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Go, Fight, Win! Beating Doesn't Break Boy Cheerleader's Spirit
Filed under: News, In The News, Weird But True, Bullying, Health & Safety: Tweens, Behavior: Tweens, New In Pop Culture
Back off bullies, is the message an 11-year-old boy cheerleader is sending bad guys on playgrounds nationwide.
Despite a fight that left his arm broken and lots of name-calling, Tyler Wilson says no bully is going to stop him from being a cheerleader.
"I'm going to keep going. I'm going to make a lifestyle out of it," the Findlay, Ohio, tween tells ABC News.
Meanwhile, Kristy Wilson, the sixth grader's mom, is putting up her dukes, saying she is furious with educators at Glenwood Middle School and its independent cheerleading squad for not stepping in to prevent the bullying.
She tells ABC News she knew her son would take some flak from classmates for joining the Flag City Youth Cheerleading Squad, but she never imagined he would be beaten up so badly.
"The first thing I wanted to make sure of, when he said he was going to join cheerleading, that he understood the possibility was there that he would get teased and made fun of and he was OK dealing with it," Kristy Wilson tells ABC News.
She says Tyler, who is the lone guy on the cheerleading team, loves gymnastics and tumbling and wanted to join the squad despite her warnings that the boys at school might tease him. The trouble started when some of his middle school classmates spotted him cheering the day before school started and the teasing began.
"I knew that some of the kids where teasing him, and we talked about ways to deal with that," Kristy Wilson tells ABC.
Things went from bad to worse recently when Tyler was walking home from school and two of his alleged tormentors approached him and punched him. The incident allegedly included one of the boys picking up Tyler and slamming him on the ground, breaking his arm.
Kristy Wilson filed a police report, but tells ABC News she was shocked at what she heard when she met with Glenwood Middle School officials to discuss the incident.
"I didn't find out until we went to the school that things were starting to get aggressive before this fight occurred," she tells the network. "When I went to the school, about two days after it happened to discuss Tyler's story, the principal said there was an incident Monday and the Friday before that the boy who started the fight had jumped on Tyler's back and tried to start a fight."
Kristy Wilson says if she had known Tyler was being physically targeted she would have stepped in to stop the situation, and would have gone as far as removing him from the school.
"I really wish the school would have let me know a lot sooner, so I could have dealt with it sooner," she says.
Lt. Charles Wilson, of the Findlay Police Department, tells ABC News the other boys involved in the fight have been charged in youth court, one with felonious assault, and the other with a simple assault.
"He is still nervous about everything and what happened and his spirits are down because he can't fully participate in cheerleading, still," Kristy Wilson says. "He's fighting his way through it. Everybody he's talked to, he says he is not giving up."
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 9)
9-28-2010 @ 6:07PM
Can'tBelieve all U hear said...This whole case is a lie! Tyler beat a kid up that he had ongoing issues with at school for saying he was a sissy. Then followed him after school pushed him 3x into bushes b4 the other kid fought back. Tyler beat him up again...left and then came back and tried to kick another kid in the face...who had nothing to do with it!!! That kid blocked Tyler's foot and pushed him down in defense...Unfortunately it broke Tyler's arm. PERIOD!!!! Now he and his mom are blowing it up into what it is not!!! That kid that pushed him never had problems w Tyler until he tried kicking him in the face! The kid that pushed him is an honor student, always doing good for others, never in trouble and NOT a bully! You can't believe everything you hear!
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9-28-2010 @ 10:45PM
Whodoyouthinkyouare said...Or we cant believe everything you say either. Im not his mom and not someone who wont listen to both sides, but I do know this. It was reported that these two kids jumped him more than once. Name calling is one thing, so get over the fact that someone called someon else a sissy. Guess what? Its going to happen because people make fun of people. One thing that doesn't happen is it leading to violence. I dont see and don't get how if he pushed them into a buushes three times and went to kick someone in the head...then why they not have brusing? Or for that matter, why would their parents not report it? That shows that these parents not only dont raise their children to WALK AWAY and not pursue a fight, but they wont defend their child if it is supposively not their fault? That seems awkward. It also seems interesting if these kids are 100% innocent as you say, that why would they not walk away. their were three seperate days of incidents that occured and one the third day, their was THREE seperate fighting occurances on the walk home. Why couldnt these kids walk away, grab a witness, walk up to someones house and ask for help if Tyler really did that.
The people report has three witness and three written reports from them. ALL SAYING THE SAME THING. It was not Tyler.
Facts are facts and opinoins are opinions. Just think seriously about this matter.. Dont play a victim yourself ...
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9-28-2010 @ 10:53PM
Parenting101 said...I think you ment police report. hehe. :)
Also. This story is on ABC NEWS and explains a lot. Why would the Lnt of Police comment on Tylers behalf and explain the charges.
The boys got charged. They did something wrong then and there was enough evidence to prove it.
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9-29-2010 @ 2:43PM
SkyBlue said...To you TRUTH, you are a paranoid coward, unable or unwilling to accept and take responsibility for your own faults and mistakes. You're still a whiney little child who can't get passed the reality that life is tough and never fair. Become an adult and grow a pair.
