They really aren't cheerleaders more like a pep squad. Many can barely do cart wheels, no back handsprings, or stunts. This program really needs a facelift. If trained properly, these girls could compete and earn scholarships. Chester train needs to leave the ration and never return.
I think they're more like a dance team. They are entertaining, even though I never can understand what they're saying. I'd love to see a uniform upgrade too. The white shirts and bucks are so dated.
It would be interesting to see if we could put together a competitive cheerleading squad even if they don't represent the sport teams. You are right, our dance team will never earn a scholarship doing what they're doing.
Today, cheerleading is sport within itself. They could start a feeder program at the elementary school level and compete nationally with the 'real' cheerleaders around the country.
"Chester train needs to leave the station and never return." That's too funny!
Yes, there are cheerleaders in the middle schools, and they mimic the Chester High School routines. They do not learn competitive cheerleading at the middle school level.
It's like saying that we teach 'And1' street skills to basketball players and wonder why they don't understand how to play a real team game of league basketball.
How did you come up with that from what I wrote. Please, take everyone of those middle school ladies and teach them to cheer competitively. Of course they can do it. You'd probably have an even larger group of girls qualifying than those who currently cheer.
it seems to me that the reason the cheerleaders arent "real" cheerleaders is because they're not being TAUGHT to cheer. is there NO ONE who can make that happen at the high school level? here, and in most optimist/pop warner leagues, the feeder program begins. i don't know how many youth football teams there are, but miami/fort lauderdale teams have age-consistent programs in conjunction with football teams, from 7-14 y/o (peewee through unlimited pound programs). when the ladies reach high school, they're READY!. btw, think there might be enough interest from chester ladies willing to help the girls at THAT level, also? guess not, or else this wouldn't be today's topic. sigh :-| emcduffy
We also have a strong youth football program in Chester that involves a lot of kids. They have cheerleaders, too, but they mimic the Chester High School style.
The same thing happens with the middle school cheerleaders and the Biddy League cheerleaders.
The Chester High School cheerleading style is a big influencer all the way down to the babies.
Yes, it is a sport. A competitive cheerleading team would be great in Chester. But how o we change the frame of mind of our community to get involved. With the right training, our kids would be great. You should run for Mayor of the City. We need one one smart, open-minded and that speaks their mind.
But, why not hit up the current mayor to get a competitive cheerleading program started in the Department of Recreation. He just left the White House and hung with Michelle Obama with Let's Move convincing me that he wants fitness to be an important element in this city.
I can't imagine it would cost much to start a 'real' cheerleading camp.
WOW! The Chester train is cute and honestly because we the people enjoy it... it gets to stay legendary. With the full gymnastics training that doesn't exist in this school district I think it's humorous that someone would expect the children who are raised in poverty to have such excellent training...you people are entertaining. There are some aspects that need to be developed and there are some team members who can do flips, tumbles, handsprings and cartwheels...I'm thinking they don't want to cheer in college that's probably why they don't earn those scholarships...I'm just saying....don't pick on the children who are maintain academic standards, citizenship standards and coaches who donate their personal time trying to support their local school positively; go recruit those who are doing nothing, make a name for yourself as a game changer!
I don't think anyone expects the current cheerleaders to complete in a cheerleading competition based on the routines they entertain us with.
I don't think poverty has anything to do with anything. If you can produce great basketball talent in poverty, you can create great everything else.
I believe some of the ladies do have the skills to be competitive cheerleaders.
As you imply, unless there is a training program in place to teach competitive cheerleading, there will be no competitive cheerleading.
I would love for the ladies to at least add a few routines where they are actually leading a cheer. They don't involve the crowd. Their routines are all about watching them, not hyping a crowd. A simple "Gimme a C-H-E-S-T-E-R" would be a start. Let's us fans join the fun.
(If you had to pick between 9th grade football and competitive cheerleading, which do you think would bring the greatest return on investment for the participating athlete??
I ain't picking with any cheerleader. In a perfect world, there would be an extracurricular activity that every student would participate in. For the ladies that choose to be a Chester High School cheerleader, good for them.
