Cheerleading

[bhambruiser]

they are the T&A ....harsh but true...very few think of them as anything more

[GMac]

Gentlemen (and I use that term loosely)...

To not call cheerleading a sport is quite simply a travesty. And I am talking power cheerleading not your dance team that is loosely known as a cheerleading team IE. The Trailblazers the riders "cheer" team.

Power cheerleading is a combination of tumbling, powerlifting, gymnatics, dance, etc... And believe me a toss cupie (grab a girl by the waist and throw her catch both feet with one hand at full extension) or a rewind tic-toc stretch (grab girl by the waist throw her was she does a backflip catch her one foot at full extension bring down to shoulder level give her a quick pop and catch her other foot and put to full extension) isnt anything thats easy.

The U of R team that I helped pioneer was formed primarily for competition games are quite simply secondary for us.

Yes, you can have cheerleading competition. But that doesn't make it a sport because cheerleading competition isn't the purpose of cheerleading.

Thats got to be one of the most short sighted arguments I have ever seen. Thats like saying that NASCAR isnt a sport because purpose of driving cars isnt to race in an oval but to get a person from one point to another. Archery which is in the Olympics isnt a sport because its original function was to hunt food for survival. But I am sure all olympic archers are also big game hunters so thats ok.

And to look at actual competition cheerleaders as T & A that just makes me shake my head. I am not sure I am to be flattered or insulted, as I am a cheerleader so if you find me attractive thank you. Seriously, I understand when you look at so called cheerleaders like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and think its nothing but and ass... but when you look at a team like mine or the Edmonton Eskimos Chear Team or even many of the NCAA cheer teams and not appreciate their athletic abilities or call it a sport is insulting to everything I stand for.

And for the record I have also played hockey since I was 4, played basketball, volleyball, ran track, ran cross country, played badminton, baseball, curled all competively in high school, and I was to wrestle at the U of R till I tore the cartalidge in my knee. And besides wrestling and some of my hockey years cheerleading is probably the hardest training I ever had to do to keep our team competitive.

[HedleyLamarr]

I've always said that a sport needs all these following qualities. Not 2, not 3...all 4:

1. Involves a high degree of athletic ability. In other words, something that involves sitting, walking, or some sort of lack of energy exertion gets eliminated (Examples: Auto racing and golf)

2. Involves direct competition on the field of play. Gymnastics and figure skating, for example, you aren't competing with others at the same time.

3. Involves the ability to affect the opponent's scoring. Gymnastics, golf....you aren't able to alter your opponent's scores.

4. Involves the ability to have a running score throughout the entirity of the competition. In other words, you don't have to wait until after the game or after the competition to find out how you scored.

[Neon_Matrix]

Last year I was on my high school cheerleading squad for the last 4 weeks of their existance, mainly because they needed a third who was tall (I'm 6"1) and had some muscle (I barely had enough) and because it got me a free trip to Wonderland, so how could I resist?

I have to say it is one of the most strenuous things I have ever done. The practices are brutal, and getting timing and routine down is very hard. Arials are hard to do, because you have to learn where to throw the girl, how hard to throw her, so you can figure out where she will be and when so you can catch her. Its hard, and I gained some respect for it after doing it. Its hard, very very hard, while I wouldn't call it a contact sport, it is very much a sport, in the general sense its competitive and highly active and involves ALOT of skill and co-ordination.

[FiddySicks]

I dunno really. Id say anytime you have the possibility to be dropped head first on to a hardwood court after being tossed 15 feet in the air, that constitutes it as a sport. Cheerleading is tougher than most people think, you need a very large range of flexibility to properly perform some of the moves they need to do. Ill admit, shaking pom poms around and chanting D Fence!!! Isnt a sport, but if theres that Gymnasticy tumbling stuff involved, its a sport.

But i dont care how many football players go from football to cheerleaders (which happens a ton at my high school, thats how sad our football team is) they will never convince me that stunts in cheerleading are harder than some of the hits you take in football.

