The Basketball Club Alba Berlin has abolished Cheerleader appearances in the breaks – this is not “with the times”. Here, Cheerleading is contrary to many preconceptions, a serious Sport.
On several occasions, The Alba Dancers awarded:
To make young women dancing in short skirts and with POM-poms each around a bit, the breaks of Basketball or football more fun to play – so the cliché in Germany, often-like perception of Cheerleading. While many deride the since 2016 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized sports only, it is not a thorn in the eye, because they become more entrenched Gender Stereotypes.
Principle “boys and girls” is a cheer out of date
The debate has been rekindled, as of the end of last week, the Basketball team Alba Berlin announced to abandon the performances by its Cheerleaders. The justification CEO Marco Baldi stated: “We have come to the Conviction that the Occurrence of young women fits as an attractive “filler” for sports events in our time.” At the home games of Alba Berlin, the impression was created that women were especially for the dance break entertainment, while men’s Basketball played, it was more. Therefore, to be separated from the Alba Dancers and a desire to promote, instead, “in the future, even more, that women in Basketball as a game to be visible and to be role models”.
The Cheerleaders were disappointed by the fact that the collaboration after 25 years is now over. Trainer Valesca Stix told the German press Agency: “I can understand if you want to change, but the justification I personally find wrong.” Many other voices from the Sport, came forward with a rather critical reactions to the word. Of Cheerleading and cheer performance Association of Germany (CCVD), which includes approximately 20,000 members, stressed will be awarded to the character of the “cheerleading as a separate race sports”, in the both the world champion and Europe champion title.
Cheerleader in Training
In social networks, users of languages using the Hashtag #deeply chauvinistic, among other things, of “misplaced Political Correctness” and that “men believe that women can dictate which kind of have a life of emancipation, these kindly – Nothing understood!”.
As a Jumping of unappreciated power sports
Also, Ilse Hartmann-Tews, head of the Institute for sociology and gender research at the German sport University Cologne, can not understand the decision from Alba Berlin: “The argument has me very surprised, because Cheerleading has become a highly professional sport.” Often drawn comparisons of cheerleaders around with the “Grid Girls” in Motorsport, barely clothed, start numbers hold up, or trophies handed, rejects Hartmann-Tews. “This is really something totally different category.” In fact, Cheerleading is exhausted not to be a decorative accessory or in the Cheering shouts and the Waving colorful POM-poms each. Rather, the complex dance choreography, acrobatic Lifts and elements of the floor gymnastics are part of the sport. For that cheerleaders often train many hours per week.
Cheerleader Miriam Krusy
So also Miriam Krusy from the SC Unterbach in Düsseldorf, whose Teams have won several times the German championship and also in the forthcoming world Cup in Japan. The prejudice against her for eight years practiced sports make the 20-Year-old, sadly: “Many people have no idea what Cheerleading really is. It is not about to entertain men, but there is much more to it than that and I would hope that this is recognised.” By the way, performances at sporting events, fairs, city festivals and similar Events for many of the Teams were important to Finance the costs of competitions and training camps.
More mixed teams against Stereotypes?
In addition, there are now many mixed teams as their own: “We have two guys on the Team that are in competition with it.” In the case of other performances, only the girls and women were, however, mostly to see. On the question of whether increased visibility of male cheerleaders could also degrade in the case of break performances, perhaps prejudices, responds Krusy in the affirmative.
So similar was the suggestion of Horst Seehofer. If “the occupation will only felt with women as” could you have a mixed dancer groups, the responsible for sports, Minister of the interior, to the “picture on Sunday”. “This would also represent much more our society and the composition of the Fans.”
Also there is: The “Fearleaders” from Vienna are an all-male cheerleading Team. With their performances they want to combat structural sexism.
Hartmann-Tews adds in the interview-that the sexist impression that some of you might have cheerleaders appearances, there is also a question of moderation: “If you advertise as a sports and makes it clear what is behind it, gets the performance by the cheerleaders also just took on a whole other connotation.”
It would have been for Alba Berlin in quite other ways, the Image of the Cheerleader as an “attractive pause filler” to counteract, instead of cooperation with the Alba Dancers altogether. The have dissolved by now. “The younger members are friendly Teams, or in the Friedrichstadt Palace. The older ones are looking a new Sport,” says coach Ruiz.