These Cheerleaders Are Not 'Mean Girls'

Jane Martinez has found that cheerleading is sometimes a tough sell to parents in Maplewood and South Orange.

"I've had little girls begging their moms to let them do it," recalled Martinez, who is the new cheer commissioner and president of the Maplewood-South Orange Packer football and cheerleading league. Some mothers have been resistant--particularly those who were involved in sports in their youth--but the Maplewood-South Orange Packers program has won them over. "They see the girls learning discipline, getting exercise and building team spirit. And the athleticism of the bigger girls is amazing."

Martinez sometimes has to fight the back-biting and pageant-like image of cheerleading popularized in movies like "Bring It On" and "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom" (1993; Holly Hunter won an Emmy). And she has come to realize that cheerleading is not as popular in the Northeastern U.S. as it was when she was growing up in her native Virginia.

"People think cheerleading is demeaning to girls, but they don't realize what a sport it is." Plus: "It's not mean girls. The girls are really supportive of each other and other squads. At the meets, they have hello cheers and good luck cheers." This behavior is rewarded with a spirit award to the most supportive team at each meet.

The girls practice two or three nights a week at Underhill Field and, now that it's getting dark earlier, under the lights at DeHart Park. The Mighty Mites (the level for 5-9-year-olds) cheer for the first-year tackle boys on Sundays.

The MSO Packers cheerleading squad performed an exhibition at the Mountain Valley Conference regional cheer competition this past Saturday, October 10, at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. The Packers did not compete because the program is rebuilding after a turnover in leadership from last year and only had girls in the instructional level. 

Most of the girls, all aged 5 to 9, are participating in cheerleading for the first time this year. They seemed a little nervous as they took to the mat but their cheering was well-coordinated and their voices rang loud. The Maplewood-South Orange contingent in the stands went wild. "This is the most crowd support we've ever had," said Martinez who organizes the squad. The 23 MSO Packer girls are guided by head coach Dede Taylor-Finch and assistant coaches April Parker, Tiqua Knight and Natalia Davis. 

As the football season winds down, so will the cheerleading season. Martinez is already looking forward to growing the cheerleading program for next year. She hopes to attract more girls and older girls (the conference accepts girls ages 5 through 15) as well as coaches.

Anyone interested in cheering or coaching for next year should contact Martinez at janemartinez@comcast.net.