Starting our Zines
My topic for my zine is cheerleading! I am going to talk about the history of cheerleading, when it was started, and how it evolved into the sport we know today. I am also going to talk about the different types of cheer because not many people know that there are different types of cheerleading. Another one of my topics is that there are different divisions. There are different types of divisions because everyone and every school has a different skill level. I am also going to do what a practice looks like. Not many people know how much work we put into it when it comes to games, and we show our skills. I will also discuss what a typical week of cheer looks like and how many hours of cheer I participate in. One of my topics will be what a gameday looks like. I will also discuss what a competition entails. Lastly, I am going to discuss why cheer is considered a sport, as many people believe it is not. It is a sport because everyone practices, we compete, and we cheer at games. If cheer wasn’t a sport, we wouldn’t cheer at games and practices as much as we do. Also, just like how soccer has a USA team, cheer has a USA team. It is a pretty good team, and they have won back-to-back championships multiple times. I will research the topic and look into the history of cheerleading. I didn’t really take any steps; I just knew that I had also been passionate about cheerleading because it is what I love doing most, and I am always involved in cheer, no matter what. I didn’t do cheer my whole life, but I did do it when I was in elementary school, and when I went to high school, I knew I wanted to enjoy my 4 years og high school and not let it go to waste becuse in middle school, I had no time to do school activities because I had gymnastics.
Dear Mallory,
The topic of your zine, being cheerleading, sounds very fun and engaging to write about. I think that it has a lot of potential to teach your audience all about cheerleading and do so in a clear and meaningful way. I like your plan to start by covering the history of cheerleading and also discuss how it has changed over time. This seems like an important topic in your zine because a lot of people only see what modern cheerleading looks like and do not understand that it has gone through many different changes in its style, purposes, and the level of skill. This includes when cheerleading began and how it has been developed into a sport many recognize today.
In addition, I believe that it is a strong decision to explain the different kinds of cheerleading. Many people outside the sport just assume that it is the same everywhere. Having the ability to break it down into its categories will help the audience to see how wide the field of cheerleading really is. To add, the section that talks about divisions is another good idea too. The skill levels can vary a lot based on school or team and having the ability to explain why divisions exist will help to bring your project “full circle”. Your decision to also talk about what practice in cheerleading looks like will also be helpful for the audience. Many people do not know how much training is involved in cheerleading so talking about the conditioning and repetition that goes into practices will help people to understand. Including a look at what your schedule looks like will also add a personal touch to your zine. Your sections that will discuss gameday and the competitions will also add more depth. Those events will help to show the two different sides of cheerleading and how the performances and what not are different. For your conclusion, when you explain why cheerleading is a sport, it is a great way to address your opinions and why you choose to be a cheerleader.
In conclusion, your passion for cheerleading is definitely seen and it will help to reinforce your zine. Your personal experiences will help to show why the topic matters and it will allow your zine to be more personal and interesting to read. Best of luck as you work on your zine in these upcoming weeks.
Best,
Ethan Reed
I love your topic! Cheerleading is such an underrated sport, so I think it’s really cool that you’re using your zine to break down all the work that goes into it. I honestly didn’t know there were different types of cheer or divisions, so I’m actually excited to learn about that part. I feel like most people only see the performances at games, but they don’t realize how intense practices and weekly schedules can be, so including that is going to make your zine super eye-opening. I also really like that you’re covering both the history of cheer and what it looks like today. That mix of personal experience and research is going to make your zine feel really authentic. The section about competitions and what gamedays look like sounds fun too, I feel like those behind-the-scenes details will help people understand why cheer absolutely is a sport. It’s awesome that you picked something you’re genuinely passionate about. I can tell how much cheer means to you. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all comes together!