Cheerleading A Sport Essay

Cheerleaders only waving and cheering with pom-poms to get a crowd's attention is a thing of the past. Because cheer has evolved into a much more complex dynamic than it once was, the next step is exhibiting to others that it is a sport. Dated views of cheerleading often bring down the image that is portrayed to the public. However, cheerleaders worldwide need the recognition they deserve as they train just as tirelessly as any other athlete. Therefore, for cheer to be recognized as a sport, the National Collegiate Athletic Association must acknowledge the athleticism and injuries that cheerleaders endure and combat sexism and discriminatory scholarships, funding, and pay. Those who say that cheerleading is not a sport do not know the underlying

Although cheerleaders undergo the most injuries than most sports, this does not mean that it is a positive way to show athleticism. Since cheerleading is not currently viewed as a sport this means that cheer programs do not have the support and finances for injury prevention. This results in more and more injuries present in cheerleading until the NCAA shows their care. Lastly, “There are no mandatory reporting systems or an injury database for cheerleading injuries and cheerleading is not included in the NCAA ISS therefore the primary goal for injury prevention is recognition of cheerleading as a sport by all educational institutions” (Bagnulo, 2012, 296). Again, when cheerleading is not considered a sport there cannot be reports made of the substantial injuries endured. This statement ultimately solidifies that cheerleading needs to be seen as a sport by the NCAA not only for the cheer community but for the health of the athletes

For instance, “Lack of NCAA status also means that cheer coaches earn significantly less than their peers who coach sports that count under Title IX” (Gerson, 2022). Cheer coaches are not getting the recognition that they deserve because the NCAA restricts them from being perceived as coaches of athletics. If cheer was pushed into an NCAA status sport, then the pay for coaches would drastically increase. However, “The majority of college cheerleaders, then, are in their schools’ athletic departments but outside the NCAA, college athletics’ governing body” (Gerson, 2022). Most schools have cheerleading represented under athletics, but since it is not under the NCAA, they are held back from having a sport title. Additionally, “For a sport whose head coaching roles are often filled by women and LGBTQ+ people, the lack of Title IX recognition has in turn yielded a major wage gap” (Gerson, 2022). This ties back into sexism within cheerleading but with more of a dehumanizing sense. Why does the gender or orientation of a person consequence pay? Because it is involved in cheerleading, there will not be anything done unless the group speaks out. Overall, there needs to be a call to action in place so that the NCAA can allow coaches to be paid properly. It is the 21st century and it is time for