They represent the school and city perfectly. And Coach Karen is the best. I took the time to get off my bike, take their photo, and put it on the blog. That's how much I respect them.
However, the first comment started the tread on the cheerleader's style, and I mostly agree. It's a dance team...a step team...not a traditional cheerleading team by today's standards. They are in a league of their own.
If you enjoy the Train, great. I don't. The comment was funny to me, but I didn't come up with it.
Instead of trying to slam me, why don't you provide a comment to support the cheerleaders if you really like what they do.
Stefan, Why do you even waste your time trying to have a intellectual conversation about developing our young people. Seriously, the problem on Chester are not the kids but the adults like that person that refers to everyone with a common sense comment as a slave and hater. They can barely read and write who is the real slave. You are smart and educated with great ideas but these folks in Chester are something. All you talked about was ideas to give cheerleaders better opportunities. OMG, do tired of these dumb Chester people.
Why? Most comments deserve a response, if for no other reason than to inform or correct things for other readers. Hopefully, the less informed get more informed. I don't consider that a waste of time.
Ideally, there would be a lot more dialogue among readers. especially from those who are the subject of a blog post. The strength of the blog format is interaction. We'll get there one day.
Of course, the ignorant will likely remain ignorant. We let them feel like they're contributing to the conversation just to remind ourselves who we're dealing with around here.
It boils down to this, the current cheerleaders cheer in a style that has been handed down for decades, which most Chester residents enjoy. The current cheerleading leadership does the best they can with what they have. I would love to see how gymnastics training can be accomplished with no reasonable budget for the cheerleading program. Half the time they have to fight to get the cheerleaders transported to non-league games. After years of only allotting funding for the cheerleaders to replace one article of clothing (the top of the uniform or the bottom, not both), the cheerleaders finally received a full uniform during basketball playoffs last season. For those concerned, you will only see their white shirts during football season. The new uniform will be worn again during basketball season.
There has always been an inequity on how girls and boys programs are funded across the nation. I don't think we will change that any time soon. What we can focus on is this, those young ladies spend countless hours in the hot summer sun honing their craft, whether it is to your liking or not. They are not a dance team; I have not seen them do a dance routine in years. They are not a step team, I have stepped and what they do is not it. Moreover, they are not a pep squad. They lead the crowd as best they can. It is unfortunate that the times they do try to get crowd participation it is met with a lukewarm response or none at all. Our folks like what they like and will only chant back what's familiar.
The cheerleaders are celebrated for many things, the train happens to be one of them. They cannot go anywhere and not be asked to do it, although they have countless newer cheers. I even recall when they used to have All-Star Cheerleading (when two cheerleaders are picked from each school and you had to share a cheer and sideline with the others) the most coveted cheers to learn were not from the other cheerleading programs who participated in competitive cheerleading, but from Chester's. It appears there were many who appreciated Chester's unique style of cheering. It should also be noted that the middle school, Biddy, and "babies" emulate the high school cheerleaders because that is what they see, the volunteer coaches are mostly alumni cheerleaders, and the gym programs in the Chester Upland School District are inefficient or nonexistent. I would love for the outcome of this blog to be an accomplished gymnast volunteering his/her time to run a free clinic for the cheerleaders since the current budget, or lack thereof, would not allow for the girls to attend one this summer. It would also be great if someone who appreciates the virtues of competitive cheerleading would sponsor the cheerleaders to attend a gymnastics/stunt clinic.
I would like to finally say that some of the cheerleaders have seen this blog and I want to encourage them to continue giving their best and not be discouraged. I want to encourage their coaches, one of which cheered at Chester High and on the college level, to continue to do much with little and I thank you for giving our students a positive, constructive outlet. I understand through the coaches' constant guidance and push these girls receive excellent grades, are in leadership positions within the school, are involved in community service, and have a high rate of college acceptance and attendance. The graduating seniors compete and are awarded each year the Chester High School Alumni Cheerleading Association Scholarship for their participation in cheerleading, academic prowess, and community service; not to mention the other countless scholarships they receive.
I love the Chester High School Cheerleading program, always have and always will. I especially love the train, since it is steeped in tradition, the flying splits, that many schools cannot master, and the soul that often can't be taught. I understand some don't feel the same. Got it! I just feel different.... #C-Pride
Now that's a comment. If I could get one of those kinda of comments on the blog once a week, I'd be thrilled.
