Cheerleading na Universidade Federal de Uberlândia: ascensão e fatores motivacionais dos atletas

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and map the historical process of creation and formation of Cheerleading teams at the Federal University of Uberlandia, as well as identify motivational factors that led undergraduate students to become part of these teams, in addition to understand the main difficulties faced to play this sport in the college. Data were collected through the PMQ (Participation Motivation Questionnaire) in a translated version adapted to Portuguese by Guedes e Silvério Neto (2013); three adapted open-ended questions from Oliveira (2017), regarding membership, permanence and difficulties found; and six open-ended questions that were asked aiming to know the process of creation of these teams at the University (last questions, only to fonders of each team). The research was conducted during the second semester of 2018, with the participation the 159 athletes registered at the UFU. After PMQ analyzes and the open-ended questions, it was realized that athletes became members of the modality for passion and admiration they had for the sport and the permanence in team happened because of the union and friendship in the team. Among the difficulties experienced playing the sport, there are some highlights for the lack of satisfactory place for physical activities and the difficulty to reconcile training and studying time. Concerning to the foundation of these teams, it was possible to notice that they were created by people without technical knowledge of the sport in question, but who with great effort made the sport happen in the University. We conclude that sport is becoming more and more present in the country and in Brazilian universities, that the UFU athletes have enough motivation to continue the sport, and thus may solidify it in the college context.