Cheerleading: Sport or Activity

[redbirdfan]

It's more than an activity to me.. Hey the Cheerleaders get to ride the bus and get in all the games for free so Obviously they serve some purpose out there.. Don't they have a practice time too just like all the other sports??

/cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

[Lc68]

I think that's the crux of the debate Lc68. Equality. If TSSAA would call cheerleading a sport and they had sanctioned competitions, they'd be equal as far as Title IX is concerned. NCAA would offer scholarships. Cheerleading would be a way of getting these girls (and some guys) college education payed for. It would be a way of balancing the scholarships that are given to the guys on the football side to conform with Title IX. I like that line of reasoning.

 

Other than that............who cares? If you can play Tiddly Winks and get paid to do it or get your education funded, then I'd say that Tiddly Winks is a sport. It's a physical activity that's fun to participate in and involves hand to eye coordination. Whatever. Until they start handing out scholarships that apply towards balancing the football scholarships..........it's a moot point as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

That makes good sense. I agree. I think Cheerleaders should get equal Title IX treatment, simply because if you are the government and you withhold money because something is LESS or MORE of a sport, you are descriminating (so long as it IS a sport, which I believe competitive cheerleading IS). My main argument is to counter the people who always complain that they are the same as any other sport and they aren't being treated with respect by people of other sports...... blah blah blah blah. /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

[seantn_4]

sport...people get hurt in sports and i see cheerleaders getting hurt alot plus competions..sport

[MJHS6009]

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

 

 

 

all the sports you just listed do way more than what you just said in football you cant throw the ball unless the 225 pound line man blocks a 300 pound line man from makeing a sack and soccer is mainly running and have the mind do to wat you need to and basket ball is even more running and much more all though i do agree that cheerleading is a sport

[fancygirl101350]

I like your first comment. I don't think it should matter what other people think (including myself), whether they think it's a sport of not.

 

Competitive cheerleading is a sacrifice and a huge commitment. There is lot hard work that's put into choreographing a routine, working stunting/tumbling skills, and fundraising. Plus, cheering at games and academics are top priorities. Lots and lots of time!! Going to a national competition may require some squads to miss games (especially with UCA Nationals). However, I don't think it should be that much of a sacrifice that cheering at games be put on the back burner. Plus, not all cheer squads are competitive.

 

And here we are at a major point...separate the squads. If you are competition, then only compete. But if you are a cheerleader for your school. focus on the teams you were selected/elected to 'cheer' for. Don't practice your routines on the sidelines at games and at pep rallies.

Now, if you want to do both...great! Just make sure you cheer appropriately for your school teams and save competition for NCA or UCA!

And yes, competition squads make significant sacrifices and committments... but so do football, basketball, soccer, softball, rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, hockey, dance team, band, ultimate frisbee, etc. players. Some more than others, yes...but they still make sacrifices and committments! Surely at these high schools, they are enough talented girls who WANT to be cheerleaders to make up separate squads? More skilled for comp, yes...but spirited can be non tumblers/stunters.

[bellgo]

And here we are at a major point...separate the squads. If you are competition, then only compete. But if you are a cheerleader for your school. focus on the teams you were selected/elected to 'cheer' for. Don't practice your routines on the sidelines at games and at pep rallies.

Now, if you want to do both...great! Just make sure you cheer appropriately for your school teams and save competition for NCA or UCA!

And yes, competition squads make significant sacrifices and committments... but so do football, basketball, soccer, softball, rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, hockey, dance team, band, ultimate frisbee, etc. players. Some more than others, yes...but they still make sacrifices and committments! Surely at these high schools, they are enough talented girls who WANT to be cheerleaders to make up separate squads? More skilled for comp, yes...but spirited can be non tumblers/stunters.

 

 

I know of some competitive squads who just cheer for football and are competitive. There is a seperate cheer squad for basketball. I'm kind of indifferent about this.

[fbfan51]

The TSSAA requires (and I laugh when they say that word, because there is no one to enforce anything) that every cheerleader who competes at the TSSAA state championship actually CHEER for a sport at their school. When I sign off on the entry form, I, along with my principal, have to ensure that every participant cheers for a team. Not that anyone knows, cares, or even checks. It is an issue that I take seriously, but know that many schools do not.

 

The carelessness of the TSSAA with regards to cheerleading and its rules will one day lead to a major lawsuit. Teams are out there doing all kinds of dangeros, illegal stunting. There is no one there to enforce these regulations. It will take someone getting seriously injured in this state before anything is done. I'm only afraid that it will lead to a statewide, knee-jerk reaction and no one will be allowed to do anything anymore.

[ksgovols]

Since I am sosmart, and have posted on about every board on here in the past week, I might as well weigh in on this. I saw a segment on 60 min. and again recently on both CNN and ESPN and guess which sport (of all sports including football) has the MOST serious injuries and is statically the most DANGEROUS SPORT of all - CHEERLEADING. It also requires years of gymnastics, dance classes, weight lifting etc... to be able to lift someone up over your head and sit them on your shoulders when they weigh within 10 pounds of your own weight. And try a back flip (not easy) and these shows went on and on. YES its a sport requiring tremendous dedication. Why don't they play Basketball? Why do I prefer the color blue when someone else prefers red, the Lord fortunately made us all different. /flower.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":flower:" border="0" alt="flower.gif" />

 

 

 

I agree 100%. I just wish the men's sports weren't the ones getting scholarships yanked to balance out the ratio with women's sports.

