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Reagan Harrison
Kyllikki Rytov
ENC 2135-49
2 Nov 2015
Should Cheerleading be Recognized as a Sport?
In my opinion to define cheerleading there would have to be two different types of
definitions due to the fact they are two diverse categories of cheerleading. These different styles
of cheerleading come with their own risk factors, competitions, and rules. Later in this paper, I
will go into detail about the varieties of cheerleading but most cheerleaders and others are
fighting for only one type of cheerleading to become a sport. Cheerleading has evolved to
incorporate dangerous stunts, tumbling, and jumps. A cheerleader could have years of experience
with these skills and still get hurt at any time. Others want to see cheerleading become a sport so
that rules could get put into place to keep cheerleaders safe, but cheerleaders want respect for
what they do. Cheerleading should be considered a sport because of the dangers that are now
fused into cheerleading. Cheerleading has changed and is now split into two categories one; that
competes against other teams and have to be in good shape to do so. When Duke Guard, Georgia
Schweitzer was asked if cheerleading should be a sport via Twitter she illustrated that she
thought cheerleading should be a sport with this quote "For today's cheerleaders, it's much more
of a sport. They do a lot of gymnastics and flexibility stuff that there's no way I could do. At the
same time, I'd much rather be playing" (Deford 22). This quote leads me into my next paragraph
that if you do not understand the two diverse natures of cheerleading one will not see why, one is
so closely related to being considered a sport.

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Cheerleading has Evolved into Two Different Activities
There are two types of cheerleading: sideline and competitive. Sideline is probably the
first thing that pops into the average citizens head when they think of cheerleading. The pompoms and teenage girls leading the crowd in cheers to motivate their schools football team to a
victory, but competitive cheerleading has evolved from this which Yabroff explains exactly.
Today, there's a split between the stunt-heavy, gymnastic-style teams, whose routines are filled
with flying bodies and physics-defying contortions, and the more traditional, pompom-shaking
"spirit squads." (Yabroff 62). Competitive cheerleading consists of girls of all ages practicing
together year round, just to compete a tiresome two and a half minute long routine. This routine
consists of tumbling, stunts, jumps, motions, and dance. Gregory from Times magazine
recognizes that cheerleading has evolved from the sideline into a more physical activity. He
emphasizes that the activity has changed in this quote:
These are female athletes, not sideline supporters. At least that's what they want the
NCAA to acknowledge, and there are legal implications for all college athletic
programs Even if it has roots in traditional rah-rah cheerleading, its organizers have
rebranded it to shield it from stereotypes like makeup and bare midriffs. Acro teams keep
the more athletic aspects of cheerleading--the tosses, the pyramids--and ditch the goteam-go stuff. The cheers are for them, not by them (Gregory 64).
Competitive cheerleaders believe that one reason why they are not recognized as a sport
is because of the stereotypes faced with them. Cheerleaders have the reputation of an easy
activity because no one who has gone to competitive cheerleading competition is going to say
That looks easy. Yabroff from Newsweek writes in her paper that most people think of old
fashioned cheerleading instead of this new type of cheerleading. Since people think of the old

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type of cheerleading they think of the reputations of cheerleaders as girls who want to be the
center of attention or as she puts it She's either the straight A's prom queen, or the short skirt,
slutty, queen-bee kind of girl(Yabroff 62). With this reputation it is hard for people to look
beyond that and respect these new found athletes for being truly dedicated to their sport rather
than only wanting to be a cheerleader to get a uniform.
What is a Sport and Does Competitive Cheerleading Qualify?
According to the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators a
sport is defined as 1.A physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or
overcoming the resistance of a mass. 2."Contesting" or competing against/with an opponent. 3.
Governed by the rules which explicitly define the time, space and purpose of the contest and the
conditions under which a winner is declared. 4. Acknowledged primary purpose of the
competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants (AACCA). I can attest that
cheerleading should be recognized as a sport because it is appropriate in each definition. For the
first definition cheerleading is proven to be a physical activity by the amount of hard work and
dangerous task these cheerleaders put into their routines. From another athlete himself, Ravens
defensive tackle Tony Siragusa says You've got to have athletic ability to be a flipper and a
jumper and a tosser-upside-downer (Deford 22). Cheerleading includes tumbling, stunts,
motions, dance, jumps, and cheers. Tumbling is gymnastic like acrobatics that consists of a
cheerleader propelling themselves in the air and landing on their hands and returning back down
to their feet or going from their feet back to their feet. Stunts are when there is a girl in the air
being held by two to three girls where she does various tricks and is flipped in various positions.
These stunts can include just this individual group stunt or can be paired with other groups to
make a pyramid. Motions are precise movements hit sharply in unison and dance includes these

