Cheerleading – Is it a sport?
Do you consider cheerleading to be a sport?
I know there are a lot of people that just can’t seem to come to terms with the fact that cheerleading could even be considered a sport, but I have to say, yes it is.
Cheerleading takes strength, flexibility, stamina, and training. It is an activity that requires movement and repetition. Cheerleaders work together as a team (in most cases) and the basis of most cheer moves is gymnastics.
Now it is your turn! What do you think? Sport or activity?
16 Comments
August 17th, 2007 at 3:29 am
Hi Char,
Yes, I think Cheerleading is a sport. Perhaps you’ve seen on So Sioux Me that I have some personal issues with cheerleading. But, I definately can respect it as a competitive sport. I do think it has some image problems as a sport though.
It’s an issue for me that cheerleaders seemed to cheer only for boys teams – never have seen a pack of boys in tight shorts bouncing around at a girls basketball game.
I can definately trace my own issues back to my own high school days when I was not the type of girl who would have been a cheerleader. (Nor did I have those athetic skills.)
My daughter might be that type of girl though. She lives in East Texas and so is drawn to it. So I’m struggling to be more open-minded to cheerleading as an acceptable sport. I’m trying to let go of the compartmentalizing I have that combines “mean girls” and popularity contests with cheerleading as a sport. I still prefer soccer, as I wrote over at So Sioux Me today http://traceesioux.blogspot.com/2007/08/happy-feet-beats-bratz.html.
And, I did let my daughter do a brief cheerleading camp, as I wrote in this article about this issue http://traceesioux.blogspot.com/2007/07/give-me-a.html
I hestate to go let her participate more since I think, especially in Texas, it can become an exhaustively expensive sport with monthly fees and costumes and competitions, where soccer costs about $35 a season. A much more democratic sport.
Tracee Sioux
So Sioux Me
Empower Your Self
Empower Your Daughter
http://www.sosiouxme.com
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August 17th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Tracee – thanks for stopping in! Cheerleading in TX is crazy. If your daughter is interested in cheerleading, how about getting her involved in gymnastics or tumbling instead. Unfortunately, gymnastics, ice skating, cheerleading and dance often appeal to little girls because the costumes are so cool.
August 18th, 2007 at 12:48 am
I think Cheerleading is a sport. I was never the cheerleading type. I played basketball and volleyball and at least half of our cheerleaders also partipated in sports. They worked hard and they actually cheered for both guys and girl teams in my school. We lived in Central Texas. Sports teams/individuals have lots of image problems as well, but that doesn’t keep people from saying they are in a sport.
August 18th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Cindy – thanks for stopping in! Cheerleaders do work hard and most of them do or have done other sports.
August 19th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
My opinion is that cheerleading in its intended form is not a sport. Instead it is an integral part of the fan support of the actual sport being played. In basketball, they refer to this fan support as the all important 6th man. There are 5 players on the court at any one time, and the metaphorical 6th player is the home court advantage that comes from the crowd support, which sometimes can make a huge difference in the outcome of the game. And good cheerleaders that know the game, and know the right times to get the crowd to yell, and the best ways to get the crowd to yell, help to optimize that 6th man experience and are a valuable part of the game. But having said that, I do believe that cheerleading has moved out of its original intent, and is now more about gymnastics and stunts and dance and a sideline show that takes advantage of a crowd that gathers to watch whatever sport is being played. When the cheerleaders go to their cheerleading competitions, and they compete against a set of predefined rules and criteria, then of course it’s a sport. However, it would be interesting to see if their is a way to combine these two seemingly different objectives. Maybe there could be some type of referee that judges what the cheerleaders do at each of their games to get their crowd involved, and have some type of objective score card for the 6th man effect. My hunch is that many of the cheerleaders would lose interest in this because the fact is that there are a lot of these cheerleaders that are just in it for the attention and the more old fashioned “mean girl” side of the sport, but it would be interesting.
August 19th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Cheerleading – is it a sport?…
Is cheerleading a sport or are they just glorified fans, mean girls, or none of the above….
August 19th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
I think it would be very cool. I am in to modeling and
cheerleading!Cheerleading is more of mean girl side of
the sport,it would be very ineresting.what is it like
to be a cheerleader? I want to know.Cheerleading is a sport realy.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:59 pm
cheerleading is one of the most dangerouse “sports” in the world. cheerleaders deserve respect for what they do and all the hard work they put into it. i have been a cheerleader for about 5 yeard now and i love it. Yes, i do agree that some cheerleaders are bitches but not all of us are like that. we practice for weeks and go and compete just like backetball, baseball, hocky, volleyball, you name it and we most liekly have more of it.
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I am a cheerleader and after cheering at basketball and football I have noticed the difference. For teams that come to our school with only a student section and no cheerleaders from my experience are not as loud or as into the game and the players do respond to the crowd, players hear the cheers and it reminds them that they have a whole gym or stadium full of support.
