Is cheerleading a real sport?

Question

Do you think it is?If not,why?

There is competition in competitive cheerleading.

Answer 1

alright this is a common question that people ask me...i personally am a cheerleader who does not consider it a sport...i am in high school and our squad does compete...we worked hard all summer, conditioned, lifted weights, took tumbling classes ect....we even had a girl have a compound fracture in her leg due to cheerleading... and yesterday we had a competition where we were able to show off all of our months of hard work...but i still dont consider it a sport..i dont know why..maybe its because i am also a runner and that is my first love, but i still love cheerleading and put my best effort into it..i guess i just feel that cheerleading is just its own thing

Answer 2

We have all heard the opinion that cheerleading is not a sport. The fact that we don't tackle our opponents to the ground for a ball does NOT mean that we are not athletes. We work just as hard as "real athletes" work. Our practices are just as intense and our competitions are even more intense then a basketball or football game. Our sport, unlike most, is not a selfish one. Part of being on a cheerleading squad is appreciating and cheering on our fellow athletes. The same athletes that insult OUR sport. What is it that qualifies an activity to be a sport? Is it the ball? No, wrestling is a sport and it doesn't contain a ball. Is it the sweat? Can't be the sweat, cheerleaders sweat just as much (but we hide it well!) Is it the practice? Nope, our practices are more intense than many other sports' practices. The audience? No, can't be that either, audiences at competitions out number those at many ball games! So WHAT is it?! Cheerleading takes just as much dedication and skill as any other sport, sometimes it takes more. The problem is that other athletes have no idea what it takes to be a cheerleader. We make it look so easy. We fly through the air with grace, we catch our teammates as though they are feathers floating from the sky. They don't understand the technique and time it takes to master such skills. To us, cheerleading is not a game, like football or basketball, cheerleading is a way of LIFE. Cheerleading, more than any other sort, teaches important skills such as cooperating. Let's face it, if a cheerleading squad can't cooperate, stunts can't hit and people get hurt. Other sports ENCOURAGE team cooperation, and they may lose a game if they fail to cooperate;. but overall, no one gets hurt. What does a "sport" have that we don't? We practice, compete, have rules, go through training, sweat, fall, get hurt, and dedicate our lives to cheerleading...there is NO REASON why cheerleading should not be considered a sport.

Answer 3

When it is being engaged in for cheering on another sports team on the sideline, no, it is not a sport. It is an athletic activity.

When it is being engaged in for competition, then yes, it does fall under the definition of a sport, which is "an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively."

But please note, no matter if something is considered a sport or not has little to do with the difficulty level of the activity. Playing an instrument is a challenging endeavor, but it is by no means a sport.

Answer 4

cheerleading in its truest form, in the context of sports, is a functional, non-competitive and emotive attempt to encourage spectators to back their team. It also serves as motivation for the players on field.

I would suggest it's a form of drama, given the great lengths that teams often go to perfect costumes, makeup, choreography, movements, timing and emotional impact.

EDIT: Yes I realize there is competitive cheerleading, however, as an activity it originated as a way of encouraging players and spectators to play and cheer better. Playing piano, dancing, painting etc can all be done competitively but this does not make them sports.

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

YES IT IS A SPORT!!! Why do people think nascar is a sport??? they juss drive cars. In cheerleading we dont throw balls we trow athletes!!! In football u make touchdown...In basketball u throw a bll through a hoop...In Cheerleading u throw a person 20 ft in the air with only three people to catch them! Which one sounds more extreme. We work hard as much or even more then the other sports out there. CHEERLEADERS ARE REAL ATHLETES...MY BLOOD, MY SWEAT, UR TEARS!

Answer 6

Yes. U need to be physically fit and flexible to do cheer-leading properly. There are also competitions for cheerleaders

Answer 7

if synchronized swimming, figure skating and ballroom dancing is a sport, then surely cheerleading is a sport too. But hey, what the heck, who cares? If YOU like it (as a sport or as a mere pastime),it's cool! Who cares what other people think about stuff. Most of the time people just want to disagree with you 'cause they're jealous or they don't like you or such.

Answer 8

Well...I never really thought about the definition.I know it is a physical activity and takes practicing,effort and preparation,burns calories etc but I think it depends on do you consider sport a competitive category or not.I guess that it certainly is if working out at a gym or dancing also are.

Answer 9

yes it is cuase its more then wat ppl think we put so much work into cheering. we have to be strong to lift ppl. fast the learn cheers and dances quick enough. n need to be loud to say the cheers its hard work its not all fun uve got to work to be a cheerleader. take it from a real cheerleader. ive been one for 4 years its hard work so yea its a sport

Answer 10

it deppends if you talking bout the cheerleading where they do all of the flips and stufff like that then yes i think it is a sport but if just like doing some stuff with your hands and yelling a lot then no