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motions but also adds some sass and flare. Jumps are where cheerleaders will throw their legs as
high as they can go off the ground to hit a unique motion with their legs and will have to snap
them down back in time to land safely. Lastly, cheers are where the cheerleaders, as tired as they
are scream words as loud as they can to promote their teams name. This consist of the use of
stunts, tumbling, jumps, motions, and props such as megaphones, flags, pom-poms, and signs. To
breakdown the first definition cheerleading is a physical activity which involves propelling a
person through the air and overcoming the resistance of gravity on your body or the resistance of
catching a cheerleader without falling to the ground. For the second classification, competitive
cheerleading competes in competitions with other teams for a title, banner, rings, trophy, and
more. The cheerleaders will go to multiple competitions just so they can get a bid or invite to a
competition called Worlds which is where the best of the best teams come together and
compete for the ultimate title. With competitions like Jamfest and Nationals the second definition
is proven to fit competitive cheerleading. For the third explanation, competitive cheerleading has
a set of rules that have to follow when making their routines and if a team breaks one rule they
will be disqualified. With that being said there is a group of four to five judges looking at all
aspects of cheerleading to declare a winner. Before the team can even compete that either have to
get an invite or sign up for a certain competition which will be held at certain places like
Disneys Wide World of Sports. If the team is fortunate enough to be able to participate in the
competition, they are allowed to go on to the mat at the time that they were given no before or
after. Due to these rules the third definition of a sport does include that competitive cheerleading
does follow the provided conditions. Finally, for the fourth characterization, I have already
mentioned that teams will compete against each other and be judged on how good they were in
each category of cheerleading. They compete for various prizes and a title. For example, at

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Worlds top teams compete against each other to see who has the best routine. In this competition
judges are comparing routines and skills to see who should win. Competitive cheerleading like
the other definitions fulfills this one too, so why is cheerleading not recognized as a sport?
According to the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administration they
articulate it is due to cheerleading not meeting the second definition. Cheerleading in its current
format, does not meet the second criteria listed above. The primary purpose is not competition,
but that of raising school unity through leading the crowd at athletic functions (AACCA).
However, this definition is only true for sideline cheerleading not competitive cheerleading.
Competitive cheerleading main goal is to compete and win for a title, they are not associated at
all with a school rather their all-star gym. Sideline cheerleadings main purpose is to lead the
crowd in cheers to help them to a victory. If this is true for only one type of cheerleading why is
competitive cheerleaders being punished for participating in an activity also under the name
cheerleading. For this reason many colleges are changing the name of competitive cheerleading
to a new event called acro, as in acrobatics and tumbling (Gregory 55). Not all cheerleaders are
being punished though, Currently, 29 state high school athletic associations recognize
cheerleading as a sport, according to the AAP, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association
does not(Toporek 5). Since cheerleading has evolved to include more skills it has also changed
to be more dangerous.
The Number One Activity to Cause Injury for Women Athletes
Cheerleading has become the number one activity or club to cause injury in teenage
girls. In the picture below, Wall Street Journal gives data suggesting that cheerleading is indeed
the most dangerous activity for high school girls. Injuries are the reason why competitive
cheerleading is being argued to be recognized as a sport as much as it is. Brenner from

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Prediatrics.com has given us the facts that cheerleading has accounted for approximately 66%
of all catastrophic injuries in high school girl athletes over the past 25 years. Risk factors for
injuries in cheerleading include higher BMI, previous injury, cheering on harder surfaces,

performing stunts, and supervision by a coach with low level of training and experience (969).
This is why Pediatrics.com says cheerleading should become a sport so that organizations like
NCAA can put rules into place to keep cheerleaders safe. If cheerleading became a sport
cheerleaders could gain athletic trainers, better facilities, funding, and more experienced coaches.
From personal experience in middle school the cheerleading team I participated in practiced on
wrestling mats in the gym and in high school my team trained on cheerleading mats in the gym,
which sometimes did not have air, and outside in the heat or wind. Both conditions are not safe
to be practicing in and if cheerleading was recognized a sport it could save cheerleaders lives.
As I argue this I know that I am not the only one who thinks cheerleading is dangerous for
participants. Many girls are beginning to suffer life threatening injuries which Egan from
Peoples magazine decided to write a whole article about. This article includes stories of
cheerleaders who have sustained injuries doing the sport they love:
All Laura Jackson wanted was to be like her big sisters and make the high school
cheerleading squad She leaped into the air, flipped into the back tuck she'd practiced

