IMO cheerleading is more like a group of girls that get together and cheer on their schools. You know kinda like a pep club that is active. I know that they compete and stuff but so does other clubs like FBLA, Academic Team and such. I know that this offends some cheerleaders but I just dont think that cheerleading should be classified a sport as basketball and football and baseball and softball is a sport. It shouldnt be classified with these other sports. Its like having a banana, an apple, and then a potato, Juss not the same category. I think that is more like a club that competes. What does everyone else think.
Yes it is. Cheerleaders are some of the best athletes in the world.
No it's not but it sure is fun to watch.... :letsparty:Cheerlead:1::popcorn:
breakingankles Wrote:IMO cheerleading is more like a group of girls that get together and cheer on their schools. You know kinda like a pep club that is active. I know that they compete and stuff but so does other clubs like FBLA, Academic Team and such. I know that this offends some cheerleaders but I just dont think that cheerleading should be classified a sport as basketball and football and baseball and softball is a sport. It shouldnt be classified with these other sports. Its like having a banana, an apple, and then a potato, Juss not the same category. I think that is more like a club that competes. What does everyone else think.
For someone that knows very little if anything about cheer, you are correct in that it is not a sport. but it is full of some of the best athletes you will find.
The Guru.....hmmmmm...sounds like I have heard that on some other sports site b4....
Why, do you think it is not a sport???
Cheerleaders practice five to six days a week, and usually longer hours than ball players ever think about. They are at every game the ball(football & basketball) players show up at, travel with the teams, compete during district and region, plus do thier own competitiions. they have to maintain certain grade averages, and abide by the schools rules set forth for athletes, but just because it all done in a skirt, they are not considered athletes, come on.......:Angry07:
Here is the definition of sport from the Cambridge Dictionary:
sport (GAME)
noun
1 [C] a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job:
With that said, Yes, Cheerleading is a sport...It meets these definition requirements.
1.Competition
2. Physical effort
3. Skill
4. Rules
FOX SPORTS Wrote:Here is the definition of sport from the Cambridge Dictionary:
sport (GAME)
noun
1 [C] a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job:
With that said, Yes, Cheerleading is a sport...It meets these definition requirements.
1.Competition
2. Physical effort
3. Skill
4. Rules
AMEN BROTHER! Some really GOOD athletes on those side lines. They may not be able to do a cross over and light it up from the arch. BUT, let me see one of those guys do a hand-hand-whip-hand-hand-whip-hand-hand-tuck or just do back hand spings the entire length of the floor. LOL! It should be a sport cause they work just as hard with their team!:Cheerlead
duh, yea it is a sport. not only do we train for hours during practices but real cheerleaders are constantly going over their routines again and again in their head and sometimes practice alone. not to mention, being under appreciated as cheerleaders are, we don't have good practice space, usually getting crammed in a small corner to practice and deliver a performance that everybody to some extent is going to judge. people give it their all in this sport. running, gymnastics and lifting girls who aren't always a hundred pounds.... im sorry but its more of a sport than any other one that I have seen...not to mention it takes a complete year to re-establish a reputation if you mess up horrifically at a competition...not just a week where you can come back and win a ball game.... DEFINETLY A SPORT.
Altho it might not be recognized as a sport by the KHSAA, cheerleaders are without a doubt athletes.
As far as the KHSAA goes, I think part of the debate with cheerleading being declared a sport is due to the fact that different schools treat and conduct their cheerleading squads in a variety of ways. Some schools are very casual with it, with their cheerleaders just cheering some games and not executing any types of skills (i.e. jumps, gymnastics, stunts, etc.), whereas others take cheerleading as seriously as any of the other sports at the school, having their girls compete regularly and displaying lots of skills at games, daily practices, and competitions. It seems as though the KHSAA, and other national high school sports organizations, have a difficult time declaring cheerleading as a sport when there is no "across the board" way of conducting the team. Basketball is basketball....they have X number of games, they have a tournament system that is relatively objective, etc. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the best athletes you will ever come across are on the sidelines in a cheerleading uniform, but I don't believe that you will see cheerleading being declared a sport any time soon!
Yes cheerleading is a sport and for those of you who disagree have you ever been to a practice?? Many girls are injured b\c of cheerleading...Just this year we had a fractured leg, 3 sprained ankles and several pulled muscles but no one gave up and everyone competed (by choice) no matter how much pain they were in....Cheerleading is a very competive SPORT and the gilrs should be given the respect that they desereve!
