Abstract
While cheerleading is a staple among athletics competition in the United States, cheerleading has perennially struggled to achieve legitimacy as a competitive and rigorous sport. However, cheerleaders experience similar stressors to those of their athlete peers. In addition, cheerleaders occupy unique and distinct stressors pertaining to expectations for appearance and behavior. While extant research has examined maladaptive coping mechanisms among competing athletes, the distinct pressures and stressors associated with cheerleading may be associated with unique engagement in maladaptive coping. Accordingly, the present study sought to examine the prevalence and propensity of maladaptive coping behaviors among a sample of current and former college cheerleaders. Interviews with 24 participants revealed that distinct social expectations and institutional pressures can result in maladaptive coping mechanisms of varying extremity in collegiate cheerleading. Findings are contextualized within the framework of role theory and practical implications are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Corr, Chris and Behl, Taylor
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"Performance, Pressure, and Prescription: A Qualitative Investigation of Maladaptive Coping in Collegiate Cheerleading,"
Journal of Athlete Development and Experience: Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/jade/vol8/iss2/1
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