As cheerleading gains in popularity, the controversy rages on about whether or not it is a sport. There are rarely any questions about the athleticism of cheerleaders, so are cheerleaders athletes without playing a “real” sport?
In a dictionary you may find the word “sport” defined as a “physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.” It is the last part of the definition “engaged in competitively” that makes considering cheerleading a sport difficult. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation the following criteria has to be met to be considered a sport: “A physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of a mass. A contest or competition against or with an opponent is governed by rules which explicitly define the time, space and purpose of the contest and the conditions under which a winner is declared. The acknowledged primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants.” What is cheerleading?
With the criteria above in mind, is the primary purpose of cheerleading to compete? Well, presently no. Their sole purpose is to entertain, motivate, and unite spectators of other athletic teams that are competing. Cheerleading is most often defined as the “act of leading organized cheering, as at sports events.”
What would officially make cheerleading a sport? This one isn’t so easy to work out. First, there is the question of who gets to choose? State athletic associations and state boards of education can make the call. In fact, the University Interscholastic League in Texas has recently ruled to classify ‘Game Day Cheer’ as a sport.
The debates about cheerleading also raise questions about the lack of standardized scoring systems at competitions. I remember when your score had more to do with spirit and overall impression than skills and execution. While competition companies have come a long way by introducing grids and scoring based on easily identifiable criteria (i.e. presence of level 3 skills, deductions for falls, etc.), each company still has their own distinct system. They aren’t using one system and one score sheet. In addition, the sheer number of competitions has also been a factor in the decision not to award cheerleading sport status. Think about it: in pretty much every other sport, there is a series of games played which gradually narrows down to the final ‘best of the best’ match. There is only one Super Bowl. Cheerleading does have Worlds, but with so many cheerleading competition companies out there, the setup can be a bit confusing for anyone who hasn’t done their share of competitions. Believe it or not, some people think that even though you lift each other into impressive pyramids and tumble at a high rate of speed down the field, the fact that you are doing it beside a game makes you nothing more than an entertainer. Carolyn Pradie (17) said, “I love cheer and it’s a very real sport. Like a sport it brought people very close, our cheer team is the closest family on earth, I never could wish for something better. It’s all about giving everyone cheer spirit.”