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for monthsand landed flat on her backLaura had fractured her neck and was
paralyzed Two years later, Ashley Burns ruptured her spleen performing a complicated
cheerleading stunt called an arabesque. No one called an ambulance for at least 30
minutes and Ashley, 14, bled to death on the way to the hospital (Egan 73-6).
Without proper training and experienced coaches, cheerleading can turn out to have catastrophic
injuries and in some cases death. Cheerleaders risk their live trying new complicated tricks for
the activity they appreciate, they should be able to call their activity a sport. For this reason
cheersafe.org launched a campaign during cheer safety awareness month (March) to have
coaches and cheerleaders to pledge to follow the safety rules and regulations at all times:
As part of the campaign, cheerleaders and coaches are invited to pledge their adherence
to safety rules and guidelines at all times and showcase their support with the Twitterbased #iCheerSafe hashtag. The three-step campaign is simple for todays tech savvy
teens: 1) Take the iCheerSafe Pledge at www.cheersafe.org . 2) Take a picture holding a
sign with the #iCheerSafe hashtag, or print and hold the certificate from the website. 3)
Tweet the picture with the #iCheerSafe hashtag (ICheerSafe.org).
This organization recognizes that cheerleading has evolved into a dangerous activity and
decided to take matters into their own hands. ICheerSafe.org has the most current safety rules
and regulations on their website and just wants to make cheer as safe as it can be. Cheerleading
is a contact sport and this has been declared official by the Supreme Court in 2012. This means
that a cheerleader cannot sue her teammate for accidentally causing an injury. Like basketball
injuries, cheerleading injuries arise on accident from a teammate that does not mean for it to
occur. When Celtics forward, Eric Williams was asked via Twitter if he thought cheerleading
should be recognized as a sport in his quote he brings up that cheerleading is a contact sport.

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They're pushing girls up with their hands on their booty. Yeah, that's a sport. When I'm through
with the NBA, I'm thinking about going into that sport (Deford 22). Since cheerleading is a
contact sport by means of catching girls and throwing them in the air injuries are bound to occur.
Bernstein from The Washington Post wrote an article on how cheerleading accounts for more
than half of catastrophic injuries to girl athletes. He does not take a stance on whether
cheerleading is a sport or not he just gives us the facts proving that is indeed dangerous. With or
without government regulation, cheerleading poses by far the greatest risk of catastrophic injury
to young female participants of any sport. According to a 2012 report and policy statement by the
American Academy of Pediatrics, cheerleading accounted for 65 percent of all direct
catastrophic injuries to girl athletes at the high school level and 70.8 percent at the college level
between 1982 and 2009 (Bernstein 1). Like Bernstein who is unbiased he gives a great lead
way into the fact that they are people who believe cheerleading should remain an activity and not
a sport.
Why Cheerleading Should Not Become a Sport
To see others points of view, cheerleading is one big sport that should include sideline
and competitive into one big activity. Many do not see cheerleading as a sport because since a
judge declared it not a sport they will not see it as one until that ending result is reversed. For
example, Competitive cheer as (Judge Underhills decision notes) is ruled out by the
requirement that there be standardized rules and scoring systems (there are various and multiple
rules and systems), and the requirement of ratification by an official governing body (Johnson
259). Competitive cheerleading has not been recognized as a sport by a governing body yet so
why should we think of it as one? Others believe that cheerleading is not a sport because it
consists of cheers, props, and small motions. With a black and white approach cheerleading gives

