Inspired by SDAngel101~ Do you think Cheerleading is a sport?

[TiggerBelle05]

Hey! well I agree with SDAngel101, CHEERLEADING IS A SPORT! Some people think all we do is sit an support a team. Thats just the half of it. There are more cheerleading related injurys than football. We lift people above our heads for petes sake!!! According to DIctionary.com this is the definition of sport:
sport n.
Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
A particular form of this activity.
An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
An active pastime; recreation.
We have rules, we are an activity involving physical exertion.
DOnt mind what you see on Bring it On. Thats all Just some luv sick romance story and cheerleading is only a part of it. I know my All*Star coaches work our buttsoff to be the best. We get as much ridicule as football players!!!Theres stunting (lifting), jumps, tumbling, (gymnastics is considered a sort! howa bot cheerleading!?), dance ( which is also a sport), and many other little things. We have as much team work as the next sport.

[ShuisFan584]

No, I don't think cheerleading is a sport.

[BabyLove99]

OMG, we've had this debate in homeroom SO many times lol!

I don't think it's a sport. I mean yeah, I know cheerleaders work hard and there's no way I could do any of that stuff. But there's no direct contact against another team or whatever. That's just my opinion :)

[KittieKat]

Yes its a sport! I cheered 3 yrs., yet so sadly my cheering lifestyle fell short at this years try-outs. lol, their was A LOT of competition this year, but its all good, cuz i was thinking whether or not to cheer next year, plus cheering's not my style anymore. :p ..i disagree with the no direct comp. with other teams..maybe its me what do you call competition? lol..so i say...its a sport!

[SDAngel101]

WOOHOO i inspired a post! i feel soo special. YES cheer is a sport, against what most people say. We compete against other teams, just like football/soccer/basketball/volleyball/baseball/softball/tennis and many more. At our school we are looked upon as a sport. We are a team, we work as a team,, compete as a team, and pay for our mistakes as a team (as much as i hate that part), just in any other sports. We get a letter for making it through the whole year as a Varsity cheerleader just as the sports above do. People who have never been a cheerleader dont understand what goes on behind all the smiles and loud voices. Some girls on the squad are risking their lives by being flyers (the girls who are being thrown up in the air). Im serious.. please dont laugh, there has been times while trying a new stunt that our flyer has almost hit the ground, or fallen from a stunt and landed on my head! If you dont think its a sport, im not going to be mad or anything, im just stating my opinion like everyone else.

p.s- in case you guys are wondering, this will be my 3rd and last year cheering :( . one year on JV 1 on Varsity, and this year (being my senior year) will add another year to that list. I am also proud to say i am one of the Captains for the 02-03 squad at San Diego High School! GO CAVERS! hehe sorry i had to do that!

[WDWfanatic288]

I think cheerleading is a sport!!
just as much as Dance and gymnastics and ice skating are sports too!

my mom says they are all more of competions
as in you don't affect another team directly...like in basketball or football does
like in cheerleading you compete at meet...well you don't directly affect the other teams as you do in say football...were you can sack the quatrtback,tackle people etc.


I say it's a sport but I totally understand how people can think it is not

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by BabyLove99
. But there's no direct contact against another team or whatever
theres no direct contact with swimming, track, gymnastics, dance, and many other activities but they are considered sports?:confused: or did i miss something?

[BabyLove99]

Jules explained my thoughts perfectly!

And Maggie, congrats on being a captain! :)

[OrlandoDisney]

In my opinion.....cheerleaders are retarted dancers.:p :p

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by OrlandoDisney
In my opinion.....cheerleaders are retarted dancers.:p :p
ok this isnt Bring it On!!! :lol: u sound like the choreographer in the movie!

[waverunnerchick]

cheerleading is defently a sport. i was the co captain for the last to years for my team and i so agree.
i can't cheer this year do to a back injurie last seacon in which we had a basket toss go bad. but it takes so much hard work and dedication i was praticing the days a week for 3 hours and some times a saterdays too

[ShuisFan584]

When was the last time you heard someone say I'm going to the cheerleading game tonight? Or how about what was the score of the cheerleading game, or who won? The last time I checked, in real sports they keep score and someone ends up winning or losing.

[teh fish]

I do not consider cheerleading a sport, nor do I consider band a sport. In theatre, we do physical exertions , have our own customs, and have competitions, but I don't consider theatre a sport.