 

While I don't particularly care, I don't understand the sentiment about cheering for basketball but not football or vice versa. What's the difference other than a warm gym versus being outside? I can see girls basketball players that might cheer during football season or soccer players that will cheer during basketball but I don't see a difference in anything the cheerleaders do that would cause them to have to make a choice. Competitive cheerleading isn't my bag, but I don't mind it so long as it doesn't prohibit cheerleaders from cheering at the sporting events.

[fancygirl101350]

The TSSAA requires (and I laugh when they say that word, because there is no one to enforce anything) that every cheerleader who competes at the TSSAA state championship actually CHEER for a sport at their school. When I sign off on the entry form, I, along with my principal, have to ensure that every participant cheers for a team. Not that anyone knows, cares, or even checks. It is an issue that I take seriously, but know that many schools do not.

 

The carelessness of the TSSAA with regards to cheerleading and its rules will one day lead to a major lawsuit. Teams are out there doing all kinds of dangeros, illegal stunting. There is no one there to enforce these regulations. It will take someone getting seriously injured in this state before anything is done. I'm only afraid that it will lead to a statewide, knee-jerk reaction and no one will be allowed to do anything anymore.

 

You are so-o-o right! "Carelessness" is the optimum word. And I hope my daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, etc. is not the one who gets a serious injury!

[fancygirl101350]

I agree 100%. I just wish the men's sports weren't the ones getting scholarships yanked to balance out the ratio with women's sports.

 

While I don't particularly care, I don't understand the sentiment about cheering for basketball but not football or vice versa. What's the difference other than a warm gym versus being outside? I can see girls basketball players that might cheer during football season or soccer players that will cheer during basketball but I don't see a difference in anything the cheerleaders do that would cause them to have to make a choice. Competitive cheerleading isn't my bag, but I don't mind it so long as it doesn't prohibit cheerleaders from cheering at the sporting events.

 

The idea of having separate squads allows more girls the opportunity to show their support for the school's athletic teams by cheering for them. I can't tell you how many times I've seen girls leave a tryout with their faces pained by not being elected/selected as a cheerleader.

I have fought for separate squads for many years. The trend I hope will sway more in that direction. Unfortunately, all too often 'competitive cheerleading' does prohibit "cheerleaders" from cheering at the sporting events. Sad, but true.

[wrestling fan]

The idea of having separate squads allows more girls the opportunity to show their support for the school's athletic teams by cheering for them. I can't tell you how many times I've seen girls leave a tryout with their faces pained by not being elected/selected as a cheerleader.

I have fought for separate squads for many years. The trend I hope will sway more in that direction. Unfortunately, all too often 'competitive cheerleading' does prohibit "cheerleaders" from cheering at the sporting events. Sad, but true.

 

There are alot of issues that TSSAA could resolve and/ or the local school boards but they don't. Schools that have competitive squads (which is determined by the sponsor at schools I've been affiliated with) sometimes make it so expensive and time consuming that many girls who are willing, spirited and have tumbling skills simply choose to not do it anymore. Practice 11 months out of the year, coaches making $5 or $6 dollars per girl, per practice, practicing 5 and 6 days a week. I personally know of 2 schools that due to this, they now cannot get 1 squad of 15 girls, much less a freshman, jv and varsity squad and these schools have the talent and over 1500 students each. So.... now the football players have no one cheering for them and it's not an option because the sponsor makes the decisions. Also the issue of try-outs; there are no rules addressing scoring, fairness or any other matter. If the sponsor doesn't like you, you're out, regardless of whether you scored higher on the required skills.

 

Cheerleading IS a sport AND it should be about school spirit first and competitions second. You can do both, if one has to give, it should be the competitions..... or you should cheer for an all-star team.

[fbfan51]

There are alot of issues that TSSAA could resolve and/ or the local school boards but they don't. Schools that have competitive squads (which is determined by the sponsor at schools I've been affiliated with) sometimes make it so expensive and time consuming that many girls who are willing, spirited and have tumbling skills simply choose to not do it anymore. Practice 11 months out of the year, coaches making $5 or $6 dollars per girl, per practice, practicing 5 and 6 days a week. I personally know of 2 schools that due to this, they now cannot get 1 squad of 15 girls, much less a freshman, jv and varsity squad and these schools have the talent and over 1500 students each. So.... now the football players have no one cheering for them and it's not an option because the sponsor makes the decisions. Also the issue of try-outs; there are no rules addressing scoring, fairness or any other matter. If the sponsor doesn't like you, you're out, regardless of whether you scored higher on the required skills.

 

Cheerleading IS a sport AND it should be about school spirit first and competitions second. You can do both, if one has to give, it should be the competitions..... or you should cheer for an all-star team.

 

 

 

You are right, most school coaches do determine whether or not their teams will compete. I do make $5 or $6 dollars per girl. The difference is it's per YEAR, not per practice /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> I need to know where coaches are making this much money...I'm applying for a new coaching position! Just kidding.

 

In all seriousness, though, I am actually secretary of the Tennessee Cheerleading Coaches Association, and we are trying to work along with the TSSAA to streamline tryouts, rules, etc. The coaches are a committed group trying to make changes, but the TSSAA won't even entertain a meeting with us (to date). They are satisfied allowing a corporation (Universal Cheerleading Association) to run our events in this state rather than taking on the issue themselves. These competition companies come in and charge enormous registration fees, none of which go back to the individual schools. It would be like playing a football game and every penny of gate and concessions going to the NFL or some other sports organization. It's amazing how much money leaves our schools because we aren't sanctioned. Most of us (coaches) hate the same things about cheerleading that many of you have voiced on this forum. We just can't get anyone to talk with us about how to make the necessary changes state-wide.