Why should competitive cheerleading be legalized as a sport? Do you consider competitive cheerleading a sport? I do for many reasons, but the US court does not. Quinnipiac University volleyball players and coach sued the school for outing the volleyball team, and replacing it with a competitive cheerleading program. The volleyball team claimed the schools action violated Title IX with a federal judge agreeing because cheerleading isn’t a sport. Appeals court said “We do not foreclose the possibility that the activity, with better organization and defined rules, might someday warrant recognition as a varsity sport.” Judges also acknowledged cheerleading can be physically challenging, requiring competitors to possess strength, agility, and grace. Cheerleaders along with their coaches are doing as much as they can to be recognized as a sport. 7
Many people ask why competitive cheerleading should be considered a sport. Cheerleading meets all criteria to be a sport. Cheer is competitive and requires dedication. Athleticism is vital. Cheerleaders know how to set goals and how to work hard to attain them. Coach Leanne Livingston states “They have to go hard
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has grown immensely and is awaiting its day to be an official sport. Today, there are about 3 million cheerleaders in the USA. Gwen Holtsclaw, president of cheer limited says there are about 1,500 All Star Programs in the USA operating in 613 gyms, not counting the college and high school teams. College and high school cheerleaders compete for National Championships, risk terrible injury, and get recruited for college scholarships. In some cases, cheerleaders put in more practice hours than the football team. As many as 20 state high school organizations say cheerleading is a sport. The Michigan HSAA asserts that that competitive cheerleading meets all reasonable criteria for a sport. Many states where cheerleading is most popular do not call it a sport and don’t want to make it one.