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Cheerleading is a sport i feel. Im also a cheerleader and it takes hard work to do the stunts and flips cheers do. Would a football player be able to pull these things off i think not
March 21st, 2009 at 11:18 am
It is always interesting to hear the perception of “women”
when they talk about cheerleading and sports. I to am from
Texas(Arlington) I have two girls who both were in cheerleading both in school and competive. The older one chose to give up the competive squad and focus on sports where she became an 1st team all-district in 3 sports and her senior year played on the boys baseball team. In addition she played select soccer and AAU basketball. The younger one started cheerleading when she was 9 and was on a squad who won consistently won 3 major national competions. And two world titles. I have to say that for the most part high school cheerleaders only want to be seen and be “popular”. School cheerleading is considered a sport in AISD and falls under the rules of the athletic dept. Competive cheerleading is a whole different ballgame.The demands are so much greater in all aspects. Our cheer club squads all the same practice outfits and they wore them on the same day. Here the girls worked hard when they were at practice and all got along. It was the parents (both moms and dads) who created the dramma, which the head coaches did not tolerate and would close practices to spectators. So when you think of cheerleaders just realize there are two different styles. And yes competitive cheerleading is expensive but know more than select soccer, AAU basketball, or club baseball. And remember it is not what you get out of the activity but what the child gets. The benefits far outway the costs. Besides the organized sports keep them out of trouble, teaches them team concept, work ethic, is good for their health. However, parents, make sure your child is doing the sport because THEY want to. Don’t make the mistake of living your live through your child. Not cool.
ve. I HAVE TWO GIRLS W
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:50 am
Cheer can most definitely be categorized as a “sport.”
These girls put in as many hours of practice as the football, basketball and baseball teams, they train extensively, have specific cheer camps to attend each year, are required to wear uniforms and they work very hard.
My daughter was a cheerleader in a very athletically competitive high school. They went to National finals each year and they worked their little butts off to be the “best.” Their presence and enthusiasm at all games (football, basketball) was a huge contribution to the morale and excitement for both the audience and the players.
Not only are they adding to their school spirit and hard-working, they have to be physically fit enough to maintain the rigorous training schedules, to be able to perform the sometimes dangerous and physically challenging routines and they are role models. These girls are expected to live up to high ethical and moral standards as they are representing their schools as much as the guys of the fields and courts.
Cheer is a great place for a girl to learn team work and is just as much a “team” sport as any other. I think they deserve a lot more respect than they get.
March 7th, 2011 at 12:26 am
I think that cheerleading is a sport , the reason is because its as dangerous as a regular sport. You can tell that cheerleading is a sport because it has uniforms, practices, competitions , ect. And also it takes time and energy to be successful with that sport.
So, to sum all this up. All of these young ladies believe that cheerleading is a sport, and they should categorize it as is also give those cheerleaders congrats on there cheering for the successful teams.
P.S: im a cheerleader of my middle school and & im tired of people saying that this is not a sport, PLUS this is a AWESOME website!!!!!
March 10th, 2011 at 3:50 am
i am a high school cheerleading a i think it is a sport they say that to be a sport you must compete well my team has brought home to trophies unlike football basketball volleyball and track. Studies have shown that cheer is in fact one of the most dangerous sports out there there are more injured and deaths concerning cheer. you see more knee braces and ankle braces at a cheer competition than any other sport. unlike another sport we are responsible for some ones life making sure there ok i would like to see a female or male fly in the air like us cheerleaders do we are very hard working a dedicated. Come on i mean 2 trophies thats really good for our first year as a team to compete and competing against other really big schools we have 9 girls on our team so before ya’ll wanna say its not a sport think twice about this
June 15th, 2011 at 1:39 am
Cheer is most definetly a sport. I cheer and eveyday I go to either gymnastics, workouts or cheer practice to get better at it. Cheer is very tough to get all the moves down also you have to have strength,flexabilty and determation just like any other sport. I also play defense and goalie in lacrosse and I think cheer is harder because you are pushed to do better stunts or tricks. Cheer has a huge sterotype of being a “sissy” sport when it is acually probaly the hardest and dangerous sports I have ever played. I love it with all my heart and it’s a sport I will never think of as easy. People have to try it to understand how hard it truely is.
February 5th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I am a cheerleader and I don’t feel it is a sport although it is extremely strenuous. My definition of a sport is something that is mentally and physically stressing where 2 teams compete at a time. Although cheer fits the first 2 criteria it doesn’t meet the second. People often think that cheer leading is just about cheering at games but in reality we don’t practice at all for that, we compete against eachother in divisions where each team competes against 20 other teams and to place the entire team must have energy, tumbling skills, and strength to stunt. My sisters both do competitive gymnastics and feel like that is more of a sport than cheer but that to me isn’t true. According to my definition of a sport above it isn’t a sport to me at all and any activity where they require you to wear sparkles and make up can not even be argues for. I feel like gymnastics and cheer are equally physically stressful but cheer is significantly more practice and mental stress because you have to worry about 10+ girls in addition to yourself (and even in the biggest acro gymnastic groups there are only 4)