The Guru Wrote:For someone that knows very little if anything about cheer, you are correct in that it is not a sport. but it is full of some of the best athletes you will find.
for someone who knows very little if anything about the defenition of what constitutes a sport you are wrong. Cheerleading is a sport.
I think yelling is not a sport, but doing routines and gymnastics would definately take some athletic ability.
I can remember when I cheered, we lifted weights (which football players do), we ran laps ( which basketball players do) and practiced ON TOP of that for about 2 hours EVERYDAY!!! I can even remember going to the gym @ 5:30 a.m. to practice before school!!! IMO.... when I cheered, cheerleading WAS a sport...... I do agree with a previous post though about some of the schools being kind of "lack luster" with their squads. Don't get me wrong..... competition is still rough out there but "back in the day" we were allowed to do things that the KAPOS/KHSAA does not allow any longer. Toe pitches, mini tramps, 3-high, etc...... My highest regards go to ANY girl/boy out there who dedicated themselves to a squad and does their best while on that squad. Cheerleading SHOULD be recognized as a sport.... but how could you pull it off???
Cheerleading IS DEFINATELY a sport! It has athletes and it competes, so it has to be a sport. The fact that the KHSAA doesn't recognize it as a sport is crazy. But then again, a lot of the things the KHSAA does is crazy.
As was stated earlier, the fact that different schools treat it differently may have something to do with it. But who is to blame? The KHSAA needs to recognize cheerleading as a sport and mandate the rules of competition. Right now they are only half doing it and at the same time not recognizing it as a sport. They either need to make it a sport and regulate it totally or stay out of it period. I would prefer they make it a sport.
If some schools then do not wish to compete, then let them form what we could call "pep squads" to patrol their sidelines. The cheerleaders need to unite and put pressure on the KHSAA to do the right thing.
15thRegionCheer Wrote:Yes cheerleading is a sport and for those of you who disagree have you ever been to a practice?? Many girls are injured b\c of cheerleading...Just this year we had a fractured leg, 3 sprained ankles and several pulled muscles but no one gave up and everyone competed (by choice) no matter how much pain they were in....Cheerleading is a very competive SPORT and the gilrs should be given the respect that they desereve!
Yea just b/c you get hurt doesnt mean its a sport lol .. when you start throwing girls 20-25 feet in the air and miss them then your prolly going to break ur leg .. but that shows heart that they get back up and compete .. cheerleading is a sport in a way, but at our school our girls hate our football team so that in the definition of a cheerleader makes them not a cheerleader .. everyone is proud of ur efforts and accomplishments but when you say that cheerleading is more physical and takes more than football and basketball ur wrong .. there is no judges in other sports to decide who was prettier or who didnt mess up .. u win by playing hard .. this is what classifies cheerleading as not a sport .. they dont go hard or hustle .. they work on looking good and not messing up .. dont take up for cheerleading b/c u are one .. get over the fact that ur not a sport but you are the biggest fans and are greatly appreciated for supporting ur team
Now i don't know if cheerleading is a sport, i don't know what goes on during practice, and i don't really care. (No offense) But i do know one thing any time you through a girl 5 to 10 feet in the air than try to catch her. Now that can be pretty dangerous, there is a lot of things that can go wrong. So i do respect what they do. But anyways i do think that cheerleading should be a sport.
breakingankles Wrote:Yea just b/c you get hurt doesnt mean its a sport lol .. when you start throwing girls 20-25 feet in the air and miss them then your prolly going to break ur leg .. but that shows heart that they get back up and compete .. cheerleading is a sport in a way, but at our school our girls hate our football team so that in the definition of a cheerleader makes them not a cheerleader .. everyone is proud of ur efforts and accomplishments but when you say that cheerleading is more physical and takes more than football and basketball ur wrong .. there is no judges in other sports to decide who was prettier or who didnt mess up .. u win by playing hard .. this is what classifies cheerleading as not a sport .. they dont go hard or hustle .. they work on looking good and not messing up .. dont take up for cheerleading b/c u are one .. get over the fact that ur not a sport but you are the biggest fans and are greatly appreciated for supporting ur team
Figure Skating and Gymnastics are also judged and they are considered sports. SO "UR" point is? Every sport requires a different athletic ability. And the little highlighted statement you made is so far off you have no clue. To start things off it is, There are, NOT, there is. And yes, you do have judges in all "UR" sports. They are called Officials and one in football is actually called a Back Judge. These Officials make judgement calls the entire ball game. "UR" sports score points by crossing the goal line, placing the ball in the basket or crossing home plate. They are required to do a certain thing in order to score. If you knew anything about Cheerleading you would also know that in order to score, they are required to do certain things also. NOT LOOK PRETTY! Some things are worth more points than others. Just like a Free Throw, 3-point shot, touch down, extra point, field goal, Solo HR or a Grand Slam! I will end here by saying that you have no clue!
