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Cheerleading is a sport or not
Cheerleading is a sport or not
Cheerleading is a sport argument
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Most people think cheer is not a sport, but they are only half true. All-Star cheerleading is considered a sport because you have to compete against other teams, and travel to places as far as Europe or Asia. Sideline Cheer, however, does not compete and is not technically considered a sport. Depending on what type of cheerleading it is, cheer can be considered harder, and more dangerous than football and basketball. “In high school cheer or sideline, it can be a lot of waving pom poms and doing back tucks and front handsprings.
Competitive cheerleading has never been called a sport. There has been an ongoing debate as to if cheerleading fits the definition of a sport which is “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature” (Dictionary.com n.d.). By that definition you could interpret it to mean cheerleading is a sport, but there is much more to being a sport than meeting a definition. Competitive cheerleading does require specialized training, extensive practices, and a dedicated team; but to become a sport there are several problems that must be addressed. There is not a consistent set of competitions, no standard set of rules, and no regulations for judging.
Cheerleading should be a sport because of the requirements, definitions, and the dangers. You could go from point flyer to having to communicate by blinking an eye. Cheerleading meets the Woman’s Sport Foundation Requirements. One requirement is it must be a Physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass. Stunting, cheerleaders hold and throw other people into the air and push them up with their arms and legs.
Cheerleaders have competitions which they physically work together to perform and compete to win awards. “The word sport is defined as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Tori Jackson). Also cheerleaders don 't get points by scoring a touchdown or making a basket, but they get points by performing a perfect routine, like other sports. “They also note that competitive cheer squads are judged on their skill--just as in figure skating, gymnastics, diving, and other sports” (pom pom shake up). Lastly cheerleaders have rules to follow just like football does, like no going off the mat just like football players can 't go off the field.
Also, cheerleading has an extremely high risk of injury. In many situations, in order to become part of a cheerleading team one must try-out for the team. Try-outs vary from team to team, but commonly consist of testing each athletes ability in personal strength, endurance, physical stamina, leadership, and personal presentation. The try-out process time also varies, one team may hold a one day try-out whereas anther may have a multiple step, week long or longer process. One may be under the impression that once the try-outs are over you no longer have to work hard, but that is false.
When it comes to competitive cheer, there is a lot more than yelling chants. Cheerleading requires sharp/quick motions, strength, along with perfect timing. Cheerleaders have to have the ability to throw 100+ pound girls in the air and be able to catch them. In conclusion, cheerleading is dangerous, competitive, and takes time and dedication. These are all the components of what society considers a “true sport.”
We’re not here to show you high school cheerleading. We’re here to show you the young women and men putting all of their free-time into a stuffy old gym. Trusting each other with their lives and defying gravity. We’re not here to show you the average athlete.
The purpose of these cheerleaders’ is to encourage fans and support their fellow sports teams. This type of cheerleading is the focus of the development of the cheerleader stereotype, as well as the focus of the argument that cheerleading is not a sport. In contrast to recreational cheerleading, competition cheerleading focus on a physically and mentally competitive atmosphere. While I concede that recreational cheerleading lacks many of the core requirements to be considered a sport, I reject the opinion that competitive cheerleading is not a sport.
Doing flips and having people hold you up in the air, cheerleading is a very debated subject on whether it is a sport or not. Cheerleading can be for fun or to be competitive, but a large quantity of people debate on cheerleading is a sport or just something you do to have fun. Cheerleading for things like basketball games is not a sport, however competitive cheerleading is. Some people would disagree with that claim and would say that both are or aren't a sport.
The cheerleaders you see at every football and basketball game aren't real cheerleaders. You could argue that cheerleading is not even a sport. The official definition of a sport is “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”(Oxford languages). Competitive cheerleading is not what typically comes to mind when people mention cheerleaders. Competitive cheerleading is a team oriented sport where they put together a 2 minute and 30 second routine to perform in front of a crowd of people and a set of judges.
Cheerleading is physically demanding, competitive, and to say that it’s not a sport, would be considered sexist. Cheerleading is extremely physically demanding. “Cheerleaders also do strength training, endurance, jumping, balance, and flexibility conditioning; as well as cardio exercise” (complex) (ProCon 3). Cheerleaders do just as much exercise, if not more, than any other sport. Especially considering the
Lots of pressures are put on you in cheerleading from parents, coaches, and yourself. One of the pressures is the need for perfection. For example every time you do a routine if a stunt falls or even gets a little shaky you need to do the whole thing again. Coaches are often very strict and even a little scary if your team is even a little less than perfect.
There are usually just 2 or 3 competitions a year. Finally, I believe that cheerleading is not a sport is because when you go to a football game or basketball game, you’ll see the cheerleaders on the sideline cheering their team on. They will have a bunch of makeup on, try and make their hair look perfect, and wear short skirts while cheering the for the actual sport being played. They aren’t getting all dressed up to compete against anyone or try to win anything but rather to feel good and look good.
Like other sports have certain plays in order to fool the opposing team, they use their strategy to confuse and then beat the other team. Cheerleading does use strategy. They come up with a routine to the best of their abilities. They use strategy by being better than their opponents, figuring out how well their routine is and making it
Some think otherwise. Cheerleading is a sport because we cheer on our football players and we are a team and part of a school. People think cheerleading is not a sport because all we do is stand on the side and wave our poms. Some parents pay a lot of money so there kids can do cheerleading. Not a lot of people care about the money or how hard it may be because there are nearly 4 million cheerleaders in US.