Cheerleaders got
”
fired up
”
last week when they learned Principal Marco Sanchez deemed their
skirts too short to wear during the school day.
Cheerleaders got “fired up” last week when they learned Principal Marco Sanchez deemed their skirts too short to wear during the school day.
In past years, the squad donned their festive blue and gold uniforms on game days with little question from school administrators, cheerleaders said. The trouble started when administrators cited several non-cheerleaders for skimpy skirts. When those girls pointed out that cheerleaders wore similarly short uniform skirts, Sanchez took a closer look.
“They had a valid point,” he said.
He decided to make an exception for cheerleaders this year, but required the skirts be longer next year if they are to be worn at school.
“We want to be firm, fair and consistent, and do so with dignity and discretion,” Sanchez said.
Ensuring safety – by excluding gang colors or symbols – and modesty are Sanchez’s concerns with dress, he said.
Last week, Sanchez told the 31 cheerleaders and their parents that the girls could not wear their skirts during the school day without leggings, said Lynn Nebesnick, mother of a freshman cheerleader.
Particularly upset because she was assured the skirts abided by school standards when she signed the check for her daughter’s uniform, Nebesnick said she called the seven school board members, the superintendent and Sanchez.
“This is not right,” she said. “I’m an advocate of enforcing the dress code, but this is ridiculous.”
After listening to cheerleaders and parents, Sanchez reversed his decision, he said.
The current dress code bans skirts shorter than five inches from where pants inseams would start. A new footnote excludes some outfits on “spirit days.”
“They already bought their skirts. I’m not going to make a big to-do,” Sanchez said. “Next year, they’ll be at least a couple inches longer across the board to make sure there are no issues.”
Since cheerleader skirts aren’t custom-made, a skirt may appear shorter on cheerleaders with longer legs or a fuller figure, Cheerleading Advisor Ondy Stepp said. In her first year coaching GHS, Stepp said she did not order the uniforms, but will look next year into purchasing “professional attire” – sleeveless or short-sleeve polo shirts paired with shorts that fit the dress code. Each cheerleader is required to do 15 hours of community service and often acts as the face of GHS, Stepp said.
In 11 years of coaching, Stepp has never had a problem with the skirt length, she said.
“We’re willing to do whatever we need to make sure the administration is happy,” she said.
“Cheerleaders wear a form-fitted outfit for the same reason gymnasts wear leotards and volleyball players wear teeny-tiny shorts,” Stepp said. “Longer skirts restrict movement. If they wore knee-length skirts, they wouldn’t be able to kick their leg where it needs to be. They couldn’t pull a heel-stretch or do an arabesque … Cheer uniforms have followed the fashion trends. Everything has gotten shorter.”
Cheerleaders were relieved to hear Sanchez’s final decision.
“Cheer skirts are short,” said varsity cheerleader Hayley Fernandez, 15, during brunch Thursday. “That’s just how it is.”
“It’s not like we picked them out ourselves,” said fellow cheerleader Claire Ordaz, 15.
Both agreed they wouldn’t typically wear a skirt as short as their uniform, “at least not to school.” The girls also wear stretchy shorts under their skirts to ensure coverage, Stepp said.
All other teams have been asked to abide by dress code on game days, Stepp said.
Field hockey player Mandi Jo Torres, 17, and teammates used to wear uniforms to school on game days, but her coach advised against it to avoid controversy, she said.
“I’d like to wear my skirt – it’s tradition,” said Torres, her white jersey contrasted by dark track pants. “But it’s easier just to not.”
At brunch, most students wore clothes well within the parameters of the dress code. Many students sported long jeans and light, zip-up sweaters or jackets in the crisp morning air. While the majority of students’ attire was modest, some girls wore cleavage-revealing tops or tanks with thin straps that bordered on violating the school’s policy.
Sanchez likened the issue to “Pandora’s Box.” While some uniforms violate dress code, “many of them appear to be okay,” he said. “No matter where you go, it’s a controversy. It’s a tough issue to take on.”
