This isn't an unusual representation of the athletes, Pikulaski says. The most common image of male cheerleaders is less than glowing. People just don't know what cheerleading is. But the first time someone watches us, they begin to understand. Sandborg admits that even the current squad members were originally against the idea to join the team because of the negative stereotypes.
Every guy is.
It's usually the female members who try to recruit males for the squad. Mackley says they look for athletic figures who keep themselves in good shape. We only get stereotyped by people who don't know us or haven't seen us. Mackley says the reason some people have preconceived notions of male cheerleaders is because of amateur performances at the high school level. He says he feels college-level guy cheering involves much more difficult routines and stunts.