Is cheerleading a sport?

[mctigersportsfan]

Cheerleading just like Band is an activity -- not a SPORT

Edited December 18, 2003 by mctigerfan

[o21putt]

Athletic contests that I consider a sport have a scoreboard and guess what, the winner is determined by the final score. I don't see a scoreboard for the cheerleaders at the games that I attend. When a group of cheerleaders don't know the difference between a touchdown and a tackle, its time to do something else. If they want to go to their competitions and compete with other groups, fine, but get them off of the athletic fields and courts. Takes away from the game.

[Illini]

It most defintily is not a sport. It is a social event that just happens to show up for sporting events.

[BUBBA61]

Athletic contests that I consider a sport have a scoreboard and guess what, the winner is determined by the final score. I don't see a scoreboard for the cheerleaders at the games that I attend. When a group of cheerleaders don't know the difference between a touchdown and a tackle, its time to do something else. If they want to go to their competitions and compete with other groups, fine, but get them off of the athletic fields and courts. Takes away from the game.

I don't understand. Why should the cheerleaders have to know the difference between a touchdown and a tackle in order for cheerleading to be a sport? When you say it takes away from the game what do you mean? From my experience, cheerleaders have done nothing but add to the game. They organize pep rallys, get the crowd going, not to mention the fact that after a big win you always have them run onto the field to give you a big hug.

[MaryvilleRebels]

Well, pep rallies, when u come down to it, they don't do much of anything to help the "pep". The cheerleaders really don't get the students into the cheering, the students do. And those things, like signs, pep rallies, cheering, could be done by a pep squad or pep club. Cheerleaders are just a background noise, and the running onto the field...well any fan can do that at most every game. The one thing that really annoys me about cheerleaders, when the football team wins state the cheerleaders get rings too? Why? Carl Stewart and Lee Humphrey from my school last year won Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball, but the football team and the basketball team didn't get trophies because of the success of the states two best players, even though the teammates helped to make Carl and Lee better. If cheerleaders get rings, why doesn't the band? The band, in my opinion adds much more pep than the cheerleaders.

[addictedtosports.com]

You have to be athletic to do it and there are competitions.....I say it "is" a sport. Not one I am interested in but I do respect the work they put in.

[Flipn4OHS]

Thanks additctedtosports. I haven't been on here in a while and I have a few comments on some of the last few posts. One-Bergil24, you say only the gymnastics and stunting part can be considered a sport. Well take a look around that is MOST of cheerleading-stunting and tumbling. Most of the cheers have stunts and tumbling incorped into them. And comptetion routines are constant tumbling and stunting with some dance and motions thrown in there. Two-Papatj...true in cheerleading there is no scoreboard, but at competitions there is a SCORESHEET. And you must be able to hit certain stunts or tumbling to get the max. amount of points for that category. You also get points deducted for busted tumbling or stunts that drop. And in the end the squad with the highest final score wins. Oh and btw...I DO know the difference between a TD and tackle...I probably know just as much about football as you do. Three-Illini, a social event? Are you kidding me? We aren't even allowed to talk during games except when we are calling cheers or going to stunt or something. And we get in trouble if we do. Practice is even worse, b/c if we talk about things other than cheerleading or cut up we get our butts chewed. And maryville rebels-I have never heard of the cheerleaders getting rings if the fball team wins state. I mean it's not like that at our school...if our team won state I wouldn't want a ring..b/c I am not on the football team I didn't do anything but cheer them on. In that case if the cheerleaders got one so should the parents and fans. The only way our squad would get rings is if WE won state or nationals.

[bergil24]

Ok i just looked up sport in the dictionary and it said the following: An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively. I think its hard to compare cheerleading to other sports but i mean read the definition. Though cheerleading may have started to cheer for sports it has evolved into something else. and after reading the definition i would have to consider it a sport.

[CoachLogan74]

good point Bergil, you really cant argue with Mr Webster and his dictionary now can you?

[BUBBA61]

good point Bergil, you really cant argue with Mr Webster and his dictionary now can you?

My goodness how easily your opinion changes. Go back a page and look at what you said.

[Flipn4OHS]

Yes that is definitely a good point bergil24. And I believe that is MY definition of a sport as well. Although I am gonna have to agree with BUBBA that your opinion did change drastically! But I'm glad it did, b/c it really bothers me when cheerleaders don't get the respect they deserve. I will admit that a lot of school squads don't take cheerleading as seriously as some, but times are definitely changing. And there are plenty of school squads that put as much effort into cheerleading as other athletes put into there sports. Not to mention the allstar squads who are in the gym as much as 14 hours a week, busting their butts to be the best. Sport or no sport...it takes talent, effort, and determination...and not everyone can do it..that deserves some respect.

[FludDanzr21]

Go get 'em Flipin!! i completely agree!!