User:Jessiesurgeon123/sandbox

Is cheerleading a sport?

The answer is yes. There has always been controversy about cheerleading and whether or not it is classified as a sport. It really gets under any cheerleaders skin when someone says "cheerleading isnt a sport." Whether it’s a football player in one of your classes, a teacher who talks down about cheerleading, or a friend who doesn’t understand why you’re not involved in something else “more athletic,” you want people to know that cheerleaders are athletes.

Most people say negative comments because they know it will make an argument with a known cheerleader. However, some people really believe cheerleaders don't have athleticism.

The Office for Civil Rights makes this determination of what a sport is on a case by case basis. The Women’s Sports Foundation has narrowed the field to these elements:


 * It must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass. This would be what we call stunting…
 * “Contesting” or competing against/with an opponent is required. This is what most cheerleaders love and that's competition… where we go against other teams.
 * 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. Sooo... we have time limits, mat sizes, and score sheets…
 * Acknowledgement that the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants. You know those competitions on ESPN? Those are national championships…

This is where your argument ends. Not because of any physical definition – as you can see cheerleading meets ALL of the athletic specifications. But, because cheerleading’s primary purpose is to support high school and college athletic teams. Competition comes second! In other words, cheerleading is more than a sport.