9-29-2010 @ 3:24PM
Ryan said...Truth, you need to pull your head from your damn ass. When I was in High school, I was a male cheerleader. In fact I was the very first one that school had ever had, with it being out in the middle of no where. I can say this from experience, yes, being a male cheerleader, you get picked on, but it is more manly than playing your little grab nuts game of football. If there is any sport that turn boys into, as you so elegantly put it, sissies, it's football, and I made it well known to everyone at that school on my opinion of that too. After I made it known, I got left alone, so I have a bit of respect for that 11 year old for sticking up for himself. Not the best way to do it, yes, but at least he got his point across.
9-29-2010 @ 3:35PM
fiddler said...COme on, truth is right. How many straight guys like women? None, I say. Straight guys only like other guys. Oh, wait, that's backwards. And the only reason this kid's orientation should concern truth is if truth wanted a date with him.
9-29-2010 @ 4:25PM
Boston Blackie said...Hey truth, crawl back in the sewer that you came from. Your post is so full of hate and ignorance that it is clear you are the same. As far as that old crap that boys will be boys....well I raised two boys and they were not allowed to use that line as a defense for bad behavior or being bullies. Oh by the way, they are both macho adults and have good careers in the military and the one with children is raising his kids as he was raised. Too bad that you were not raised with wisdom and rules..
9-29-2010 @ 4:52PM
EH said...The child should be able to do whatever activity he wants to do! And he should be able to do it without having other kids break his arm.
I am glad he has enough confidence and self-esteem to continue doing what he wants to do.
9-29-2010 @ 8:25PM
bjreg3 said...For AOL to allow this to remain shows exactly how mentally bankrupt they are. This bozo named "truth" needs to be removed permently for his anti-semitic hateful remarks. This person is obviously mentally inadequate.
9-29-2010 @ 9:15PM
Debi said...Truth, you sure picked the wrong name. You are so far from the truth, you wouldn't know it if it walked up and bit you. The Jews are not the cause of everything. What are you, a Nazi?
Being a cheerleader is NOT easy. The boy is not a homosexual or a sissy for wanting to do it. Do you realize that if he's good enough, he can even get a college scholarship for Cheerleading? Most of the schools only have football, baseball, maybe LaCrosse, but few have gymnastics. Maybe he wanted to go into gymnastics and this was the closest he could get. Take your hate mongering and go crawl back under your rock, thankyouverymuch.
9-29-2010 @ 10:54PM
TunTvrnWarrior said..."TRUTH", you have no concept of what truth is. The real truth be told, I think you are a wimp. Mazel Tov, you shmuck!
1-29-2011 @ 12:39PM
Pd1 said...Interesting that the fact someone got charged with a crime means that they have the facts to prove it. Not really. According to my concept of US law, everyone is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT BY A JURY OF PEERS. YOU don't want to be presumed because you were arrested, do you?
9-29-2010 @ 2:14PM
Just the facts said...Someone should inform these boys that our former President was a cheerleader.
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9-29-2010 @ 6:06PM
xbucfan said...You are correct about G W Bush, but if not mistaken there are other Repulican former congressmen who were also cheerleaders in college. My son could bench press 250lbs while only weighing 160lbs was very good at gymnastics and therefore was also a cheerleader in college - balancing the girls on one arm extended above his head. By the way he is now a father of our two granddaughers!
9-29-2010 @ 2:13PM
Jennifer said...I hate how kids are so cruel at such young ages. I'm here for ya, Tyler. The problem with my situation was that I was told never to hit back, no matter what the circumstances. I know better now. All he needs to do is to put some of that gymnastics training to good use and use it to kick that kid's a$$.
Reply
9-29-2010 @ 2:34PM
Coacht said...I have a young man on my wrestling team who's a cheerleader and a state champ and another one thats in choir. In our school you can be both and be manly.
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9-29-2010 @ 2:51PM
Bebe said...Funny how Male cheerleaders are not all gay or 'homos' but get to hang out with Cheer Chicks all of the time. They can give private tumbling lessons at the going rate of 60$ an hour...does the average blue collar 'Man's Man' make that kind of money?? Didn't think so! Go Coacht--keep the SPORT going.
*If football were any tougher they'd call it Cheerleading. :)
9-29-2010 @ 3:50PM
Pjbl2223 said...Coacht thank you so much for speaking up as you did. Bebe you have it right about how young men like Tyler gets to hang out with the beautiful cheerleaders. Same happens to those young men smart enough, brave enough to study ballet. Not to mention that for a women his body development produces the most wonderful male body in existence. It is just pure strength and shape, no bumps, lumps or brain injuries.
9-29-2010 @ 2:37PM
stacy said...I'd like to see all the reports and make a decision based on that. However, I would like to say that name calling is one thing but taking it to another level is another issue....Violence is never the answer and I think the parents of the bullies are to blame... I've seen it personally where I saw a father put down his son and call him names, now that child is a bully to others. What is worse is that bully got a lesson taught to him and I'm saddened to think of how his father responded to him being put in his place.. I can only imagine what it is like to live in that house and am thankful everyday I don't associate with those people and remind my kids daily that bullying by them or to them will not be tolerated...
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9-29-2010 @ 2:42PM
john said...So what. Who cares if he is a cheer leader? I would like to hear the other boys' side, though.
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