. How many people dont start for their team on cheerleading? Oh, teacher, pick me!!! I have the answer! Thats right, its none. Cheerleading is a TEAM sport. They work together and if one girl (or feminine guy) is off page, the whole team looks stupid. It takes a team effort and hard work to be able to get in front of a crowd. Let alone, they actually have to be enthused about cheering for the most PITIFUL and WORST Division I basketball team in United States history. They would struggle in the special olympics to take bronze. However, the cheerleaders dont miss a home game, and they are forced to smile and do their SPORT despite wanting to vomit at how their team is playing. For those who think they look stupid, try cheering for a team that is losing 87-45. Be sure to check out all the uncircumsized Finklesteins running around the lacrosse field picking dandelions and trying to play hide the stick in the locker room after the game this spring. I sense another season below .500! Before you post, make sure your actually a contributing member of your sport and actually play. May God have mercy on your soul and thank you for posting that dumbest responses that make no sense. I wish you great luck in your season and hope you have fun sitting and rotating on your sticks.
Ciao, and great love,
From France,
Mister Pibb.
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Not all posts here deserve this sort of response. But since you went for it…I see you have failed to mention your athletic background, or lack there of. Speaking as a native of Buffalo, 3-Time All WNY, and dual-sport athlete at Canisius…I’d like you to reconsider a majority of you post and go back to posting ‘sweet’ blogs about you and your ‘bros’ from Buff State, NU, UB, or whatever ridiculous institution you come from…if any at all. Your lack of respect for athletes as a whole is disgraceful.
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umm yea according to you, none of us recieved accolades, i myself was all state, all conferance, all america and numerous all american considerations as long as a national qualifier for 3 years in a row, so um yea next time you should actually check who has these accolades before you say no one has them
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Katie, learned so many things I did not know. Also, want to commend you on how well you handled this with honestly, speed, humor. Ellen
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I thought some of you may like to read excerpts from my blog on the cheerleaders made public in, I believe, 2010. I don’t have too much energy to look back on here and read cheerleaders telling me what a bitch I am, so if you’d like to commend my work, feel free to reach me on twitter: @juliemaggio. PS, pretty sure the basketball team never has thanksgiving or even christmas some years with their family. THAT’S what I call a D1 sacrifice!!! Amen!
I hate Canisius Cheerleading. AKA CC… (C)rappy (C)heerleaders, (C)rummy (C)ompanions, or (C)omplete (C)iss Asses.
First of all, I’d like the girls to get off of their high horses. Let’s be serious the only reason you’re not the laughing stock of the school is because the poor Dance Griffs have you beat with their broadway faces and cheesy “lifts.” I’d love if someone could please tell me one single benefit they’ve received from being on this “team”–no CLUB “sport.” No scholarship money, no free clothing or shoes, no book money, nothing but warts from the sweaty pom poms and dirty looks from the crowd. Oh and possibly herpes. Certainly not true friendships. In fact, girls had to PAY MONEY for the honor of being on this great team. Is that a joke? What’s the rest of the money going to? Certainly not your bows that look like someone went to Michael’s and got a spool of ribbon from the clearance rack to wrap around your scattered arrays of prom up-dos gone wrong. Or maybe it was the super fancy mats that were supposed to say “Canisius” all over them. Pretty sure you don’t even need mats. You’re not twisting… Oh! Wait! It must be for those terrifying stunts you do in your pseudo “sequence” which are an exact replica of Christ on the Cross before plummeting to the ground like a bird fresh out of the nest onto your poor front spots (who, keep in mind, are not strong enough to do anything other than hold some wrists so why they would be able to catch all of your weight–or during fancy halftimes help you into a glorified summersault–is beyond me). Speaking of the flyers, long gone are the days of finally feeling like your small size is being put to use at cheerleading! Small girls around the world have found their calling…flying! Unfortunately that doesn’t apply to this team anymore whose fliers range from Yeti to Midget. Its super uniform to have someone six feet tall in a stunt next to someone who’s four feet tall. Absolutely brilliant. But you know, apparently if you’ve flown in high school you’re automatically able to fly in college. You’re right, your body hasn’t changed at all, your hips aren’t made for child bearing, you didn’t have a growth spurt. Even bulimia couldn’t make you smaller. There are clearly perks to being a flyer such as everyone seeing you falling, making ridiculous faces while you’re struggling to keep from crushing your stunt group, or you’ll maybe get a look from some of the several guys on the team whom you can apparently hook up with whenever you wanted to if you wanted to. Keep in mind there are only maybe two good looking girls on the team. And they’re prudes.
