Cheerleading is a highly physical activity. It demands a lot of practice, hard work, discipline, and determination. From simply being morale boosters of athletes in other sports, cheerleading has grown into a sport itself and rightly so, with all the trainings and physical exertion that it requires.
Just like any other sport, cheerleading also requires well-designed and specialized uniforms and outfits. A complete cheerleading uniform usually includes a bodysuit or a shell top paired with a skirt, a pair of cheerleading shoes, pom-poms or other cheerleading accessories, and cheerleading bows. Although cheerleading bows are not standard accessories in all cheerleading teams, they still provide benefits to cheerleaders. Below are some of them.
- Aesthetic value. The primary reason why some cheerleading teams incorporate cheerleading bows is the aesthetic value that they add to the overall look of the team. This is the reason why the usual considerations for choosing cheerleading bows are the color, design, placement, and appeal. A simple bow can make a huge impact if it is well chosen to accentuate the cheerleading outfit. Since the cheerleading uniform and overall appearance are often part of the judging criteria, cheerleading bows could boost the team’s standings.
- Hair control. Cheerleading involves a lot of big, energetic, and wide movements. These movements often mean a lot of hair swishing and whipping during jumps, flips, and turns. Cheerleading bows can help keep the hair in place and prevent the hair from getting into the cheerleaders’ faces. In fact, there are several types of cheerleading bows based on the cheerleader’s position such as cartwheel hair bows, flyer cheerleading bows, pyramid hair bows, and stunts cheerleading bows, among others.
Some cheerleading teams have incorporated other hairstyles and designs to make their team stand out. There are a few teams that require all its members to have pixie-cut hairstyles which address hair control without the need for cheerleading bows. No matter how you choose to address the need for hair control and to utilize the head for additional accents, it is important to think through the whole cheerleading look that you want to achieve while keeping in mind its functionality.