A thought-provoking journey into the complicated history of gender, sexuality, race, and social justice through the world of sports. Have you ever wondered why most cheerleaders are girls? Or why some athletes, like Caster Semenya, have to prove they’re women while there’s no testing for men? And why do athletes like Megan Rapinoe and Colin Kaepernick use sports as a platform for social justice, and should they? These questions and more are examined in Throw Like a Girl, Cheer Like a Boy: The Evolution of Gender, Identity, and Race in Sports. Robyn Ryle uses the world of sports to examine the history, controversy, and current conversations around sexuality, race, and social justice, bringing in the stories of today’s athletes to highlight the issues. Topics covered include gender segregation, gender testing, transgender athletes, sexuality, homophobia, globalization, race, and activism. Throw Like a Girl, Cheer Like a Boy shows the great strides that have been made in the sports world, but there are still questions that remain and work that needs to be done. This book brings to attention the ways in which sports can contribute to inequalities while also demonstrating how sports can help create a more just world for everyone.
"Engaging images accompany information about cheerleading professionals. The combination of high-interest subject matter and narrative text is intended for students in grades 3 through 7"--Provided by publisher.
Sunday, September 5: Afternoon, my crib Spirit Level: Cheered Out OK, so this was supposed to be the first day of my new, totally fantastic life as a Port Angeles School Titan Cheerleader. BUT instead, it’s the day that I, Madison Jane Hays, got rejected from the Titans and forced to join the dreaded, B-Squad Grizzly Bears. That’s right. My name was sandwiched in between Jared “Jazzhands” Handler and “Toxic” Tabitha Sue Stevens. Oh, and the girl who can’t even speak English, Katarina Tarasov. Yup, we’re one big hairy family. I went from being a god-like Titan to a lowly Grizzly in like, five seconds. My life. Is Seriously. O-V-E-R. I mean, who cheers at chess matches??!! I’m never going to make it to Nationals with a team like this. All I’ve ever wanted to do in life is cheer for the Titans. My mom (the most gorgeous, youngest ex-Titan cheerleader of ALL TIME, BTW) must be so disappointed! How she ended up with such a spastic daughter, I’ll never know. What I DO know? If I don’t whip this team into shape fast, I’ll literally DIE from embarrassment. Thank goodness I have my BFFs Lanie and Evan to keep me sane—otherwise, I might SERIOUSLY lose it. When Maddy's triple flip becomes a major FLOP during tryouts, the whole gym echoes with the snickers from the Titan cheerleading triumvirate: Katie Parker, Clementine Prescott, and Hilary Cho. Forced to join the challenged B-Squad Grizzlies instead, Maddy realizes that to become a Titan she'll need to whip the Grizzlies into shape first. Will Maddy ever land on top of the pyramid with a squad like this? Maybe not, but when her awesome designs for new Grizzly uniforms get revealed at a big game, even the Titans are overheard whispering her name. Does this mean what she thinks it means?
The emergence of sport risk management, which includes the popular activity of cheerleading, is timely and important in reducing injuries and subsequent lawsuits. A risk management plan for cheerleading is needed to meet the unprecedented growth of the sport to reduce the number of injuries and subsequent lawsuits that often follow serious injuries. The purpose of Cheerleading and the Law is to provide important guidelines in developing risk management plans with risk management strategies to create a safe environment for cheerleaders on every level. The need for such a book is evident, and the authors hope to fill a void that exists today in the ever-growing activity of cheerleading. "Without question, this book should be required reading for every athletic and school administrator, every cheer coach, every gym owner, every event producer, every parent of a cheerleader, and every company in the spirit industry . . . Cheerleading and the Law may well be one of the most important books written for the spirit industry." -- Gwen Holtsclaw, Cheer Ltd. Inc. President/CEO "With some of the stunts that cheerleaders are doing today, this book is really needed. There are far too many accidents and serious injuries inflicted upon cheerleaders." -- Ron Wellman, Wake Forest University Athletic Director "This book should be available for all coaches and administrators responsible for cheerleading." -- John Foley, IAA Magazine
"Engaging images accompany information about cheerleading basics. The combination of high-interest subject matter and narrative text is intended for students in grades 3 through 7"--