No one cares what you’re doing, and no one is watching you. If they’re not talking shit about you in the stands, they’re not even looking at you. You don’t even have any other friends so no one’s coming to a game to watch you. These people attending the games would much rather you were replaced by some kid in face paint whirled around until he can’t see straight then sent to shoot a ball at the basket. Or children tripping on XXL shorts trying to see who can shoot first. You wonder why there’s never any crowd interaction? You’re lame, and no one cares to watch you do the same exact routines over and over again. I’m sure that the season ticket holders from ’50 know the pom dance by heart. Get some new material, do something other than a heel stretch. And if you’re going to hold signs in the air while in a stunt, you should probably make sure you pass a “Can I multitask without looking like I’m going to crack my head open” test. The only thing you’re good for is throwing t-shirts, and half of you can’t even do that properly. No one wants to see you jump five times and wave your hands in the air like a maniac before you “launch” your shirt to the second row at some mom who couldn’t care less.
The worst thing about this team is how two-faced the girls are. No, maybe their collective abilty to brown-nose better than Minkus from Boy Meets World trumps that. And trust me, I’ve been to high school. Literally thinking that these people are your friends and then having them not even know your name when you’re in the dog house is unbelieveable. Even worse, they turn their own teammates in. Never have I ever seen girls fight over who’s going to go retrieve the stereo system for their coach before practice starts. Or going in early to “help” other people learn the dances (aka stand around and watch the basketball players). No one in their right mind should need help with the pathetic eight counts you call a dance.
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Julie,
First of all I respect you putting your actual name down when saying nasty things because unlike the others you don’t mind being responsible for your words.
Second of all, I personally think it is quite hilarious that you spend so much time criticizing and demeaning a team in which I quite frankly remember you were on not too long ago. Your anger and hatred towards the cheer team are for reasons in which none of us are responsible for so you should stop holding us accountable for things that we had no control over. You were once part of this team, doing these same things you criticize us for now. Half of this years team wasn’t even on the team when things happened so don’t bring them into it.
I’m not going to say too much but I will say that your attitude towards us is deplorable. You talk about how we are two-faced and how when you are on this team you don’t make friends but I think a look in the mirror needs to be taken. Saying all of these things regarding us as a team doesn’t make you look good and nobody really cares to hear it anymore.
I think that the point of the blog was sorely missed because of past issues with the team or just anger in general. Nobody was intended to be hurt and some comments have not been the greatest and were in all reality very rude and unjustified.. It is in these types of situations where I am appalled by students and makes me wonder why you go to this institution. This is not what we’re being taught at Canisius College. And if you didn’t come here for that, then why did you come here?
With respect for all D1 athletes, varsity athletes, club sport athletes, and intramural athletes, as well as the athletes at heart.
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Amen sista.
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Julie, I always appreciate your comments and criticisms because I know that they come from such a good place deep inside your caring, selfless heart. I know how much you respect everyone at Canisius so I just have to say thank you for taking what I know is your very precious time out of your very busy schedule just to comment on my (C)rappy and (C)rummy (C)heerleading blog. Thanks again and keep following!
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congratulations! you just learned the hard way that not every opinion should be shared on the internet! im not saying your opinion isn’t important, this is your blog and you get to say what you want on it however you want to. but, as you said in your next post and i commend you for doing, is that you understood that maybe you should have considered learning more about what you’re talking about and seeing different perspectives before putting your ideas out in a public forum. a very small number of the comments on this post did just that, and those few people know how to act like adults…the rest seem like 8th graders who get their high off of calling someone a chode…sick! good job everyone! i have my own opinions on your post as a canisius athlete and on cheerleading in general but they are irrelevant. basically, what im saying is it’s pretty obvious that people will wait around for postings like this to attack you. everyone loves a good online argument because our society is fucked up like that. to avoid this, i suggest understanding multiple perspectives and having a solid base of evidence and “research” before posting things like this, especially on topics that will definitely be controversial. don’t stop though, things like this are interesting and are what make blogs entertaining, but to avoid the middle schoolers i suggest being more informed next time.
