Is cheerleading a sport?
The definition of a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. When you hear the word sport, most people automatically think of football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and volleyball. What many people don’t think is considered a sport is cheerleading.
Girls who wear skirts, hold pompoms, cheer for the boys, and jump up and down are becoming overlooked. Cheerleaders have stunts, pyramids, physical fitness, and ambition. They are put out in front of an audience or a big crowd, expected to keep a positive attitude and to entertain the people.
The ones who say that cheerleading is not a sport, sometimes may be using an ad hominem fallacy. They might say that it is not a sport because of their gender, outfit, or even because there is no physical contact between the opposing teams.
Cheerleaders have to be strong and fit to do the stunts that some perform. There is a difference between cheering at a competition and cheering for your school football or basketball team. Cheering for at a competition means that you please not the crowd, but the judges that sit in front of you. You have a floor routine that consists of dancing, stunts, pyramids, flips, and much more.
Everyone has to have the same rhythm, not being a count off or the judges begin to deduct points. You don’t land a flip? Points are taken off. You fall in your pyramid? Points are taken off. Not having enough facial expressions? Points are taken off. You don’t jump high enough? Points are taken off. Your goal is to please the judges and that can take a lot of practice.
Sports are a main cause of injuries, especially with young adults and teens. Cheerleading is in the top 20 sports with the highest rate of head injuries. It is a sport that takes a lot of talent and skill, requiring perfection. Flips and pyramids, are dangerous stunts that need to be perfected in order to prevent injuries. One wrong twist or landing can affect everything, just like any other sport.
Determining whether or not something is a sport can be a controversial topic. Cheerleading and sports are one of those topics. It takes the same drive, skill, competition, and commitment that any other sport has. Everyone has their own opinions but who really defines what a sport is?