Be bold, take a stand, presents facts, clarify. When folks don't comment fully you make it seem I've got the only opinion on topics. I hope that isn't the case.
So true Stefan. The same sad person with limited vocabulary only uses the word slave. During slavery time we were not allowed to read and write and it looks like they still have that mentality and limited growth. "we be free color folks now, so let's learn to write sentences and expand our vocabulary. Loll!! Really, think about same person only uses 2 or 3 words like hate and slave. Looks like Master never let them learn to read and write. Big Sout Out to the Democrats!!! We know it's y'all.
I have to agree with you about the inequality with funding cheerleading vs. other sports like basketball. We all have C-Pride and respect and appreciate the young ladies. I think people took this dialogue the wrong way. Spirit and Soul is great but it does not lend our girls to other opportunities. There are full-time and part-time cheer opportunities that are young ladies will never qualify for until they master these skills. They are missing opportunities to compete against others to win positions on the Sixers Dream Team and Eagles Cheer programs. This has nothing to do with what the coaches do and everything to do with our community not pulling together to prepare and extend these opportunities to these young ladies. These young ladies are strong, smart and talented, but we have to support the coaching staff and prepare them for other opportunities. My niece does competive cheer and earned a full scholarship to college and a place on the Sixers Junior Dance Team. She earned this not because of her soul and spirit but because when she went to the audition they asked her to perform certain skills like triple round off, double back handspring, aerials, and much more. I want our cheerleaders to have the opportunity to compete and the more that we make excuses about why they can't do it, the more they will not want to do it. The cheerleaders should use this forum to ask questions and show others that they can learn new skills. I hope that you and the cheerleaders take this in this spirit is being delivered in from a place of love and concern not gossip and hatred.
Did anyone stop to ask the girls what "kind" of cheering they prefer? Speaking as a former Chester High School Cheerleader, I enjoyed our form of cheerleading and it is mainly the reason why I begged my mother to send me to Chester High School. When I went to college I went out for the cheerleading squad and I became captain of that squad. We did stunts, tumbling ect. However the girls at my university loved my “Chester” Cheers. However I hated that “Real” form of cheerleading I didn’t like it at all.
I hope you did not take my comments as offering excuses, I just wanted to present the facts. Without proper funding or a capable volunteer, it will be difficult for them to obtain those skills. I applaud those that do and can get scholarships doing it. I also applaud these young ladies who cheer in this manner and receive scholarships as well.
Thanks for the exposure and the attention to help us shine even the more. One of the reasons the cheerleaders are limited is because of insurance. The school and the cheerleader must have an insurance policy that will cover any injuries that may occur while performing these stunts. We have talented children on the squad and their heart is in doing well. In the past, we did pyramids and stunts. Just like a lot of programs taken out of the curriculum at CHS, it was handed down to the coaches that we could no longer perform in that fashion. We all could do stunts and was taught well. To cheer is to just that, cheer. We are not stunters. We appreciate the smiles and positive moral we receive from onlookers of all ethnicity. Other schools try to imitate us, but are not successful. Our supporters will boo them right off the court...We maintain good sportsmanship… My thanks goes to President Obama for mandating insurance be granted to all… Thanks again for the platform as our children move forward and continue the tradition with C-PRIDE!!!
They really aren't cheerleaders more like a pep squad. Many can barely do cart wheels, no back handsprings, or stunts. This program really needs a facelift. If trained properly, these girls could compete and earn scholarships. Chester train needs to leave the ration and never return.
ReplyDeleteI think they're more like a dance team. They are entertaining, even though I never can understand what they're saying. I'd love to see a uniform upgrade too. The white shirts and bucks are so dated.
DeleteIt would be interesting to see if we could put together a competitive cheerleading squad even if they don't represent the sport teams. You are right, our dance team will never earn a scholarship doing what they're doing.
Today, cheerleading is sport within itself. They could start a feeder program at the elementary school level and compete nationally with the 'real' cheerleaders around the country.
