Is Cheerleading a Sport?

Is Cheerleading a Sport?

I believe cheerleading is a sport. Cheerleading is a mental sport, and requires lots of physical power. Cheerleaders are athletes, they attend practices everyday, exercise, watch their diets to stay healthy, and perform at games. These are all aspects of other sports, so why isn’t cheerleading considered one? Well, many people argue that the “performing” aspect of cheerleading is what differs it from other sports. In an article discussing the reasons for why cheerleading isnt a sport the writer reasons that, “Sports teams exist to compete, not to perform and entertain or support another group that competes”  (Roenigk). However, I don’t agree with that statement.  

Cheerleading is often overlooked by people, mainly because of its peppy spirit. Several highschools and colleges have cheerleading teams, and you’re able to become D1 in it, yet many athletic associations still don’t consider it to be a sport. While cheerleading is commonly categorized as a support group for other sports such as football and basketball, there’s also competitive cheerleading, which separates this sport from that association. Competitive cheerleading involves difficult routines, which can end in injury. The risks of injury also support my belief that cheerleading can be categorized as a sport and an article from Time Magazine supports that by saying “Cheerleading, like most sports, carries an inherent risk for injury” (Greenspan). 

        

Dutton, Peter. Hoya Cheerleaders. 25, March 2007.

Cheerleading is extremely physical. It includes practicing and performing stunts like spinning, flying, and flips of sorts. This physical exertion is key to maintaining an impressive routine in order to win a competition. Many people underestimate cheerleading as a sport, and believe it’s easy.  “...what these people don’t see is a cheerleader’s practice routine outside of a school function” (Higgins, Hancsin, McNally, Matthews). Trust within your group is also severely important in cheerleading. All of these key aspects support the belief that cheerleading is a sport. The competition between teams in competitive cheerleading is contradictory to the idea that cheer can’t be a sport due to its uncompetitiveness.

Another stereotype that’s associated with cheerleading is the fact that it’s an activity where women can just stand there and “look pretty”. Many people argue that the uniforms cheerleaders wear support this opinion. Instead of viewing the way cheerleaders are dressed in a stereotypical way, thinking of it as a way to enhance the execution of the routine is more positive. The facts listed heavily support my belief that cheerleading is a sport, and I think it should be more commonly referred to as one. 

Works Cited

Roenigk, Alyssa. “Sorry, cheerleading is not a sport.” espn. 14, June 2014, https://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/story/_/id/11128302/espnw-former-college-cheerleader-says-sorry-cheerleading-not-sport

Greenspan, Rachel E. “Cheer Shows Competitive Cheerleading Is Almost as Dangerous as Football. So Why Isn’t It Officially Considered a Sport?” Time Magazine. 10, March 2020, https://time.com/5782136/cheer-netflix-cheerleading-dangers/

Higgins, Courtney. Hancsin, Abigail. McNally, Kadie. Matthews, Rebecca. “Why cheerleading is a sport.” Delaware Valley Regional High School. 3, February 2020, https://sno.dvrhs.org/3755/opinion/why-cheerleading-is-a-sport/