Of course cheerleading SHOULD be considered a sport, and yes as a cheerleader its very frustrating when people consider it otherwise because of the hard work and determination put into it, at least at my school. Cheerleading is just like any other team- some have no pride, or desire to be the best they can be, or some that take great pride in what they do, and always give their best effort. It is understandable for someone to say they do not believe cheerleading is a sport, only if they come from a school where its not taken seriously . I read in an above post, that "cheerleaders do not go hard or hustle, they worry about looking good and not messing up" granted somedo, but please do not speak for all, because I assure you that isn't the case . And also before you make an assumption of something you might want to be specific about what team your talking about. Unless your like a cheerleading scouter who has been to EVERY teams practice times and games then you have no right to make such a biast statement. Anyways, i think that if you truly have a heart for cheerleading, it doesn't have to be recongnized by society that it's a sport ...You will prove it.
FYI
The reason the it is not classified as a sport is a simple one, see Title IX.
Federal govt. said that it is a supporting group similar to band. Thus those who cheer can't be counted in the title IX reports. If cheerleading had been classified as a sport then schools could end the following programs, girls soccer, Volleyball, and basketball.
Plain and simple. Title IX requires all schools receiving federal money to provide a sport to balance out the descrepancy in funding of male and female programs.
So is it a sport, in many aspects yes, as far as definitions go, however when it came to the supreme court and our federal govt, no.
The reasons schools have softball teams, they have to if they offer baseball.
If you have football, you have to offer volleyball
mens basketball, you have to offer womens.
Its the law of the land. If cheerleading would have been deemed a varsity sport then schools could have said we have cheerleading no need to offer anything else, and where would that have left those that love the sports I just mentioned.
All you have to do is look at state championships records in any state prior to Title IX
as opposed to the ones they offer today.
friendofbelfry Wrote:Why, do you think it is not a sport???
Cheerleaders practice five to six days a week, and usually longer hours than ball players ever think about. They are at every game the ball(football & basketball) players show up at, travel with the teams, compete during district and region, plus do thier own competitiions. they have to maintain certain grade averages, and abide by the schools rules set forth for athletes, but just because it all done in a skirt, they are not considered athletes, come on.......:Angry07:
Thats your reasons for CL being a sport??? Wow. That is a WEAK WEAK argument.
Just because they go to the games & scream & make rhymes, travel to a game, maintain certain gpa's & abide by rules??? So are the students from the school who go to games but are not on the CL squad considered cheerleaders? Where are their skirts. They travel to the game, scream & cheer & maintain GPA's also. Woopty Doo. CLers are good athletes (atleast the ones that actually flip) but CL is NOT a sport. :Thumbs:
Woo Wee Wrote:Thats your reasons for CL being a sport??? Wow. That is a WEAK WEAK argument. Just because they go to the games & scream & make rhymes, travel to a game, maintain certain gpa's & abide by rules??? So are the students from the school who go to games but are not on the CL squad considered cheerleaders? Where are their skirts. They travel to the game, scream & cheer & maintain GPA's also. Woopty Doo. CLers are good athletes (atleast the ones that actually flip) but CL is NOT a sport. :Thumbs:
:igiveup: just to turn around and quote everything I say , and say it is wrong, does not mean it isn't a sport, as for all the other students who travel to the games to support the teams,and maintain good grades... I am glad, and they have every chance to try out for the squad. if you will back up and read a few other statements in this forum, I think the def. of a sport, included everything a cheerleader represents. I was only stating my opinon, if the KHEAA doesn't think we are a sport, then who am I to say it is. All I was saying is, cheerleaders work just as hard as every other team deemed a sport! If you ever have a son/daughter, sister or friend involved in cheerleading ask them what it means to cheer, or if it is a sport.
Originally Posted by
FOX SPORTS
Here is the definition of sport from the Cambridge Dictionary:
sport (GAME)
noun
1 [C] a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job:
With that said, Yes, Cheerleading is a sport...It meets these definition requirements.