[nsyncraider17]

I don't consider cheerleading a sport, mostly because cheerleading was originally used to support sports teams. It makes no sense to me that the job of one sports team would be to cheer on another team...do you ever see a soccer team cheering for a baseball team? I have nothing against cheerleading really, I have friends who are cheerleaders, but i don't think it's a sport.

[SDAngel101]

I love hearing everyones opinion on this topic. Thanks Marissa for the congrats. Dont be afraid to speak your mind, its not going to hurt mine

[minniegirl88]

Originally posted by ShuisFan584
When was the last time you heard someone say I'm going to the cheerleading game tonight? Or how about what was the score of the cheerleading game, or who won? The last time I checked, in real sports they keep score and someone ends up winning or losing.


OMG! That was so funny. I don't consider it anything, because I don't really care either way, it can be if it is competitive, but if its just rah rah rah for a team, I don't think so but that was SO funny what you said, ShuisFan!

[natty41]

omg you don't know how many times we had this discussion in yearbook last year!!! personally, I don't think it's a sport, and I totally agree w/ minniegirl and shuisfan! I don't have anything against cheerleading, I mean a lot of my friends are cheerleaders, but I just dont see it as a sport! This is kinda like is baton twirling a sport? There was a story on the news about that today...people want it to be an olympic sport. hmmm......

:smooth:

[KittieKat]

The reason you dont hear, "what was the score of the cheerleading game last night?"...is because it is not a game, gymnastics isnt a game, and thats a sport. Cheerleading is a LOT like gymnastics. If your not a cheerleader you usually dont get it.

[teh fish]

yes, but in gymnastics, they keep score.

[minniegirl88]

Yeah in Gymnastics, you are usually competing for things, and its usually individual people trying to win. In cheerleading, you have a whole group of girls, and I don't think you win anything.

And this is just my opinion, so its not the right thing to believe.

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by minniegirl88
. In cheerleading, you have a whole group of girls, and I don't think you win anything.
And this is just my opinion, so its not the right thing to believe. Originally posted by KittieKat
If your not a cheerleader you usually dont get it.
Originally posted by teh fish
yes, but in gymnastics, they keep score.
minniegirl88~ there is not neccesarily a whole group of girls, there are individual comps. too. And i respect your opinion. IM not trying to make anyone change their minds, i was just curious.
~KittieKat~ I agree. People who arent cheerleaders usually dont get it. My friend, Mere, always said cheerleading was dumb, but ended up going out for it herself ans she realized how much compitition there is.
~Teh Fish~ They keep score in cheerleading too. except its not like you do 5 separte things at seperate times. you put it all together. At compititions thats how you place them, just like gymnastics, you score on technique, sharpness and many other things.

[DiSnEyGrL13]

OMG!! We have had this debate sooo many times in Soc. St.

I think that it can and can't be a sport. For Instance, cheering along the sidelines at a football game in my opinion should definatly not be considered a sport because basically you are just standing there saying words that rhyme.

On the other side, In competitions I think that it is absolutly a sport, NO QUESTIONS ASKED! I have been through Competition Squad in my cheering days (back injury put a stop to it) and it is no piece of cake. We practiced EVERY DAY for 4 HOURS each night for 2 weeks straight and before that we were doing 3 nights a week for 2 hours at a time. It is a very demading physical activity whenever you put yourself up against other competitors.

[WDWfanatic288]

is people on the sidelines cheering for the football a sport..NO!
but going to competions and stuff...yes that is a sport!
and in competitive cheerleading they do keep score...if they didn't you wouldn't know who won the competition

in gymnastics they keep score but it is the same way as they do in cheerleading!!
the harder stuff you do and the more you get it right the higher your score is


so if gymnastics is a sport then so is cheerleading...cheerleading is alot like gymnastics

[teh fish]

since when do they keep score of the cheerleaders at football games?

[SDAngel101]

You dont keep score of the cheerleaders at football games, but keeping score is for competitions.

[KittieKat]

EXACTLY!

[IOASnake]

After several lectures from one of my best friends, Nicole, who was captain of the cheerleaders last year, I am convinced that cheerleading is a sport. She just kept going on and on about how hard they work and now I honestly believe that cheerleading counts as a sport. (Either was I'm big a fan of cheerleading...:smooth: )

[teh fish]

you keep score in ANY competition. Chess, theatre, spelling bees, game shows, etc. but none of them are sports.

