Cheerleading: Making Its Way Into The Sports World

Every cheerleader gets angry when someone asks the question, “Is cheerleading a sport?” Whether it’s a person in one of your classes, or a friend who doesn’t understand why you’re not involved in something else “more athletic,” you want people to know that cheerleaders are athletes. Webster’s dictionary defines a sport as "an athletic activity that requires physical prowess or skill and often a competitive nature.” Cheerleading fits all the categories that would classify it as a sport, just like baseball, football, volleyball or gymnastics.

According to several students who have participated in cheerleading from a young age up to their previous high school, you are involved in the same things in cheerleading as you do in other team sports. You have two to three practices a week, each lasting up to three hours. Some young women have three to five additional hours of classes to build their stunting and tumbling skills. There are cheerleading competitions between schools that go from the best in the state to the national level. Most of all students have to try out to make the team. The tryouts are very competitive because cheerleading teams are smaller than traditional sports teams and only have about twelve to fifteen people on a roster.

Cheerleading is growing in popularity and recognition at the high school and college levels by establishing teams that go out and compete and are not just forms of entertainment during other sporting events. Cheerleading is unique in that it teaches the same skills as other sports. People learn teamwork skills, how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, and build strong friendships. The thing that makes cheerleading unique is that it allows for all genders to try out to make the team.

Cheerleading in now on the way to being recognized as an Olympic sport. According to Elisabeth Sherman of the atlantic.com. “There are currently 4.5 million registered athletes worldwide who are part of the International Cheer Union, and the International Olympic Committee’s interest in cheer comes in part from its “high youth appeal.” Cheer still has two and a half years of provisional status before it’s eligible to apply to become an official Olympic entry, which means it wouldn’t make its debut until after the 2020 Games in Tokyo.” The Olympics is seen as a place where true athletes put their skills on display for the world and cheerleaders will be able to show their hard work and skills to the world. Cheerleading began in 1907 and was primarily a form of entertainment, but after decades years of hard work cheerleaders are starting to get the recognition they deserve