Jerome Naval didn’t know a thing about cheerleading. But when a friend asked him to join practice to see what it was like, he was intrigued.
He admits he initially thought of the stereotypes that are associated with cheerleaders. But after joining the first practice, the fifth-year biology major quickly realized that as much as it was fun, it was also “a lot of hard work.”
Naval joined the team this past summer, making him the first male cheerleader on the UTSC team. His debut performance, which is his only one so far, was a big one. The team was a part of this year’s Pride Parade.
“I wasn’t afraid with seeing all the people there. Cheerleading is energizing and empowering,” Naval says. That feeling was an integral part of his first performance, and he hopes it will be a part of his future ones as well.
Being able to go through a social barrier, purely for the love of cheerleading, is something he says has empowered him.
“We live in Toronto and it’s a pretty progressive society. My family and friends have been supportive since day one, even though they thought I was joking about joining the team,” Naval says.
Being a part of a team involves community and trusting one another, just like any other sport.
"Cheerleading is energizing and empowering."
Naval says cheer is more than “just dancing, smiling and waving a pompom.” It involves lifting people in the air and holding what are often difficult and strenuous positions. The team is re-inventing themselves by stepping away from choreography-heavy routines to “ones that are more competition ready,” Naval says.
“Being in cheer has made me feel healthier than ever before in my life. It’s an amazing feat of strength and technique. If you look at it that way, that’s really nothing to be afraid of.”
This is something he told Alfonso Manalo when they met at orientation. Initially, the new member was unsure if men could join the team, but Naval’s encouragement influenced his decision to join.
The first-year public policy major wanted to step out of his comfort zone, and cheerleading was a “foreign concept” to him. He also wondered why the sport was never associated with men.
“I’m exploring a field that, in my eyes, has rarely been explored by my gender,” he says.
Manalo agrees that stereotypes of what a cheerleader should look or act like are largely influenced by film. But it’s nothing like that at all, he says. Cheer has given him a chance to challenge himself physically, but it has also taught him lessons he can take beyond this current experience.
“Anytime you do a tumble or a flip you lose it if you lose your confidence, but it doesn’t mean don’t you have the strength to do so,” Manalo says. “I translate that into having the confidence to do other things in life.”
Others who are hesitant of joining should take time to think at the work that goes into making cheerleading look so organized and effortless, he says.
“It all comes down to being a part of something that other guys don’t know about or don’t want to know about because they initially think of the stereotypes of cheerleading.”
The team, which is an official club recognized by the Scarborough Campus Students Union, is currently training off-campus.