In some circles cheerleading has a negative stereotype that assumes young ladies who pursue this pastime aren't as smart as their classmates. Beautiful, yes, but bright and not arrogant, no, the stereotype goes. While a few might exemplify the stereotype, in general, cheerleading is a great sport that requires physical skill, mental acuity and a willingness to work in a team. The sport, in fact, is a great one for young girls to get involved in as every part of it from the uniform on down to the pyramids speaks to a great need for teamwork.

While junior high, high school and college squads might only have a few spaces for cheerleaders, there are literally dozens of other opportunities in most communities for a girl to cheer. Organized sports outside of the school setting often come along with their own cheer teams that cater to girls from about age four on up.

The advantages to getting a young lady in cheerleading are many, too. They include:

* Self-confidence booster. Even if it's for the PAL pee wees, being a cheerleader is a big deal to a young lady. The uniform symbolizes they are part of something, their own team, the squad. Learning the moves and being part of a squad can help boost confidence, which applies to all other areas of life, as well.

* Exercise. Anyone who thinks cheerleading isn't hard, hasn't cheered. The routines can be physically demanding and the workouts necessary to make them happen even more so. Although presented in a fun environment, cheerleading is very physical and can help a young woman develop an exercise regime that will last her a lifetime. The benefits of this are endless.

* Teamwork. This is one of the biggest benefits to cheerleading. To execute a cheer correctly, the girls must work together. This is true for a basic cheer and more so for a complicated move, such as a tower, toss or more. If the girls work together and try, the cheer will be a success. If they don't, it won't. There may be a captain and co-captain, but each member of the squad is vital to its overall success.

* Practice and patience. This is one sport that helps teach the value of patience and practice to learn and master something. Routines don't come together overnight and it takes each member of the team to work hard and learn them to ensure a great execution on the field.

* Concentration. If this sport demands anything, it's concentration. There's no way to pull off a complicated routine without it. Cheerleading can help focus young ladies and teach them to put their full attention on the task at hand.

It gets a bad rap from those who don't understand its more complicated side, but cheerleading is actually a great sport that can help develop strong, confident young ladies. Physically and mentally challenging, this sport is about more than hollering. From the pompoms down to the uniform, cheerleaders are part of a team and they must all work together to succeed.