Is cheerleading a sport?

[WesVLT]

I fell off the couch the other day and bruised my shoulder.

 

What can I say, couch-falling is a tough sport!

[CheerNbHappy]

I fell off the couch the other day and bruised my shoulder.

 

What can I say, couch-falling is a tough sport!

next time keep the remote control in your lap, and do some stretching before you reach for the chips and dip. apparently your couch coach isn't doing his job, because his team is always hurt

[Flipn4OHS]

Cheerleading is definitely a sport I don't care what anyone says. Well, atleast I think MY type of cheerleading is considered a sport. Just doing cheers on the sidelines at games isn't really a sport, although it can get tiring and requires a good deal of athleticism. But cheering on a competition squad or an allstar squad IS a sport, no doubt. I practice 5 days a week for a total of 9 or 10 hours a week. Competition squads require their cheerleaders to be in excellent shape, perform certain tumbling skills (which means if you think gymnastics is a sport then so is cheerleading). And instead of lifting weights cheerleaders lift people. I am definitely not going to say that cheerleading is harder than this sport or that sport, but in my experience it has been very challenging and demanding. I think that anyone who thinks cheerleading is so easy, would be surprised if they went to a couple of my practices.

[Flipn4OHS]

well mchs...tumbling isn't the only thing that requires any talent. And even if it was so what? Tumbling requires a tremendous amount of talent..human bodies were not meant to tumble they weren't made for it and it's almost like defying gravity to be able to tumble well. You just don't know how much talent tumbling actually involves. I consider myself a pretty good tumbler, and there are so many things I have to do and think about when I am tumbling. I have to run just the right speed, take the right amount of steps, place my hands at the right place on the ground, keep my whole body tight, stay on my toes, and use my arms to flip and twist my body..if that's not talent then you are crazy. Other than tumbling..stunting requires a great deal of talent..no matter if you are a base, flyer, or back spot. Do you think it is easy to hold a person up over your head while she pulls her leg up to her head. And equally important, do you think it is easy to be the one standing up there on just someones hand doing tricks that a lot of people can't even do standing on the ground. Does it not require talent to be able to dance well? Does it not require talent to memorize dances, routines, and cheers? And if you don't think it requires talent to get through a 2 and 1/2 minute routine of non-stop tumbling, stunting, dancing, and running around with a SMILE on your face, you need to spend a day in my shoes. I am not saying that cheerleading is any harder than any other sport, because honestly the only other sport I have done besides cheerleading is softball. But I know that cheerleading is a challenge for me. And I have respect for all other athletes and what they do and the time and effort they put into the sport they love, so have a little respect for me.

[Flipn4OHS]

Actually Mchsballer..tssaa did NOT sanction cheerleading as a sport. It is a sport by law in georgia, but not in tennessee. If it were, we would not be able to compete at a national level, which I am somewhat thankful for because the TSSAA State Championship is the only really good competition in Tennessee. And I guess I can talk, because I DO know all about 3 hour practices AND running. I am not allowed to run more than a mile at a time, not to get on the thing about injuries b/c you can hurt yourself walking down the stairs, b/c I have bursitis and a plica in my knee from cheering.

[lchscheerleader04]

I COMPLETELY agree with you Flipn4OHS, competitive cheerleading is alot harder than everyone takes it. I agree that we're not participating in a sport standing on the sideline cheering, but when my squad goes off to compete, then WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN A SPORT. I know that basketball, football, baseball, track, and all those other sports require talent and ability but how come you people who consider all those to be sports don't respect what we do? Come to some of my practices. I'll admit, our squad more than likely wouldn't be able to survive a basketball practice, but I also know that that basketball team wouldn't last a second in our cheerleading practice either. So until you try cheerleading, until you can say you went 3 minutes with nothing but dancing, tumbling passes, stunts, throwing girls in basket tosses, and keeping a smile on your face the entire time you're doing it... please don't diss what we do, and we will do the same for all of you. We just want respect for our hardwork. So how about you stop the stereotyping and respect us like we do you.

[CheerNbHappy]

welcome to the fight. finally more people on my side

[JustWrestle]

There is a HUGE difference between COMPETITIVE cheering and just cheering on the sidelines at a football/basketball game. I think, if I read and interpret the posts correctly, that is where the argument lies. Many people, myself included, do not consider cheering on the sidelines to be a sport. Whereas, COMPETITIVE cheerleading is most definitely a sport.

[CheerNbHappy]

There is a HUGE difference between COMPETITIVE cheering and just cheering on the sidelines at a football/basketball game. I think, if I read and interpret the posts correctly, that is where the argument lies. Many people, myself included, do not consider cheering on the sidelines to be a sport. Whereas, COMPETITIVE cheerleading is most definitely a sport.

that's practice for us. when you are practicing football or basketball or even wrestling, are you not in a sport because it's practice? we are simply working routines and such for competitions

[Flipn4OHS]

I agree that JUST cheering on the sidelines is not a sport. But when we are doing stunts and tumbling at games, thats not just cheering. But for the most part our practice and competitions is what makes cheerleading a sport.

[stayNskool]

im sure cheerleading is a sport cause when i was a little kid i took some gynastics and tumbling classes and all i can say is that is very hard, therefore if cheering is alot of tubling then its gotta be... also if anyone thinks nascar is a sport then they better say cheering is a sport

[OldSkoolBalla]

im sure cheerleading is a sport cause when i was a little kid i took some gynastics and tumbling classes and all i can say is that is very hard, therefore if cheering is alot of tubling then its gotta be...

Alright StayNSkool...being hard does not make something a sport. Haven't you ever seen Little Man Tate? He could play chess and the piano like it was nothing, and he was VERY good! Difficulty is all relative, and thus, it does NOT determine whether or not something is a sport.

 

I believe that a basic definition of sport should be this: "Head to head competition." This means, no judges. And YES, this would exclude a few olympic competitions (diving, all gymnastics, figure skating, etc.).

 

Until the cheerleaders start scratching and clawing for points, LITERALLY, then cheerings is not a sport.