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by teh fish
you keep score in ANY competition. Chess, theatre, spelling bees, game shows, etc. but none of them are sports.
sooooo? they keep score in a gymnastics compitition & dance!

[ShuisFan584]

Originally posted by teh fish
you keep score in ANY competition. Chess, theatre, spelling bees, game shows, etc. but none of them are sports.

Exactly!! Sports aren't called competitions, they're called games, matches, tournaments, etc.

I'd also like to add that if I saw cheerleaders being able to play real sports like softball, basketball, volleyball, bowling, soccer, etc., and being good at it, without complaining about breaking a nail or whining for a guy to protect them from the ball, then I'd believe it was a sport.

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by ShuisFan584
I'd also like to add that if I saw cheerleaders being able to play real sports like softball, basketball, volleyball, bowling, soccer, etc., and being good at it, without complaining about breaking a nail or whining for a guy to protect them from the ball, then I'd believe it was a sport.
Hey, i also play soccer, and i have never complained about "breaking a nail" or "whining for a guy to protect them" <- only a seriously deflicted person wuldask for a guy to protect them. i dunno about cheerleaders your way, but up here, a lot of cheerleaders play others sports like softball, basketball and soccer. And they dont complain. only th prissy ones who ar afraid to break a sweat act like that, but not me.

[PigSoldier]

I should probably stay way out of this :rolleyes:, but I think cheerleading is a sport, just like ballet or synchronised swimming are sports.

(Were they good examples? :confused: My entire knowledge of cheerleading comes from the movie Bring It On, so I'm fairly clueless really :rolleyes: )

- Suzi
:)

[waverunnerchick]

hey im a cheerleader and i am one of the best basketball nd soccor players in my school

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by PigSoldier
I should probably stay way out of this :rolleyes:, but I think cheerleading is a sport, just like ballet or synchronised swimming are sports.(Were they good examples? :confused: My entire knowledge of cheerleading comes from the movie Bring It On, so I'm fairly clueless really :rolleyes: )
- Suzi
:)
Suzi, those were great examples!!! i prob wouldnt have thought of them!!! and the cheerleading world is barely anything like bring it on, in some aspects, like the strict compitition, but the ditzy, guys & girls thing, heck no. U brought up a good point!

[teh fish]

I just think this thread is funny. I should point out that the thread said "do you think cheerleading is a sport", not "is cheerleading a sport?". Slight difference. I don't think we're going to change anybody's opinion. We had a similiar discussion as to whether or not riflery was a sport.

And I know a few cheerleaders that also play sports ;)

I guess what it comes down to is the concept of cheerleading itself. Are you talking about what they do during a game? If that's the case, I don't consider cheerleading a sport. But when you talk about competitions, that's where the gray area is.

[keypooh90]

CHEERLEADING IS A SPORT !!!! I should know cause I have been on a cheerdance team for almost 3 years, when you cheer you have to be strong and fllexible. When you compete, you are expexted to know how to have sharp moves, accurate jumps, marvoulous stunts, and precise rhythm .

[wDw*CrYsTiNa*iOa]

:o OF course cheerleading is a sport!!! How can you even say it isn't!! I have been cheering for 3 years this will be my fourth, and everyone at my school likes watching the cheerleaders better than anything else, cheerleading takes the most skill than any other sport, people think its so easy, but that is only because we make it look easy, cheerleaders practice forever just to look that good, anyone who says cheerleading isnt a sport is just dumb, cheerleaders arent dumb and they arent snobby either, actually most are staight A students, its the football players and basketball players who fail all they're classes!!
CHEERLEADING IS A SPORT!!!:mad:
:Pinkbounc ~*~CrYsTiNa~*~:Pinkbounc

[waverunnerchick]

my school thought it would be cool; to see the jocks try to cheer so they sent all the jocks to cheerleading pratice for a week needless to say the jocks never told us it wosn't a sport again

[ShuisFan584]

Originally posted by wDw*CrYsTiNa*iOa
:o OF course cheerleading is a sport!!! How can you even say it isn't!! I have been cheering for 3 years this will be my fourth, and everyone at my school likes watching the cheerleaders better than anything else, cheerleading takes the most skill than any other sport, people think its so easy, but that is only because we make it look easy, cheerleaders practice forever just to look that good, anyone who says cheerleading isnt a sport is just dumb, cheerleaders arent dumb and they arent snobby either, actually most are staight A students, its the football players and basketball players who fail all they're classes!!
CHEERLEADING IS A SPORT!!!:mad:
:Pinkbounc ~*~CrYsTiNa~*~:Pinkbounc

I'm sorry, but just because I say cheerleading isn't a sport, that doesn't make me dumb. I happen to like playing real sports and cheerleading does not take as much skill as a lot of sports.

