When you think about cheerleading, you probably think of “flirts in skirts” doing sideline cheers, and shaking their pom poms, but cheerleading is much more than that. (Renee par. 70) Cheer is a sport. In fact, if you’re talking about all star cheer, they don’t even use pom poms or do sideline cheers. Instead, they throw a “flyer” ten feet into the air and are expected to catch her. They do acrobatics and tumbling skills similar to the ones that a gymnast does. Combine both of those elements and cram them all into a two and a half minute routine, all tied together with a short dance at the end. That, all of the skill and athleticism, is what all star competitive cheerleading really is.
A sport, by definition, is a “physical activity [competition] against/ with an opponent, governed by rules and conditions, under which a winner is declared, and primarily purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants” (Renee par. 20). Competitive cheerleading fits all of these requirements. It is definitely a physical activity, with all of the stunts and tumbling involved. It has rules and regulations, and even a score sheet for the routines, which will declare a winner, and its primary purpose is to compete against the other teams. So why do people still say it isn’t a sport? It fits all of the criteria to be considered one. The olympics even say that cheerleading is a sport. Just recently, cheerleading became a provisional olympic sport. But “cheerleaders won’t be tossed in the air at the olympic games just yet” (Quinn par. 4). However, cheerleading did gain some major support and funding ($25000 every year!!!) from the International Olympic Committee, or the IOC. Even the IOC sports director herself said that it was a sport. The only was it could get more official, is if cheerleading is added to the games. Cheerleading also requires lots of strength and talent. A cheerleader who is a “flyer” needs to be flexible, and have a strong core, in order to stay up in the air. The “bases” underneath them need incredible arm and leg strength to lift their flyers above their heads. As if that isn’t enough, cheerleaders are constantly risking serious injuries, especially the flyers, who are being thrown ten to twenty feet up into the air. Also, a cheerleader trains and practices their skills for a long time. The skills that you need to reach level five, the highest level n cheer, are extremely difficult. It takes some athletes years to achieve theses skills, and others may never master them. Cheerleading has all the qualifications and more to be considered a “real” sport. Cheerleaders are strong, serious, talented athletes. In fact, there is no true reason that cheerleading shouldn’t be considered a sport. So, if anyone says that cheer is not a sport, ask them to “execute a double twist from extended one leg” (Fernandez par. 18). Chances are, they won’t even know what that is, let alone be able to pull it off. After that, ask them your question again. Is cheer a sport now? Works Cited Fernandez, Erick. "6 Things to Tell Anyone Who Thinks Cheerleading Isn't a Real Sport." Mic. Mic Network Inc., 25 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2017. IL, Renee R. Arlington Heights. "Cheerleading Is a Sport." Teen Essay | Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2017. Quinn, Dave. "Now Cheer This! Cheerleading Becomes (Provisional) Olympic Sport." PEOPLE.com. Time Inc, 09 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
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