"Chester train needs to leave the station and never return." That's too funny!
Cheerleaders are in the middle schools. They cheer for middle school sports.
DeleteYes, there are cheerleaders in the middle schools, and they mimic the Chester High School routines. They do not learn competitive cheerleading at the middle school level.
DeleteIt's like saying that we teach 'And1' street skills to basketball players and wonder why they don't understand how to play a real team game of league basketball.
Middle school cheerleaders can be trained too.
DeleteIt's like you are saying they can't be trained because they do not cheer competitively.
How did you come up with that from what I wrote. Please, take everyone of those middle school ladies and teach them to cheer competitively. Of course they can do it. You'd probably have an even larger group of girls qualifying than those who currently cheer.
Deleteit seems to me that the reason the cheerleaders arent "real" cheerleaders is because they're not being TAUGHT to cheer. is there NO ONE who can make that happen at the high school level? here, and in most optimist/pop warner leagues, the feeder program begins. i don't know how many youth football teams there are, but miami/fort lauderdale teams have age-consistent programs in conjunction with football teams, from 7-14 y/o (peewee through unlimited pound programs). when the ladies reach high school, they're READY!. btw, think there might be enough interest from chester ladies willing to help the girls at THAT level, also? guess not, or else this wouldn't be today's topic. sigh :-| emcduffy
ReplyDeleteMr. McDuffy,
DeleteWe also have a strong youth football program in Chester that involves a lot of kids. They have cheerleaders, too, but they mimic the Chester High School style.
The same thing happens with the middle school cheerleaders and the Biddy League cheerleaders.
The Chester High School cheerleading style is a big influencer all the way down to the babies.
Yes, it is a sport. A competitive cheerleading team would be great in Chester. But how o we change the frame of mind of our community to get involved. With the right training, our kids would be great. You should run for Mayor of the City. We need one one smart, open-minded and that speaks their mind.
ReplyDeleteDon't look for me to run for mayor.
DeleteBut, why not hit up the current mayor to get a competitive cheerleading program started in the Department of Recreation. He just left the White House and hung with Michelle Obama with Let's Move convincing me that he wants fitness to be an important element in this city.
I can't imagine it would cost much to start a 'real' cheerleading camp.
You are too stupid to be the mayor!
DeleteI agree. Only geniuses are elected as mayors of our great city. I couldn't hold a torch to any of them. Thanks for clearing that up.
DeleteNo, you can't hold a torch to anything. You are welcome.
DeleteWOW! The Chester train is cute and honestly because we the people enjoy it... it gets to stay legendary. With the full gymnastics training that doesn't exist in this school district I think it's humorous that someone would expect the children who are raised in poverty to have such excellent training...you people are entertaining. There are some aspects that need to be developed and there are some team members who can do flips, tumbles, handsprings and cartwheels...I'm thinking they don't want to cheer in college that's probably why they don't earn those scholarships...I'm just saying....don't pick on the children who are maintain academic standards, citizenship standards and coaches who donate their personal time trying to support their local school positively; go recruit those who are doing nothing, make a name for yourself as a game changer!
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone is picking on anyone.
DeleteI don't think anyone expects the current cheerleaders to complete in a cheerleading competition based on the routines they entertain us with.
I don't think poverty has anything to do with anything. If you can produce great basketball talent in poverty, you can create great everything else.
I believe some of the ladies do have the skills to be competitive cheerleaders.
As you imply, unless there is a training program in place to teach competitive cheerleading, there will be no competitive cheerleading.
I would love for the ladies to at least add a few routines where they are actually leading a cheer. They don't involve the crowd. Their routines are all about watching them, not hyping a crowd. A simple "Gimme a C-H-E-S-T-E-R" would be a start. Let's us fans join the fun.
(If you had to pick between 9th grade football and competitive cheerleading, which do you think would bring the greatest return on investment for the participating athlete??
Agree with anonymous. You were not only picking on the cheerleaders you were laughing at them and their skills.
DeleteYou repeated and said, "'Chester train needs to leave the station and never return.' That's too funny!"
I ain't picking with any cheerleader. In a perfect world, there would be an extracurricular activity that every student would participate in. For the ladies that choose to be a Chester High School cheerleader, good for them.
