The University of Washington’s cheerleading tryouts poster made me feel like crap

If you haven’t heard, the University of Washington’s Cheer and Dance team recently put out a poster depicting a tall, blonde, thin girl with arrows pointing to different parts of her body, listing their ideal “look” for trying out. Before I read this poster, I thought it was going to say things like “show up confident, with a smile, be prepared to have fun during tryouts!”

Sadly, I was wrong.

This poster is the most vile, hurtful, and downright inconceivable thing I have ever seen with a University’s logo on it.

I literally violate every “rule” on this

I am so incredibly hurt by this. How could anyone ever think in their right mind that requiring some of these things is okay? There are so many things wrong with this poster.

First of all, lets look at the “Body Do’s” and “Body Dont’s” sections

This flyer calls for a “physically fit, athletic physique.”

I can imagine they mean a body similar to the girl on this poster. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this girl’s body. Her body is her own and she can do with it what she pleases, and she can show it off however she wants, just like any other person. But not everyone who wants to cheer or dance for the University of Washington is going to have this body.

A good athlete’s ability isn’t measured by what their body looks like. I am athletic. I am physically fit. I don’t necessarily have a so called “physique” representing this. It is beyond wrong to even mention the type of body candidates must have. The University of Washington cheerleading team has no right to discriminate based on body type.

Secondly, we have the “no visible tattoos” body don’t. This poster basically says that even if I was an amazing cheerleader, I shouldn’t go to tryouts because I have a rose tattoo on my wrist. Good to know.

Not sure how a visible tattoo would affect how well you can cheerlead or dance

Another body don’t is “no distracting fingernail polish”. When was the last time you were distracted by fingernail polish? Don’t cheerleaders flip through the air? How could you even see their nail polish when they’re doing that?

Oh, I’m sorry, did my nail polish distract you?

I can understand not having jewelry of any kind because it might be a hazard. That is basically the only thing I agree with on this entire poster.

Moving on to “Attire Do’s and Don’ts”

Apparently, the University of Washington Cheer and Dance team has requirements for how much of your body you have to show, and this honestly just makes me feel nauseous. Required apparel  is “a solid black sports bra and black mid rise shorts.” Specifically outlined is the fact that the shorts cannot be high waisted and your midriff must be showing. It is beyond me how showing your midriff or not reflects what caliber of an athlete you are.

Here’s a picture of my Mom circa 1973 on her cheerleading team. Notice her midriff is not showing, yet she was a great cheerleader

What gives them the right to request that athletes show certain parts of their body? Each individual person should have the right to show their body or not to their own liking. If someone wants to wear a black sports bra and mid rise black shorts, thats fine. But if someone wishes not to show their midriff, that should be fine too. The amount of skin someone shows isn’t a reflection of their cheerleading or dance skill. If someone chooses not to show their midriff at tryouts, how does this in any way, shape, or form dictate if they are cut out for a college cheerleading team? Aren’t the point of tryouts to pick the best athletes? If I was the person holding these tryouts, I wouldn’t care if you showed up in a G-string bikini or if you showed up in a HazMat suit.

There are even concerning things about the “Hair and Makeup Do’s and Dont’s”

The poster advises that athletes wear “girl about town lipstick”. Honestly, what does that even mean? Athletes are requested to wear false lashes, either be tan or have a spray tan, and have flattering eye shadow. They are also instructed not to be wearing too much makeup, not have nude lipstick, and my least favorite part: no contouring. It seems preposterous to me that making the team or not has to do with how well someone can do their makeup without contouring.

Apparently I can’t try out for cheer because I contoured today

What is the point of having so many rules about appearance if these girls are going to be trying out for a sport?

Notice how there is not a single thing on that poster entailing the sport or what kind of things you should be ready to do at tryouts. Shouldn’t you come prepared for tryouts confident and ready to show your best skills and know what’s ahead of you? This seems exponentially more important to me than what shape my body is, what I’m wearing and what my makeup and hair looks like. Shouldn’t athletes make the team based on if they have the skills and talent it takes to be on a college cheer or dance team?

Contrary to what UW cheer and dance may think, it is quite possible to hold cheer tryouts without offending everyone.

These are the requirements set forth by the UConn Spirit, Pride & Traditions Program for the Co-Ed Cheer team for their 2015-2016 tryouts. Unlike UW, skills are the main focus here

I am proud to go a school that bases cheer and dance tryouts on athletic ability rather than the shape of someone’s body. The UConn Co-Ed cheer team requirements ask for a specific set of skills to be prepared for rather than a list of physical attributes. They ask you to show up ready to demonstrate your best cheer skills. The information also makes no mention of mandatory midriff showing or what kind of body you should have.

This is the way sports should be; based upon skill and talent, and not based on the way someone does their makeup, the way someone’s body is shaped or how much of their body they show.