1.Competition
2. Physical effort
3. Skill
4. Rules
Nice post friendofbelfry....
IMO.... Cheerleading is AS much a sport as football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track, softball, OR golf!!! YES, I said it.... GOLF!!!! There is MORE physical activity in cheerleading than golf!! LOLOL... and YEP... KHSAA recognizes it as a sport!!!
breakingankles Wrote:Yea just b/c you get hurt doesnt mean its a sport lol .. when you start throwing girls 20-25 feet in the air and miss them then your prolly going to break ur leg .. but that shows heart that they get back up and compete .. cheerleading is a sport in a way, but at our school our girls hate our football team so that in the definition of a cheerleader makes them not a cheerleader .. everyone is proud of ur efforts and accomplishments but when you say that cheerleading is more physical and takes more than football and basketball ur wrong .. there is no judges in other sports to decide who was prettier or who didnt mess up .. u win by playing hard .. this is what classifies cheerleading as not a sport .. they dont go hard or hustle .. they work on looking good and not messing up .. dont take up for cheerleading b/c u are one .. get over the fact that ur not a sport but you are the biggest fans and are greatly appreciated for supporting ur team
No where in my post did i say that injuries meant cheerleading is a sport i was just showing that it is a physical sport just as football and basketball...and no where in what you quoted did i say that it was harder that football and basketball...do i believe that it is no but it is just as hard...Our competitions are different from any basketball or football game where if your down by 5 (or a touchdown) you still have a chance to win....We work our butts 2-3 hour practices 6 days a week for 2 1/2 mintues wether it was awesome or the worst it could have been..we try our best and leave it up to the judges to decide who the winner sould be...we combine gymnatics, stunts, jumps, a cheer, and a dance into 2 1/2 minutes and talk about hustling...we have to take up for ourselves b\c we are the ones who know that this truely is a sport....
15thRegionCheer Wrote:No where in my post did i say that injuries meant cheerleading is a sport i was just showing that it is a physical sport just as football and basketball...and no where in what you quoted did i say that it was harder that football and basketball...do i believe that it is no but it is just as hard...Our competitions are different from any basketball or football game where if your down by 5 (or a touchdown) you still have a chance to win....We work our butts 2-3 hour practices 6 days a week for 2 1/2 mintues wether it was awesome or the worst it could have been..we try our best and leave it up to the judges to decide who the winner sould be...we combine gymnatics, stunts, jumps, a cheer, and a dance into 2 1/2 minutes and talk about hustling...we have to take up for ourselves b\c we are the ones who know that this truely is a sport....
I could not have said it better myself. Let's see someone wha says cheerleading is not a sport come to one practice...and them hear them say it's not. When we work our butts off doing a cheer or routines over and over, run laps, condition, and than not only cheer for games but compete as well.....thats what i call a sport. People just dont understand until they do it themselves. On top of all the hard work we have to keep a smile, yell and look pretty while we are at it.:Cheerlead
It is a sport. The state does not classify it as one, yet it regulates it right along with football and basketball down to the dead period in June. The National High School Federation regulates it right along with all the other sports. The problem is, funding, plain and simple. If it were considered a sport, schools would have to provide funding for sports with comparable size participants. Most schools do not provide funding for the cheerleaders(if they do it is negligable) and that is why it can get expensive. As far as Title IX goes, it is not considered a sport, but the Feds do and did have a say how multiple squads at one school are looked at in as far as how they are selected and how they are classified.
NO! cheerleading is not a SPORT IM SORRY
If NASCAR can be considered a sport then why not cl? Seriously, have you seen a cheer team at competition? Have you seen them train? Maybe not the cl's of the 60's and 70's or even 80's (some) but the teams now are amazing and they do just as much training and competing as any other team in high school. Cheerleading is definitely a sport.
hillbilly Wrote:It is a sport. The state does not classify it as one, yet it regulates it right along with football and basketball down to the dead period in June. The National High School Federation regulates it right along with all the other sports. The problem is, funding, plain and simple. If it were considered a sport, schools would have to provide funding for sports with comparable size participants. Most schools do not provide funding for the cheerleaders(if they do it is negligable) and that is why it can get expensive. As far as Title IX goes, it is not considered a sport, but the Feds do and did have a say how multiple squads at one school are looked at in as far as how they are selected and how they are classified.
Couldn't have said it better myself.