DeleteThey represent the school and city perfectly. And Coach Karen is the best. I took the time to get off my bike, take their photo, and put it on the blog. That's how much I respect them.
However, the first comment started the tread on the cheerleader's style, and I mostly agree. It's a dance team...a step team...not a traditional cheerleading team by today's standards. They are in a league of their own.
If you enjoy the Train, great. I don't. The comment was funny to me, but I didn't come up with it.
Instead of trying to slam me, why don't you provide a comment to support the cheerleaders if you really like what they do.
hater mr slave
ReplyDeleteStefan,
ReplyDeleteWhy do you even waste your time trying to have a intellectual conversation about developing our young people. Seriously, the problem on Chester are not the kids but the adults like that person that refers to everyone with a common sense comment as a slave and hater. They can barely read and write who is the real slave. You are smart and educated with great ideas but these folks in Chester are something. All you talked about was ideas to give cheerleaders better opportunities. OMG, do tired of these dumb Chester people.
Why? Most comments deserve a response, if for no other reason than to inform or correct things for other readers. Hopefully, the less informed get more informed. I don't consider that a waste of time.
DeleteIdeally, there would be a lot more dialogue among readers. especially from those who are the subject of a blog post. The strength of the blog format is interaction. We'll get there one day.
Of course, the ignorant will likely remain ignorant. We let them feel like they're contributing to the conversation just to remind ourselves who we're dealing with around here.
you and july28 at 1031pm are slaves
ReplyDeleteIf you want your child to learn competition cheer send them to Aston or Chi they both have programs
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eteamz.com/AstonAA/index.cfm?subsite=868906
It boils down to this, the current cheerleaders cheer in a style that has been handed down for decades, which most Chester residents enjoy. The current cheerleading leadership does the best they can with what they have. I would love to see how gymnastics training can be accomplished with no reasonable budget for the cheerleading program. Half the time they have to fight to get the cheerleaders transported to non-league games. After years of only allotting funding for the cheerleaders to replace one article of clothing (the top of the uniform or the bottom, not both), the cheerleaders finally received a full uniform during basketball playoffs last season. For those concerned, you will only see their white shirts during football season. The new uniform will be worn again during basketball season.
ReplyDeleteThere has always been an inequity on how girls and boys programs are funded across the nation. I don't think we will change that any time soon. What we can focus on is this, those young ladies spend countless hours in the hot summer sun honing their craft, whether it is to your liking or not. They are not a dance team; I have not seen them do a dance routine in years. They are not a step team, I have stepped and what they do is not it. Moreover, they are not a pep squad. They lead the crowd as best they can. It is unfortunate that the times they do try to get crowd participation it is met with a lukewarm response or none at all. Our folks like what they like and will only chant back what's familiar.
The cheerleaders are celebrated for many things, the train happens to be one of them. They cannot go anywhere and not be asked to do it, although they have countless newer cheers. I even recall when they used to have All-Star Cheerleading (when two cheerleaders are picked from each school and you had to share a cheer and sideline with the others) the most coveted cheers to learn were not from the other cheerleading programs who participated in competitive cheerleading, but from Chester's. It appears there were many who appreciated Chester's unique style of cheering. It should also be noted that the middle school, Biddy, and "babies" emulate the high school cheerleaders because that is what they see, the volunteer coaches are mostly alumni cheerleaders, and the gym programs in the Chester Upland School District are inefficient or nonexistent. I would love for the outcome of this blog to be an accomplished gymnast volunteering his/her time to run a free clinic for the cheerleaders since the current budget, or lack thereof, would not allow for the girls to attend one this summer. It would also be great if someone who appreciates the virtues of competitive cheerleading would sponsor the cheerleaders to attend a gymnastics/stunt clinic.
I would like to finally say that some of the cheerleaders have seen this blog and I want to encourage them to continue giving their best and not be discouraged. I want to encourage their coaches, one of which cheered at Chester High and on the college level, to continue to do much with little and I thank you for giving our students a positive, constructive outlet. I understand through the coaches' constant guidance and push these girls receive excellent grades, are in leadership positions within the school, are involved in community service, and have a high rate of college acceptance and attendance. The graduating seniors compete and are awarded each year the Chester High School Alumni Cheerleading Association Scholarship for their participation in cheerleading, academic prowess, and community service; not to mention the other countless scholarships they receive.
