Athlete's Statement To the Fierce Board



Hello. My name is Maddie Gardner, I am a cheerleader for Cheer Extreme Senior Elite and this is my first time posting on this forum. In fact, it is only the fourth time I have even visited the web page. I try to remove myself from some (not all) of the behavior on this board. It is sad that there are a few people who make our sport (that some work so hard to promote) something it is not. It almost seems unfair to we, as athletes, who put in countless hours on the mat, to be bashed by "cheer followers" on a website. So here I am, as one of these athletes who has received her fair share of support and negativity, and as a fan of our sport to post a challenge to the "fierce boarders".

I challenge you as a group to refrain from negative commentary that targets athletes both as individuals and as a team. I challenge you to not just discuss our sport, but to help it grow and make it a place where we can do what we all love to do, without being scared of judgement by anyone other than a judging panel. Finally, I challenge you to encourage rather than make hurtful comments.

I believe in this sport and I love this sport. I want to depart in April knowing that this activity, that I have dedicated fourteen years to, will continue to exhibit the qualities that I fell in love with when I first began. Cheerleaders accept challenges everyday. As you all know, sometimes we overcome, and other times we fall short. So let's do this together, as a community of people who care about this sport. I understand that by placing yourself in the public eye both good and bad comments are inevitable, but I also understand that this sport defies all boundaries and I know that together we are unstoppable. Let's make cheerleading a place to grow without apprehension, a place to overcome with the support of everyone, and a place that we can love, now and forever.


posted by Maddie on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
© Maddie Gardner 2012
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