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You make valid criticisms and I appreciate you being constructive in your response, unlike some that you referred to as “8th graders”, which I completely agree with. We all make mistakes, mine just happened to be public. This entire situation has blown up out of any proportion I had imagined and with every comment I just have to be reminded again and again that people are irritated, mad, angry, offended, and upset with me. At least with comments like yours you were only mildly sarcastic, which I can always appreciate. I think it’s important to be able to take sarcasm with a grain of salt and criticism with an open mind, so thank you.
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whoooooooooo ….. sounds like many of the bloggers need therapists!
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If you “cheer dummies” want to be respected stop banging or trying to hook up with all the D1 athletes then bash us.
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I’ve been saying this for a long time. I have two brothers, both collegiate level athletes. They train very hard, but its a little disheartening to see athletes receive special treatment for doing very little else. I’ve had a very rewarding 4 years of college, but I’m also currently working 3 jobs on top of being a full-time student. Neither of my brothers work, because school is paid for and their schedules are filled with practices and games. Of course I’m speaking from personal experience, but I have a problem with this system as well, especially when the records don’t match up.
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I appreciate you putting in your personal experience, Sam. It’s nice to hear that there are still a few people who can relate to my initial frustration. Thank you.
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GAAAAAAAA GAAAAAAAAA OH LALA yeaaaaaaaaaaaah buddy.
I just love how insecure these “division I” athletes are! Good luck in the pros, bros and gir…wait i should just say bros and bros because female athletes on soccer, lacrosse, etc. need to wax their upper lips…much love and sincerity as always…
Seacrest, out.
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This shouldnt be a discussion. If you were actually athletic you’d be playing a sport not cheering the athletes on. I wouldnt consider Cheerleading a sport of any kind ( D1 or Club). Just enjoy the fact you dont have to pay admission to the games and we allow you to use our gyms.
#36
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In its entirety, a microcosm of todays society. I thank you all. –GC
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Are you kidding me!?!?!? They give out free Tim Hortons for autographs!!! And to think Ive been selling mine on Ebay and then using that money to get Tim Hortons…. What a complete waste of time!
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I’m sorry that you misunderstood what I said. I wrote that some athletes get free food for their “seemingly soon-to-be famous signatures”. You could interpret that as their “autographs”, but it means that you have to write down your name on a list when you receive the free food. Simple concept. They don’t give out the food for the “autographs”, you just have to sign your name in order to receive it.
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Dear Brad Cimino, aka #36…
Impressive resume you got going here at Canisius…other than playing on a college lacrosse team that blows king kong…you have managed to see time in 2 games this year!!!! 2 games!!! wow, bravo kid. On top of those 2 out of 12 games you have seen time in, you have managed to not start a single game as well. My god you must be so athletic, and i am surprised you dont have to pay admission to just walk on the field. So you havent recorded a single stat besides winning 1 out of 3 faceoffs. Another impressive feat that you have accomplished. Have fun with another year of being the worst kid on your team and feeding the kids who actually play their water. A man with your athleticism and promise should for sure make an all conference team. I hope you actually record a single point this year so you can celebrate wasting your four years being team bitch. Congratulations, and may god have mercy on your soul.
From England this time lads,
with love an sincerity as always,
“The kid who wishes his number was ’36′”
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My name is Greg Cudney, and I obviously have nothing better to do but look at porn on the computer. One cannot simply look at porn all day, so afterwards, I find little known blogs, and make posts under other people’s names because I think it’s funny. The reason I do this is because I am a big loser and do not have any confidence that others will value my opinion if I post in blogs under my real name. By the way, I apologize to the author of this blog for making it more of a joke than it already is with this post.-MG
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Keep up doing what you love, whether it be for a scholarship, for the passion of the sport, or both. 🙂
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