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Cheerleading Is A Sport (Argument Essay)
Cheerleading is a sport.
The debate of if cheerleading is really a sport gets into the skin of many who believe so. Some debates just spark out of nowhere in order to annoy the party in question or because these people just believe that there is no athleticism in cheerleading. To prove these people wrong, this article will relate it to the fundamentals or essentials that make an activity a sport.
Cheerleading is a sport. To begin with, there is no definite definition of the word sport. This is a fact! But what really makes an activity a sport is what raises all these questions. The Women’s Sports Foundation tried to narrow some elements into being a sport into this field. According to the foundation, for an activity to be termed a sport, it must fulfill the following credentials. For an activity to be termed as a sport, it must involve physical exercise that either resists mass or propels mass into space. The second condition it must fulfill is that there must be an opponent such that it is a competition or a contest. For an activity to be termed as a sport, it must be governed by rules. These rules must define explicitly space, time, and the reason for the competition or contest. It should also provide the conditions under which a winner is declared. Then lastly, the activity must have an acknowledgment that its primary purpose is to foster comparison of the participants’ relative skills.
Looking at the above conditions put down by the Women’s Sports Foundation, cheerleading passes the test! There are still two more qualification needs that determine if cheerleading is really a sport, however. The Women’s Sports Foundation lucidly explains that “any physical activity in which relative performance can be judged or qualified can be developed into a competitive sport as long as:
- The physical activity includes the above-defined elements and…
- The primary purpose is competition verses other teams or individuals within a competition structure comparable to other ‘athletic’ activities.”
Cheerleading is definitely a sport. It meets all the qualifications named above of athletics. The fact that cheerleading’s primary purpose is to give support to the college or high school athletes it gives competition the second position. This means that cheerleading is more than just a sport.
To gain more support that cheerleading is a sport, the USA cheer, in 2011, launched a sport called STUNT. The sport was to create opportunities for young lady athletes at both high school and college level. In doing this, it aimed at letting cheerleading to remain to be imperative and crucial part of the programs of the school’s spirit. The sports STUNT integrates all sorts of sports including cheerleading and then putting them into head-to-head four quarter competition. This is usually done in such a way that all the requirements of the sports under Title IX are met. STUNT has been the nation’s one of the most and fastest growing sports.
Cheerleading is a sport because it involves physical exercise, it is a competition, rules govern it, and it acknowledges the primary purpose of comparing skills of the participants. The above-explained facts can silence all the debates that arise to prove that cheerleading is not a sport.
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By: Lori A. Selke
Published: 24 October, 2022
Reasons Why Cheerleading Is a Sport
With the rise of cheerleading competitions that focus more on athletic activity and less on hyping up a crowd, the debate on cheer being a sport is more intense than ever. Many cheer teams no longer cheer for a specific sports team and instead compete as their own sport. In 2021, the Olympics officially recognized cheerleading as a sport, igniting discussion as to whether cheer is a sport. With the days of pompoms and hand claps long over, here are the top reasons why cheerleading meets the definition of a sport.
Physical Exertion
There is no question that competitive cheer requires lots of hard work and physical activity. “All-star” teams incorporate dance, tumbling and gymnastics to create performance routines. "Stunting" is a particular cheerleading activity that involves cheerleaders sitting, standing or squatting on others, such as in pyramids and basket tosses. These stunts require strength, stamina, acrobatics and timing, the kind of things you’d see football players use during a football game. An example of this can be seen at the NCAA’s University of Alabama. All cheerleaders must be able to do a standing back handspring and a standing back tuck, which is a flip with no hands, in order to be a part of the cheer squad. However, these moves can be performed anywhere from the pro level to high school.
Just like any other competitive sport, cheerleading involves a lot of teamwork. Cheerleading teams must work together on their cheerleading routine and every person must collaborate to make sure it doesn’t fail. Not only that but stunts, like pyramids and basket tosses, require every person to be a key contributor. Cheerleading can be a dangerous sport because if one person doesn’t hit their marks, cheerers can suffer concussions or other injuries from falling.
In order to gain and maintain those skills, a competitive cheerleading squad must train as hard as any other baseball, basketball or football team. Collegiate-level school cheerleaders report spending as much time practicing as their peers in other varsity sports. In addition to attending cheer practice to practice stunting, tumbling, and dancing, cheerleaders must also weight lift and work out several times a week. This is to prevent catastrophic injuries from being out of shape or from a lack of strength.
