Is Cheerleading a Sport? What is a sport? The Cambridge Dictionary defines a sport “as a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job.” Most people would say that this description makes sense, but if it does, why is the debate on whether or not cheerleading is a sport still prevalent? There are endless reasons that cheerleading should be considered a true sport to KHSAA, however, the three main points are as follows: 1) Cheerleading competitions are comprised of multiple teams competing against each other, 2) cheerleader athletes are prone to physical injury just as much or more than other athletes, and 3) cheerleading requires a commitment to learning and perfecting skills, under immense mental and physical exertion.
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Generally, a cheerleader is stereotyped as a girl standing on the sidelines looking put together, pom poms in hand, and yelling chants for football players. There is a whole different side to cheerleading that the majority of people don’t get to see, and this is competitive cheerleading. As a high school student, there are a couple opportunities to be a competitive cheerleader. The All Star Cheerleader trains only for competition. After many hours each week of practice, these teams will travel (often States away) and compete anywhere between four and ten times throughout the year/season. If you choose to cheer for your school, you not only train for competitions, but spend additional time representing your school at games and other events throughout the entire year. Both of these groups have to follow rules and regulations in the organizations they compete in. These points prove that cheerleading is in fact a sport - it directly reflects the definition of a sport as mentioned
Generally, a cheerleader is stereotyped as a girl standing on the sidelines looking put together, pom poms in hand, and yelling chants for football players. There is a whole different side to cheerleading that the majority of people don’t get to see, and this is competitive cheerleading. As a high school student, there are a couple opportunities to be a competitive cheerleader. The All Star Cheerleader trains only for competition. After many hours each week of practice, these teams will travel (often States away) and compete anywhere between four and ten times throughout the year/season. If you choose to cheer for your school, you not only train for competitions, but spend additional time representing your school at games and other events throughout the entire year. Both of these groups have to follow rules and regulations in the organizations they compete in. These points prove that cheerleading is in fact a sport - it directly reflects the definition of a sport as mentioned