[KittieKat]

LOL, yeah i do ski Club too...the reason you dont see te "cheerleaders" doing any other sports..is becuz...WE DONT HAVE TIME! Its an all year sport not just seasonal.

[EPCOTgrl1]

Yes... they pratice as much as any team cause i watch them... i am in band... you pratice as much as any other sport and you work just as hard!

[teh fish]

it seems one of the main reasons that people consider cheerleading a sport is because they do it.

I fail to see that working hard at practice means that it's a sport. No one said that cheerleaders aren't fit or work hard.

my school thought it would be cool; to see the jocks try to cheer so they sent all the jocks to cheerleading pratice for a week needless to say the jocks never told us it wosn't a sport again

I'd like to see the cheerleaders play football/cross country/soccer. Of course the guys aren't going to do it as well, they haven't been doing it as long as the girls have. Oh, and Powder Puff is not playing football.

[wDw*CrYsTiNa*iOa]

:mad: Cheerleading is a sport just like anything else that involves competitveness and teamwork END OF STORY!!!:mad:
:bounce: ~*~Crystina~*~:bounce:

[ShuisFan584]

Originally posted by teh fish
it seems one of the main reasons that people consider cheerleading a sport is because they do it.

I fail to see that working hard at practice means that it's a sport. No one said that cheerleaders aren't fit or work hard.

I'd like to see the cheerleaders play football/cross country/soccer. Of course the guys aren't going to do it as well, they haven't been doing it as long as the girls have. Oh, and Powder Puff is not playing football.

My thoughts exactly! The only reason people consider it a sport is because it's the only thing they do and they want to seem athletic. And if you make cheerleaders try to play other sports, they wouldn't be able to.

I'm not usually into debates, but this topic really gets to me. I'm an athlete and if you ask most other athletes (not cheerleaders), they will agree that cheerleading is not a sport. Running around in little skirts yelling rah-rah is not anything near as competitive as real sports.

[wDw*CrYsTiNa*iOa]

I am a cheerleader and I play plenty of other sports, like track and volleyball, and I can do them without complaint and really well. We dont say cheerleading is a sport b/c we do it , we say it because it is, just like figure skaters, or soccer players or anything else. It is a sport no matter how you look at it, we do work hard and not just to cheer at games, to compete against other teams, if it wasnt a sport , there wouldn't be so many cheerleaders out there!!!
:mad: Crystina:mad:

[KingKobra]

Ok here's how I see it....

If i am by myself or whith my friends then i would say no cheerleading is not a sport.

BUT.....if a Cheerleader were to ask me then i may give a different answer ;)

[SDAngel101]

Man our cheer squad could be the schools track team! Last week we had conditioning.. running around our track for 45 mins, that was not fun. Then sprints back and forth the football field, lunges back and forth, cockroaches, stairs, and other strange stomach work outs (my coaches boyfriend is in the army so we have some interesting conditioning stuff to do). 3 days in a row, i can run 2 miles without running short on air, I LOVE IT. hehe

[WDWfanatic288]

woah!! there are sterotypes going on here!!!

just b/c you are a cheerleader doesn't mean you can't play other sports! one of good friends was a cheerleader and also a great basketball and volleyball player...along with dancing with me and then she did year around softball!!

and not all football players fail their classes

and that's not true! I know I'm not athletic at all! I don't say dancing is a sport so it can seem that way!! b/c there is nothing I can do to change that

cheerleaders work just as hard as any other sport...baseball and hockey and everything

is marching band hard work? YES it is!! not many sports are out in the blazing, hot Texas sun from 3-5 almost every day along with 2 weeks before school starts!! Football does it but a bunch of their stuff is lifting weights and they aren't outside as much
does it keep me in shape..of course it does!
but is it a sport...no...it's a competition


I have an idea!!!
I think of cheerleading as a sport...but it's more a competitive sport!
as in it's like dance,gymnastics and ice skating
everyone works hard for it so it's the athletic ability of a sport
but then you don't directly affect someone else...as in baseball
so it's the atheletic ability of a sport but it's almost more of a competition

so look then we can all agree! lol

b/c this thread has gotten really,really rude and steroptpyical

[teh fish]

what i meant about seeing the cheerleaders play a sport, i meant the cheerleaders that aren't on any sports teams, and that post was in reference to an earlier post about the guys sent to cheerleading practice.