[GMac]

lets see injuries... this year 2 weeks before nationals we had a girl break her jaw after she didnt come fully around on a twisting layout basket toss hit her face on a guys shoulder... 2 years ago i landed on my skull when i didnt make it fully around on a standing back tuck... seen a girl not only dislocate but shatter her fingers in one hand they all made perfect Ws.. it was freaky as hell... easly the most disgusting thing i have ever seen not involving a bone breaking the skin... which i have also seen... im not trying to say that cheerleading is a hard hitting sport like football but neither is track nor volleyball... funny thing about football players turning into cheerleaders that how alot of the NCAA teams get all there bigger guys... if they cant make the football team they can still get a cheerleading scholarship...

[fiasco!]

bring it on!

[paynomind]

Cheerleading of the competitive nature our resident skirt-holder speaks of does indeed require exterme strength, agility, and training.

I am lothe to call it a 'sport' though, and I'm trying to come up with why. I guess I could cop out and say it was because fo the judging thing. I dunno. I guess I'd like to say that something largely judged on 'artistic merit' is something other than a pure sport.

[slapshot]

Cheerleaders are athletes. They require a lot of physical training and athletic ability to perform their routines, and to do them safely.

Cheerleading is not a sport. It's not a sport if the final outcome is based upon the arbitrary opinions of one or a group of a few judges.

A cheerleading competition is basically a combination of a gymnastics and dance competition.

[NewYawkSeahawk]

I guess this place would disagree.... look at their tagline in the upper right hand corner.

http://www.teamcheer.com/

[Hat Boy]

I guess this place would disagree.... look at their tagline in the upper right hand corner.

http://www.teamcheer.com/

I interpret the tag line as that cheerleading puts the spirit behind the sports that they cheer for.

[Hat Boy]

GMac,

You have two very long posts that explain how physically demanding and how dangerous cheerleading can be, but none of that addresses the issue of whether or not cheerleading is a sport. Yes, it requires strength and skill and practice and there is a risk of injury, but that doesn't make it "sport". However, not being a sport does not diminsh the strength, skill, etc. required.

In their definitions of sport, people talk about things like a scoreboard and the ability to hinder your opponent. That is why they do not consider cheerleading a sport, not because they think it is easy or for girls or anything like that.

[GMac]

fine lets go to the dictionary...

sport    ( P ) (spôrt, sprt)

n.

1. a-Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

   b-A particular form of this activity.

2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3. An active pastime; recreation.

check, check... motherfluffing check

[CC97]

fine lets go to the dictionary...

sport    ( P ) (spôrt, sprt)

n.

1. a-Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

  b-A particular form of this activity.

2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3. An active pastime; recreation.

check, check... motherfluffing check

dictiowned

[winters in buffalo]

The debate can only be settled in one way.....

a cheer-off!

[gashouser27]

i think beer vending should be considered a sport too!

[bhambruiser]

most people do look at cheerleaders as t&a (female of course)...true- no?

that doesn't make them less athletic.

it is all relative - some people are never going to think of it as anything more than t&a and it doesn't matter how much this offends you- it is the truth.

[The_Admiral]

Last year I was on my high school cheerleading squad for the last 4 weeks of their existance, mainly because they needed a third who was tall (I'm 6"1) and had some muscle (I barely had enough) and because it got me a free trip to Wonderland, so how could I resist?

Is that a new euphemism for sex

[MisterE]

i think beer vending should be considered a sport too!

Or ushering at a Pistons game. Or batboy for the Marlins.

[GMac]

Cheerleaders are athletes. They require a lot of physical training and athletic ability to perform their routines, and to do them safely.

Cheerleading is not a sport. It's not a sport if the final outcome is based upon the arbitrary opinions of one or a group of a few judges.

A cheerleading competition is basically a combination of a gymnastics and dance competition.

would boxing or even amateur wrestling be considered a sport then... by your definition no... in the event of no pin or KO its gets sent to the judges for a point tally... which they arbitrarily give points... no two judges will be absolutely consistant in all their calls and marks... does that make it any less of a sport... i know what you are getting at JP but damn if i can agree with your logic... just not there really...

as for the nothing but T & A i get it... i understand it... but doesnt make it right... when you are bombarded by the dance squads that wrap themselves in the cheerleading banner its not hard to get confused and just point and go "hey look at the stripper wannabe"... these dance squads and the real cheerleading team are 2 completely different worlds...

and neon I'm assuming you went to the PCA Wonderland competition almost took the open team I coached a few years ago to that... PCA runs some good competitions and Trace who runs the PCA is one hell of a coach and I would not want to with the man...