Do you love physical competition? When you root for others do people tend to chime in? Do you love to dance and perform impressive gymnastic feats for a crowd? How’s your team spirit? Aggressive? Bananas? Well, you just might be a Cheerleader.

Mad-confident in their abilities, Cheerleaders rule the blue mats with jaw-dropping backflips, high jumps , and falls from the top of the 10-person pyramid. They work just as hard as the Athletes on the field, if not harder, and spend equal time practicing, traveling, and competing. But for all the skill involved in cheerleading, the true Cheerleader doesn’t lose sight of the main purpose: rooting for their team. They are crowd-leaders and morale-boosters. They show up at every game to fly the colors, ruffle the pom-poms, jump, shout, and spur their team to victory.

Socially, Cheerleaders rule the school. They’re popular with a high hotness quotient and they know it. Female Cheerleaders love that the bounce of their ponytail makes guys stop and stare. Male Cheerleaders love the excuse to be surrounded by pretty girls, even though those girls happen to be standing on their shoulders or tumbling into their arms from great heights.

Cheerleader Superpowers

• Team spirit
• A winning, authentic smile
• A loud, commanding voice
• Fluid, physical strength and grace
• Seriously athletic

A Happy Cheerleader
Becoming a Cheerleader is a highly competitive process. In some towns, the parents of Cheerleaders start them in dance and gymnastics at an early age to prepare them for the physical demands of cheerleading and help them hone the requisite skills. (One doesn’t learn a back handspring overnight!) Since there are usually a small number of spots open that a large number of people want, no day is happier than the day the Cheerleader finds out she or he has made the squad.

Famous Cheerleaders
Ann Margaret, Paula Abdul, Sandra Bullock, Vanna White, Halle Berry, Steve Martin, George W. Bush, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Cheerleader Entourage
The Cheerleader forms useful and fortifying relationships with the Angel, Besty, Flirt, Activist, Dancer, Goof, Prince, Princess, Class Leader, Believer, Intellectual, and more.

Cheerleader in Love
The Cheerleader/quarterback relationship may be a cliché, but it’s the most common and natural fit in the world. Another Cheerleader cliché is that being a Cheerleader is such a prestigious role in the high school, college, or professional sports world that Cheerleaders are assumed to have first pick. They can date whomever they want because everyone wants to date the Cheerleader. And the awesome thing for Cheerleaders is that this cliché turns out to be pretty much true!

Cheerleader Challenge
In spite of the fact that many only fantasize about getting all the attention and social opportunities that Cheerleaders do, Cheerleaders may find the realities of their position overwhelming. Peer pressure can be intense in the fast moving crowd of the most athletic and popular kids. Even adult cheerleaders can find that keeping up in a high pressure, competitive scene is physically demanding and a completely immersive lifestyle. High kicks and jumps are require grace, but life itself is the trickiest maneuver to balance.

How to Play It
When you’re at the top of the social order, it helps if you remember the warning of ol’ Voltaire, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Be nice to people. Remember that people look up to you and use your amplified social powers for good. 

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