I don't consider people standing on the sidelines, yelling out stuff, and doing gymnastics a sport. Competition, on the other hand, is a different story.

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by teh fish
I'd like to see the cheerleaders play football/cross country/soccer.
come up to MD and u'll see cheerleaders run cross-country and play soccer. I play soccer & I RUN track. So do all of my other cheerleader friends.

[teh fish]

^^^^
what i meant about seeing the cheerleaders play a sport, i meant the cheerleaders that aren't on any sports teams, and that post was in reference to an earlier post about the guys sent to cheerleading practice.

[Kiki]

In my opinion, is cheerleading is sport? No, not really. Now, don't bite my head off. I've read all of these posts on all of the four pages (and believe me, it was hard! :) ) and I saw each side make good points. Maybe it is because I don't do cheerleading and that's why I don't think it is a sport. First of all, there are two different types of cheerleading. The first is the ones that cheer for games. Those are not sports, more just like an art or something. They were just started by enthusiastic crowd members. Competitive cheerleading is a sport in some sense. You are working to beat the other squad's to win a trophy, like in other competitive sports. Gymnastics, I don't think is a sport, just an art, unless you, again, are trying to beat other teams to win something. I don't think dancing is a sport either. It's a form of art. Unless, you guessed it, you are trying to beat other teams. In sports like swimming, soccer, track, football, baseball, etc., you are always playing on a team to beat another to win. Now, let's take Marching Band. My friends in the band are always saying it is a sport. The one's playing at games aren't a team unless they're trying to play faster then the other football team's marching band. If the band goes to a competition, they're fighting for a title or an award or something. Now, someone said track, swimming, and something else are not like contact sports. well, you can consider swimming a contact sport if you drift into another lane (:) ) and track is, because you always get trampled in the beginning, and if your hand off is messy you can fall and get stepped on. Quite scary. I just think the sports like soccer, baseball, football, basketball, and all sports like that are just full-contact sports.

Ok, I just wanted to say what I was thinking, even though I'll think of more things to say later :rolleyes: :D

[SDAngel101]

well said Kiki

[teh fish]

actually, seem to remember a time when swimming is a contact sport. I was heading into the wall when someone did a flip turn and ran right into me. If you are wearing goggles and someone practically head butts your face, goggles make it hurt even more.

[Kiki]

Oh yes I know how that feels. One time I was doing a flip in my pool and I crushed my goggles against my face. I had marks around my eyes for the rest of the day :D

And, not to be mean and a big poop, but I don't think cheerleaders or any other sport for that matter could be the track team, unless they are on the track team. We run up to 8 miles in one practice. Let me tell you, it is some crazy stuff. And I know even 1 or 2 miles are hard when you run it fast for time in school or practice or in a meet, but if you can do it with out breathing hard either a, your super man and you are mad crazy fast, or b, you weren't running hard. but hey, if you really aren't doing track and just doing cheerleading, I wouldn't run hard either.

I think people just don't appreciate others dissing their sport when they love it, is why lot's of people get defensive of cheerleading.

Ok, I have to go now, before any one decides to bite me :D

[SDAngel101]

Yeah i think the whole point of this post was to get people's opinions and not cause a big war against those who think it is a sport and those who dont.

[Kiki]

And now you get a 'well said'! :D

[TiggerBelle05]

Originally posted by SDAngel101
Yeah i think the whole point of this post was to get people's opinions and not cause a big war against those who think it is a sport and those who dont.
that was the reason i started this thrad, so im sorry if i offended anyone i was just expressing my opinion like Kiki

[Kiki]

are you saying that you're sorry you offended people like me, or that you expressed your opinion like me?

Sorry, easily confused :)

[dis_lovr_04]

ok guys this is just my opinion

cheerleading is not a sport sorry its just not
no one said they dont work hard and do physical activities but its a competition not a sport. And b4 u go yellin at me that i dont know what its like let me just say that some of my closest friends are cheerleaders and they agree. Everyone works hard at something but that doesnt mean we have to go naming it a sport. And who put band in here????????? BAND IS JUST NOT EVEN A SPORT. ITs a fine art.

*steps off soap box*


PS LUV TO ALLL