I love the Chester High School Cheerleading program, always have and always will. I especially love the train, since it is steeped in tradition, the flying splits, that many schools cannot master, and the soul that often can't be taught. I understand some don't feel the same. Got it! I just feel different.... #C-Pride
Now that's a comment. If I could get one of those kinda of comments on the blog once a week, I'd be thrilled.
DeleteBe bold, take a stand, presents facts, clarify. When folks don't comment fully you make it seem I've got the only opinion on topics. I hope that isn't the case.
Thanks. Come again.
So true Stefan. The same sad person with limited vocabulary only uses the word slave. During slavery time we were not allowed to read and write and it looks like they still have that mentality and limited growth. "we be free color folks now, so let's learn to write sentences and expand our vocabulary. Loll!! Really, think about same person only uses 2 or 3 words like hate and slave. Looks like Master never let them learn to read and write. Big Sout Out to the Democrats!!! We know it's y'all.
ReplyDeleteDon't get sucked in. That's the intent.
DeleteMonica,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you about the inequality with funding cheerleading vs. other sports like basketball. We all have C-Pride and respect and appreciate the young ladies. I think people took this dialogue the wrong way. Spirit and Soul is great but it does not lend our girls to other opportunities. There are full-time and part-time cheer opportunities that are young ladies will never qualify for until they master these skills. They are missing opportunities to compete against others to win positions on the Sixers Dream Team and Eagles Cheer programs. This has nothing to do with what the coaches do and everything to do with our community not pulling together to prepare and extend these opportunities to these young ladies. These young ladies are strong, smart and talented, but we have to support the coaching staff and prepare them for other opportunities. My niece does competive cheer and earned a full scholarship to college and a place on the Sixers Junior Dance Team. She earned this not because of her soul and spirit but because when she went to the audition they asked her to perform certain skills like triple round off, double back handspring, aerials, and much more. I want our cheerleaders to have the opportunity to compete and the more that we make excuses about why they can't do it, the more they will not want to do it. The cheerleaders should use this forum to ask questions and show others that they can learn new skills. I hope that you and the cheerleaders take this in this spirit is being delivered in from a place of love and concern not gossip and hatred.
still mr roots your are not free
ReplyDeleteDid anyone stop to ask the girls what "kind" of cheering they prefer? Speaking as a former Chester High School Cheerleader, I enjoyed our form of cheerleading and it is mainly the reason why I begged my mother to send me to Chester High School. When I went to college I went out for the cheerleading squad and I became captain of that squad. We did stunts, tumbling ect. However the girls at my university loved my “Chester” Cheers. However I hated that “Real” form of cheerleading I didn’t like it at all.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI hope you did not take my comments as offering excuses, I just wanted to present the facts. Without proper funding or a capable volunteer, it will be difficult for them to obtain those skills. I applaud those that do and can get scholarships doing it. I also applaud these young ladies who cheer in this manner and receive scholarships as well.
Good Day Stefan and Fellow Bloggers,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the exposure and the attention to help us shine even the more. One of the reasons the cheerleaders are limited is because of insurance. The school and the cheerleader must have an insurance policy that will cover any injuries that may occur while performing these stunts. We have talented children on the squad and their heart is in doing well.
In the past, we did pyramids and stunts. Just like a lot of programs taken out of the curriculum at CHS, it was handed down to the coaches that we could no longer perform in that fashion. We all could do stunts and was taught well. To cheer is to just that, cheer. We are not stunters. We appreciate the smiles and positive moral we receive from onlookers of all ethnicity. Other schools try to imitate us, but are not successful. Our supporters will boo them right off the court...We maintain good sportsmanship…
My thanks goes to President Obama for mandating insurance be granted to all… Thanks again for the platform as our children move forward and continue the tradition with C-PRIDE!!!
I had no idea there was so much passion for cheerleaders. I wish we could discuss other issues on this blog with this much back-n-forth.
Delete