Cheerleaders Deserve Our R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I would like to congratulate you on the wonderful article “What Do They Want? R-E-S-P-E-C T” by Jeannine Stein (Nov. 7). Her piece on cheerleaders and what they go through and how hard they work really hit it right on.

As producer of the longest running cheerleading competition in our state, the California State High School Cheerleading Championships (to be held in February for the 18th consecutive year at Six Flags Magic Mountain), I have learned to appreciate that these young people are truly athletes and deserve to receive their high school letter just as their fellow classmates do in other sports.

When we hand out trophies to our six winners, we announce them as state champions. Let’s have the schools acknowledge them accordingly.

DAVID MIRISCH

LaCosta