Let's hear it for the boys!

Film still from Ready? OK!,
the story of a boy who just wants to cheer!

Of course Cheer New York makes it a habit of checking out the latest news, reports and great photos and fashion that the cheer magazines feature every month. They're great resources for safety tips, new stunts and mounts, fundraising ideas and so much more. But one thing you rarely see in the spotlight are the men of cheerleading.

We get it. We understand that the mainstream cheerleading market is mostly made up of teenage girls. Also, all eyes are usually on flyers, and more often than not, they are exclusively women (well, except on Cheer NY and other Pride Cheerleading Association teams).

Still, this cheerleader got a moment's thrill when he spied the current issue of Inside Cheerleading magazine. There, front and center of their All-Star issue cover, is a handsome young MAN. A true rarity in the cheer press, where images of women usually dominate, 10 to 1, and men are almost never featured alone especially on a cover.

So Cheer NY is sending a shout out and "thanks" to Inside Cheerleading for devoting one out of six covers and symbolically spotlighting the often overlooked and unsung male contingent of the cheer community. Men increasingly are recognizing that cheerleading is a tough, demanding, challenging and rewarding sport that anyone can be proud to be a part of. And we thank Inside Cheerleading for noticing!

You can check out Inside Cheerleading's blog here. Coverboy Griff is one of the authors, by the way.