Cheerleading: Sport or Activity

[bellgo]

Wow! That's a nice description for this topic! /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

 

I thought I would try to get this board cranked up a bit by getting some people to express their thoughts on this hot topic. It's an ongoing debate these days. /popcorneater.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":popcorneater:" border="0" alt="popcorneater.gif" />

[varsitycheer10]

SPORT all the way!

football players= throwing a light ball...and running.

Soccer players= kick a ball through a goal.

basketball players=dribble a ball

CHEERLEADER=LIFT 100+ pound people...and compete nonstop with tumbling stunts and much much more.

therefore def. a sport

[KEV-O]

SPORT all the way!

football players= throwing a light ball...and running.

Soccer players= kick a ball through a goal.

basketball players=dribble a ball

CHEERLEADER=LIFT 100+ pound people...and compete nonstop with tumbling stunts and much much more.

therefore def. a sport

 

I would not call cheering a sport but T$$AA does so that makes it a sport.

[bellgo]

I posted my thoughts on this question in another forum. I think cheerleading is an activity. Its purpose is to raise spirit, lead the crowd, and promote sportmanship not competition. I know cheerleading is not what it used to be and it has come a long way. Today, it requires lots of athleticism and stamina and there is so much emphasis on competition (high school, college, and all-star levels). All the difficult skills, pyramids, and tumbling are great, but cheerleading is much more than these things. You can perform skills but use them in a way that's going to get the crowd going and promote spirit. I know some states classify cheerleading as a sport, but for me it's hard to see it as such. I know some states classify cheerleading as an activity as part of a states' sports/activities organization.

[trademark777]

Well I mentioned this on a "is band a sport" thread and I will say it on hear too. I can't believe they are calling

cheerleading a sport and band not. I do believe that both are athletic enough to be called a sport and they both

compete as a football team, basketball team, etc. competes. Someone needs to forward the definiton of sport or

athlete to TSSAA. Tell me that cheerleading and band are not exactly what that defition reads. You both compete

and you both are very athletic, more so than some "sports players" so to say, so I believe band should be listed

there as well. BUT, then again, it is nice not having to worry about TSSAA guidelines. So I will say it again, we are

in a league of our own and loving every bit of it!!!! /roflolk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflolk:" border="0" alt="roflolk.gif" />

[Pantherbert]

SPORT all the way!

football players= throwing a light ball...and running.

Soccer players= kick a ball through a goal.

basketball players=dribble a ball

CHEERLEADER=LIFT 100+ pound people...and compete nonstop with tumbling stunts and much much more.

therefore def. a sport

 

 

 

Attempting to downplay what goes on in those sports doesn't help legitimize cheerleading as one.

[MVM]

I would not call cheering a sport but T$$AA does so that makes it a sport.

 

 

Dollar Signs about cheerleading ...How true.

 

Stupid question since T$$AA call it a sport, does that mean it counts toward title 9 as a girls sport? /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

[catuballer]

Cheerleading at sporting events is cheering. Not a sport.

 

Going to competitions and competing for a prize - that is a sport.

[bellgo]

Well I mentioned this on a "is band a sport" thread and I will say it on hear too. I can't believe they are calling

cheerleading a sport and band not. I do believe that both are athletic enough to be called a sport and they both

compete as a football team, basketball team, etc. competes. Someone needs to forward the definiton of sport or

athlete to TSSAA. Tell me that cheerleading and band are not exactly what that defition reads. You both compete

and you both are very athletic, more so than some "sports players" so to say, so I believe band should be listed

there as well. BUT, then again, it is nice not having to worry about TSSAA guidelines. So I will say it again, we are

in a league of our own and loving every bit of it!!!! /roflolk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflolk:" border="0" alt="roflolk.gif" />

 

 

I've also posted this on another thread. Band is performing arts and there is nothing athletic about that.

[KEV-O]

I've also posted this on another thread. Band is performing arts and there is nothing athletic about that.

 

thats the way i look at both band and cheer

[fbfan51]

Quote: "Its purpose is to raise spirit, lead the crowd, and promote sportmanship not competition."

 

This is one person's interpretation of the "purpose" for cheerleading. Perhaps that was it's original purpose, and agreeably with those specifications, it is indeed an activity. However, it is no longer 1960, and the focus, purpose, and vision of the sport has dramatically changed over the last decade. The problem is that the TSSAA refuses to sanction the sport, which many people do not realize. We (cheerleading) are "under the umbrella" of TSSAA, but are NOT a sanctioned sport by the state. What this does is create an "a la carte" approach to cheerleading, as decided by each individual school. In other words, each team decides what it wants its purpose and focus to be. This creates the problem that we are debating on this board. Teams and their talent run the gamut. Some teams are not allowed by their principals to tumble or stunt at all, while others are allowed to compete for national titles. It's difficult to defend cheerleading being a sport when perspectives regarding what cheerleading actually IS, vary so greatly.

 

Competitive cheerleading is a sport. It's plain and simple... It takes athleticism, endurance, physical and mental toughness, sport-specific knowledge, and determination. Is there an additional attribute that football requires that competitive cheerleading does not? This is a tired topic that people always place on cheerleading message boards to spark a frenzy from teenage girls. I am not one of them. I am a high school cheerleading coach of ten years. I know what these kids are made of. I've seen them fight through pain, injuries, and personal tragedies just to be a competitive cheerleader. I've seen them bask in the thrill of victory and hang their heads in the disappointment of a poor performance. I don't need anyone to convince me that I deal with athletes every day.

[feverpitch]

Quote: "Its purpose is to raise spirit, lead the crowd, and promote sportmanship not competition."

 

This is one person's interpretation of the "purpose" for cheerleading. Perhaps that was it's original purpose, and agreeably with those specifications, it is indeed an activity. However, it is no longer 1960, and the focus, purpose, and vision of the sport has dramatically changed over the last decade. The problem is that the TSSAA refuses to sanction the sport, which many people do not realize. We (cheerleading) are "under the umbrella" of TSSAA, but are NOT a sanctioned sport by the state. What this does is create an "a la carte" approach to cheerleading, as decided by each individual school. In other words, each team decides what it wants its purpose and focus to be. This creates the problem that we are debating on this board. Teams and their talent run the gamut. Some teams are not allowed by their principals to tumble or stunt at all, while others are allowed to compete for national titles. It's difficult to defend cheerleading being a sport when perspectives regarding what cheerleading actually IS, vary so greatly.

 

Competitive cheerleading is a sport. It's plain and simple... It takes athleticism, endurance, physical and mental toughness, sport-specific knowledge, and determination. Is there an additional attribute that football requires that competitive cheerleading does not? This is a tired topic that people always place on cheerleading message boards to spark a frenzy from teenage girls. I am not one of them. I am a high school cheerleading coach of ten years. I know what these kids are made of. I've seen them fight through pain, injuries, and personal tragedies just to be a competitive cheerleader. I've seen them bask in the thrill of victory and hang their heads in the disappointment of a poor performance. I don't need anyone to convince me that I deal with athletes every day.

 

 

Well said, fbfan! Until someone close to me decided she wanted to cheer, I thought it was more of a popularity contest. What she went through to try out was unbelievable. Now that she is cheering at the high school level her commitment to the sport and the training that she does takes as much time and energy (often more) than many of the other sports at her school. I am also finding that it varies greatly from school to school as far as what squads they have and whether they cheer for more than one sport. I have a new respect for cheerleaders....