Is Cheerleading a sport?

The argument on whether or not cheerleading is a sport has been around for a long time. I have been a cheerleader for 9 years and I can tell you that it most definitely is. Being a cheerleader takes a lot of hard work and dedication just like any other sport. It has taught me a lot. Most people think that all cheerleaders do are cheer for their team on the sidelines, but many of them have not seen the competitive side of cheerleading. Competition is what makes cheerleading. The NCAA does not yet consider cheerleading a sport but 29 state high school athletic associations do. The women’s sports foundation says that for something to be considered a sport it has to involved these things: First, it must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass. Which would be when cheerleaders stunt.  Second, competing against/with an opponent is required, which is when we compete against other teams of our division and size. Third, It must be governed by rules that explicitly define the time, space, and purpose of the contest and the conditions under which a winner is declared, this is again competition which we have a score sheets for. Finally, it needs acknowledgement that the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants. All of these things contribute to cheerleading. Therefore, Cheerleading should be considered a sport. In addition to games, events, practices, competitions, we also have weight training. There is so much involved with cheerleading that it is hard to not consider it a sport. With the skills involved in cheerleading, one “must be as strong as any football player, as poised as any dancer and as flexible as the best gymnasts.” If you say that gymnastics and dance are a sport then cheerleading is definitely one as well. We tumble and dance, also adding jumps and stunting into the mix, it is hard work that takes a lot of effort. Cheerleaders only get a short amount of time to prove themselves. Our routines are 2 minuets and 30 seconds long, unlike other sports that get a whole game and more to show how good they are. Honestly, we work just as hard and are as dedicated to it as any other sport out there. It truly does take blood, sweat, and tears. It also is a huge commitment and takes up a lot of ones time. It is basically a year round commitment. Not to mention all of the injury’s that occur in cheerleading. It is considered one the most dangerous sports. Cheerleading accounts for 66 percent of catastrophic sports injuries. That is in second place right behind football. Cheerleading takes strength, stamina, flexibility, commitment, dedication, perseverance, and much more. The short skirts and pom pons can’t fool you. We are just as athletic as any other athlete out there and we go through a lot of the same things they do. Everyone has his or her own opinion, but it can definitely be proved that Cheerleading is in fact a sport.