Competitive cheerleading is directed by a coach, much as other team sports are directed by a coach or coaching staff. The coach will direct the routines, supervise training and motivate her charges to compete at their highest level. Coaches are trained not only in supervising stunting but in safety as well. Some coaches are highly sought-after; the University of Oregon's Felecia Mulkey, for example, was recruited after a nationwide search.
Competition
For an activity to truly be considered a sport, it must involve competition against others. In competitive cheerleading, squads compete against each other in a head-to-head fashion and are evaluated according to a standardized set of rules. This point is the real bone of contention when it comes to questions about cheerleading as a sport. Many squads still primarily exist to support other sports teams. However, there is a governing body known as the International Cheer Union that helps to set up national championships and give a clear set of rules for competitive cheer. There are other smaller groups that do this but the ICU is the one recognized by teams like USA cheer and more.
- "New York Times"; Competitive Cheer Fans See Acceptance in Future; Katie Thomas; July 2010
- American Association of Cheerleader Coaches and Administrators
Lori A. Selke has been a professional writer and editor for more than 15 years, touching on topics ranging from LGBT issues to sexuality and sexual health, parenting, alternative health, travel, and food and cooking. Her work has appeared in Curve Magazine, Girlfriends, Libido, The Children's Advocate, Decider.com, The SF Weekly, EthicalFoods.com and GoMag.com.
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Student Opinion
Should Cheerleading Be an Olympic Sport?
By Caroline Crosson Gilpin
- Dec. 13, 2016
Watch the video above. Does it accurately depict your image of what cheerleaders are and do?
Are cheerleaders athletes in their own right or just sideshow entertainment for the main athletic event?
In “ Great Moments in Cheerleading: Could the Olympics Be Next? ,” Victor Mather introduces a history of the sport:
In the beginning, it was just a lot of yelling. But cheerleading has evolved since students in raccoon coats first started sis-boom-bahing. Sideline leaps and chants have become part of genuine competitions showcasing serious athleticism. And those contests have expanded from the United States to the rest of the world. Now comes news that cheerleading has received provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee, a pinnacle in a history that dates to the 1800s.
He concludes:
Cheerleading is not yet in the Olympics and perhaps never will be. But with the Olympic committee looking for sports popular with younger viewers — it added skateboarding for 2020 — it certainly seems possible that in 2032, between the team handball and the synchronized swimming venues, we might hear a little “Rah, rah, rah! Minn-e-so-tah!”
Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:
— What did you learn about the history of cheerleading, from the article? What did you learn about present-day cheerleading?
— Over the years, cheerleading and cheerleaders, have been subjected to many stereotypes. What are some of them? Has cheerleading evolved into a true competitive sport, and are cheerleaders athletes worthy of respect?
— Do you agree with the International Olympic Committee’s decision to give cheerleading provisional recognition and add it to a list for possible inclusion in the next Olympic Games?
— If, as the article says, the Olympic committee is looking for sports popular with younger viewers, what other sports do you think should be added? Why?
For more information on the IOC’s provisional recommendation for cheerleading and the combat sport Muay Thai, check out this Times article from December 6.
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Home — Essay Samples — Life — Cheerleading — Being A Cheerleader
Being a Cheerleader
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Words: 678 |
Published: Mar 19, 2024
Words: 678 | Page: 1 | 4 min read
Table of contents
Athleticism and physical fitness, teamwork and collaboration, discipline, time management, and perseverance, self-expression and empowerment, leadership and responsibility, the transformative nature of cheerleading, in conclusion.
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Competitive cheerleading is directed by a coach, much as other team sports are directed by a coach or coaching staff. The coach will direct the routines, supervise training and motivate her charges to compete at their highest level. Coaches are trained not only in supervising stunting but in safety as well. Some coaches are highly sought-after ...
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Cheerleading is a sport that encompasses various aspects, including athleticism, teamwork, and dedication. In recent years, it has gained recognition as a... read full [Essay Sample] for free ... Why Cheerleading Should Be Considered A Sport Essay. Cheerleading is in fact a sport, and claimed to be the hardest womens sport out there as they ...