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breaks within the two minute and thirty second routine when cheerleaders are yelling a cheer or
dancing, it is not fully active the whole time. Also cheerleading has proven to be very dangerous
for all those who participate in it. Without proper guidance and experience one wrong move or
error could send a girl to the hospital with severe injuries. However, injuries are not the only
dangerous object cheerleading causes:
Not only does competitive cheerleading pose physical dangers by its very nature, the
cheerleaders, in their drive to succeed, often resort to potentially harmful, and in some
cases illegal, drugs. The use of steroids among male bases, who must be strong enough to
launch flyers high into the air, is widespread, and flyers have been known to use cocaine,
meth, and questionable diet pills in an effort to make themselves as light as possible
(Johnson 264).
With the already physical injuries that cheerleading can have they can also include health and
low self-esteem issues. From a girls perspective when Sports Illustrated asked Portland Fire
forward, Vanessa Nygaard via Twitter if she thought cheerleading sport her answer challenged
the activity. They sweat, but plumbers sweat too. That doesn't mean it's a sport. They also get
injured a lot, so either it's really dangerous, or they're not very good athletes (Deford 22).
Lastly, there is stereotypes that occur with cheerleading and due to these stereotypes girls in
competitive cheerleading wear attire that is revealing and provocative, while guys are
appropriately covered wearing long pants and shirts. Girls in cheerleading are put into uniforms
they may not feel comfortable in but do for the love of their sport. Johnson goes beyond the
uniforms to explain that girl cheerleaders are still being treated badly on co-ed teams. Beyond
the outfits, when the cheering begins the male cheerleaders toss the females around like passive
dolls, literally manhandling them (Johnson 267). While boys are involved in cheerleading it is

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predominately a womens activity. With the motions, dances, and the awkward places
cheerleaders have to touch during stunts, people can see why guys do not want to participate in
cheerleading, other than the stereotypes of them being gay. Many believe that cheer has not been
recognized for a reason and till it is they are not going to recognize it either.
Conclusion
Altogether, in my opinion I believe that cheerleading should be recognized as a sport and
that the arguments outweigh the cons. Competitive cheerleaders are completely different than
sideline cheerleaders, they work year round just to compete and get their routine judged in hopes
of becoming a winner. They risk their lives to do what they admire and should be granted the
respect among their community and not looked down upon. Athletes look at cheerleaders as if
they do not work hard and that their activity is easy. However, according to Dictionary.com an
athlete is a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina,
or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill. Cheerleaders are
trained to do many skills other athletes would not dare to try. They spend their money and go to
privates to get tumbling perfected and stunts to hit. They require stamina to be able to last a two
minute and thirty second routine and strength to lift themselves off the ground and to lift their
teammates too. Cheerleading can be considered an exercise that requires physical skill so they
are considered an athlete. Cheerleaders understand that there is no way that sideline cheerleading
is a sport but they just want recognition and respect that competitive cheerleading deserves. They
just want their dedicated hard work and time to stop going unnoticed and scrutinized by other
athletes. Most cheerleaders just want cheerleading to become a sport just so when others say
cheer is not a sport they can back it up. If you tell a cheerleader that cheer is not a sport they
automatically will get into a heated argument with the opposition about it. Competitive

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cheerleading fits the definition of a sport and cheerleaders fit the definition of an athlete so like
any other sport I believe it is time to give these athletes the recognition they deserve and qualify
for.

Works Cited
"Cheerleading as a Sport." AACCA. Web.

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Bernstein, Lenny. "Cheerleading Accounts for More than Half of 'Catastrophic' Injuries to Girl
Athletes." The Washington Post 10 Sept. 2013:1. Print.
Brenner, Joel, et al. "Cheerleading Injuries: Epidemiology and Recommendations for
Prevention." Pediatrics 130.5 (2012): 966-71. Print.
Brody, Leslie. Cheerleading Gets Serious in New York. The Wall Street Journal 27. Apr. 2014:
Print.
"CheerSafe.Org Kicks Off Interactive 'Safety Selfie' Campaign for National Cheerleading Safety
Month." Travel & Leisure Close - Up (2014) Print.
Deford, Frank." Sport? Not a Sport? This Week: Cheerleading." Sports Illustrated 94.1 8 Jan.
2001: 22. Print.
Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. Web.
Egan, Nicole Weisensee, and Amy Mindell. "Is Cheering Safe?" People 71.2 19 Jan. 2009: 73-6.
Print.
Gregory, Sean. "Cheer Factor." Time 179.16 23 Apr. 2012: 54-7. Print.
Johnson, Andrew, and Pam R. Sailors. "Dont Bring it on: The Case Against Cheerleading as a
Collegiate Sport." Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 40.2 (2013): 255-77. Print.
Toporek, Bryan. "Sport Status Urged for Cheerleading." Education Week 32.10 30 Oct. 2012: 5.
Print.
Yabroff, Jennie. "In Defense of Cheering." Newsweek 151.12 15 Mar. 2008: 62. Print.