Dance and Gymnastics: In Other Words, Cheerleading

It is a true sport: tough, strict and spectacular. Whoever is not entirely convinced should take a look at international competitions, not only in the US – where we typically associate it – but also in many European countries such as France, Spain, Sweden, Russia and others. The sport is cheerleading, a blend of dance and acrobatics, which hasn't quite taken off in Italy but is an essential part of athletic programs in American universities, with both female and male students trying out at arduous auditions to make the teams.

Bocconi's cheerleading team was formed in 2021, but it wasn't until a year later that things started to turn around. Student athlete and team leader, Sofia Fragnan – currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Transformative Sustainability, in collaboration between Bocconi University and Politecnico di Milano – explains, "In Italy the sport is still not very well known, especially since there is no single federation, but three different acronyms that result in harmful fragmentation," says Sofia. "At Bocconi there was high demand for a team to be created, which gradually happened starting almost from scratch. Cheerleading combines elements of dance and gymnastics, especially artistic gymnastics, which is a common background for many of the team members. The only disappointment is that there are no guys on the team, as is the case in the rest of the world. Men on the team would allow for more impressive stunts."

Sofia was an artistic gymnastics instructor after her undergraduate athletic career, and initially wanted to coach the team. However, as she herself acknowledges, "Real improvement came when Bocconi Sport provided us with two qualified coaches, Valentina Grasso and Veronica Grasso. Now we are a fully-fledged team composed of 17 women, coming from artistic and rhythmic gymnastics as well as dance backgrounds, who aced the tough auditions." The team trains in the University facilities and performs during home games of all Bocconi Sport competitive teams, but there is a particularly exciting goal on the horizon: "Euromilano, a multisport competition featuring several European universities, will be held on 6 May and will also include a cheerleading competition," says Sofia. "It will be our debut on the international stage."