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Cheerleaders are an iconic part of American football. You see them on the sidelines, rooting for their team and leading chants. But what about lacrosse? Is there cheerleading in lacrosse?
Youth, high school, and college-level lacrosse don’t typically have cheerleaders. However, at the professional level, cheerleaders might be present. For example, the National Lacrosse League and the Major League Lacrosse have cheerleaders. Women’s Professional Lacrosse does not have cheerleaders.
In this article, I will take a deeper look at why most levels of lacrosse don’t have cheerleaders and whether or not this could change in the future. By the end of the post, you should have a good understanding of the role of cheerleaders in lacrosse (or lack thereof).
Does Youth, High School, And College Lacrosse Have Cheerleaders?
Youth Lacrosse
Youth lacrosse does not have cheerleaders. Part of the reason for this is that lacrosse is not as big of a sport at the youth level as football or basketball.
There are simply not as many people interested in attending youth lacrosse games and cheering on the team.
High School Lacrosse
High school lacrosse also does not have cheerleaders. This is likely for the same reason as youth lacrosse as there are not as many people interested in attending high school lacrosse games.
This makes it hard to justify cheerleaders for a sports level that doesn’t get as many views.
College Lacrosse
College lacrosse currently does not have cheerleaders for the same reasons as youth and high school lacrosse. In addition, college lacrosse is less structured than professional lacrosse and doesn’t have the same level of organization.
This makes it less likely that college lacrosse teams would have cheerleaders.
The absence of cheerleaders at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels is likely due to a number of factors, some of which I have mentioned above.
First, lacrosse is not as popular as football in the United States. Second, lacrosse is considered a “niche” sport, meaning that it is not as mainstream as other sports.
Third, youth, high school, and college lacrosse are not as structured as professional sports, making it less likely that cheerleaders would be present.
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Another reason is that cheerleading often happens in the winter and fall while lacrosse is a spring sport. This means that cheerleaders are often doing other things during the lacrosse season and are not available to cheer at lacrosse games.
Will High School And College Lacrosse Transition To Having Cheerleaders?
Since lacrosse continues to grow in popularity each year, it is possible that high school and college lacrosse will eventually have cheerleaders over time. Cheerleaders can also potentially bring in more views to these levels since they will motivate the teams to have interesting games.
It is also possible that as high school and college lacrosse becomes more structured, there will be more of a push for high school and college teams to have cheerleaders.
However, this transition is not guaranteed and it remains to be seen if high school and college lacrosse teams will have cheerleaders in the future.
*Side Note: I recently wrote an article called Can You Play Lacrosse Without Cleats. This article compares lacrosse cleats to other pairs of cleats and establishes which cleats are the best. You can check out this article here!
Many high schools and colleges have their own cheerleading squads that cheer on all of the school’s sports teams, not just one specific team.
This means that there are often not enough cheerleaders to go around and some teams, like lacrosse, end up without any.
Some cheerleading teams also prefer gigs from established professional sports leagues like the NFL or NBA because they offer more money and exposure. This leaves lacrosse teams out in the cold when it comes to getting cheerleaders.
So, while there are some exceptions at the professional level, for the most part, there are no cheerleaders in lacrosse.
So at present, it doesn’t seem like high school or college lacrosse will be getting cheerleaders anytime soon. So, if you’re interested in cheering on your favorite lacrosse team, you’ll likely have to do it from the stands.
Would Having Cheerleaders Be Better For Lacrosse?
In general, cheerleading comes with more benefits than drawbacks. Cheerleaders can potentially bring more views to the games which generally motivates players. This type of support is crucial no matter which level of lacrosse you might be in.
Some benefits of having cheerleaders include:
- Cheerleaders can help increase the energy and excitement at a game
- Cheerleaders can help lead chants and cheers to support the team
- Cheerleaders can add to the overall atmosphere of the game, making it more fun and enjoyable for fans
- It can be argued that cheerleaders make the game more exciting to watch for both fans and players
Some drawbacks of having cheerleaders include:
- Cheerleaders can be expensive to have at games
- Some people feel that cheerleaders are can be disruptive to the game flow
Overall, whether or not having cheerleaders is better for lacrosse is a matter of opinion. Some people feel that cheerleaders add to the game experience while others find them disruptive. But I think it would really help the sport and make it more enjoyable to watch.
*By the way, I recently wrote an article that talks about If Lacrosse Is A Fun Sport To Play. This article breaks down if it is easy to learn lacrosse as well as how lacrosse is played. You can check out this article here!
Does Professional Lacrosse Have Cheerleaders?
Premier Lacrosse League
As a whole, the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) has cheerleaders. The PLL is an organized top-level professional lacrosse league in the United States. The cheerleaders for the PLL are called the “PLL Dancers” and they perform at all of the home games for the league.
“The PLL would be a direct competitor to the more established Major League Lacrosse.”
WIKIPEDIA
This means that there is a simial number of views across both of these lacrosse leagues.
Major League Lacrosse
As a general rule, the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) has cheerleaders. The league is professional men’s outdoor lacrosse. Most of the teams in this league have cheerleaders that perform at their home games.
“League attendance peaked at 6,417 in 2011 and the 2019 average was 4,587.”
WIKIPEDIA
National Lacrosse League
Generally speaking, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) also has cheerleaders for the same reason as the MLL. Since the National League has an average of 10,000 spectators per game, cheerleading is a must.
“The NLL has averaged between 8,900 and 10,700 spectators per game each year since 2004.”
WIKIPEDIA
So, overall, professional lacrosse always has cheerleaders to cheer for their games!
Can Cheerleaders Play Other Sports?
Generally speaking, cheerleaders can play other sports in their free time. Many high school and college cheerleaders are also athletes in other sports. For example, a high school cheerleader might also play soccer or run track.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, I have answered your question about whether or not there are cheerleaders in lacrosse. As you can see, there are some exceptions at the professional level but, for the most part, high school and college teams do not have cheerleaders.
What do you think? Would having cheerleaders make lacrosse more exciting to watch? Thanks for reading and feel free to share this post with anyone who might be interested.
