Boston Globe: "Think cheerleaders aren’t athletes? Think again, say those at the state championship"

"The vibe at the Massachusetts School Administrators Association Winter Cheerleading State Championship is spirited, and the music is pulsating.

Where else do you get 800 high school student-athletes on 54 teams doing thousands of pyramids and tumbles and not hear a single boo from the large crowds?

If you’re looking for pom-poms, you won’t find any here at Worcester State University.

Although cheerleading is not officially a sport in Massachusetts schools, there’s no doubt that these are bona fide athletes. The days of cheerleaders being thought of as just pretty faces rooting on the boys’ teams are long over."

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/16/sports/think-cheerleaders-arent-athletes-think-again-say-those-state-championship/

The Monomoy Regional team performs a synchronized leap at the recent MSAA Cheerleading State Championships at Worcester State.STAN GROSSFELD/GLOBE STAFF