As I mentioned in today’s column, no question at high schools in recent years has caused more contentious arguments than this one: Is cheerleading a sport?
Maybe if someone stated “Who cares about football season?” you would get a more heated debate.
So at the suggestion of a reader, I decided to create a poll to see what everyone thinks.
Is cheerleading a sport?
You have until noon on Sunday to cast your vote. I am almost more curious about the number that will vote as to the result. Is this much of an issue outside of high schools?
We will soon find out!
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There is no doubt in my mind that cheerleading is competitive and requires intense training; however, in my opinion, there is no way it can be considered a sport. The reason is because in order to win at cheerleading, a team of judges selects who takes first place. In real sports, two teams directly affect the outcome of a game by following rules required by that specific game. For example, if you score a goal in soccer, your team is now winning, but if you do some fancy back flip off the hands of some jacked cheerleader, well that’s all it really was. Sorry cheerleaders.
Comment by USMC Athlete — August 4th, 2010 @ 11:31 am
Sports are all about competition and much like gymnasts who are judged, figure skaters who are judged, and all sports where there are judges making calls and making decisions. Therefore Cheerleading is a sport since there are cheerleading competitions (in addition to the traditional cheerleading which is basically cheering for a team etc). With competitions there are sports. Absolutely Cheerleading is a “a sport”. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively that is the definition of sports.
Thank you and remember to vote Cheerleading a Sport !!
Comment by Full Disclosure — August 4th, 2010 @ 11:53 am
I agree with Full Disclosure and disagree with USMC Athlete (Thank you for your service, though) … If competitive cheerleading is not a sport, then neither is gymnastics or figure skating … Plus, the competitive aspect of cheerleading is far more athletic than golf or stock car racing, so its a sport from that angle as well.
I guess it was like Dave said in his column: When the cheerleaders are standing on the sideline, that’s not much of a sport? But when you see them in competition it is 100 percent a sport.
Comment by Hoops Junkie — August 4th, 2010 @ 2:51 pm
There are teams. There are competitions. There are winners, and there are losers. So, yes, its a sport.
Paul Greenan
Stamford, CT
Comment by Paul Greenan — August 4th, 2010 @ 9:08 pm
Yes and NO! Many times I go to H.S games at the beginning of the basketbal season and see up to 20 cherleaders cheering for their team. Two weeks pass and I see the same team play and they now have 6 cheerleaders. If a team plays a road game many cheerleading teams don’t even go. They don’t take it seriously so why should we
They do have cheerleading competitions around the state so you have to classify cheerleading as a sport-they are also very athletic. However, they are getting away from what cheerleading is suppose to represent-that is cheering for ones team and getting the crowd into the game.
Comment by Frank Costanza — September 16th, 2010 @ 11:39 am
i think that cheerleading is not a sport because there is nothing to keep track of and there are no state teams like baseball.Also whats more important waching a football game or waching the cheerleaders?
(i say its football because who would want to watch all cheerleading channal or go to a cheerleading game!!!!!!
Comment by bob — April 2nd, 2011 @ 11:14 am
Sorry, but I completely disagree with you “Bob”. I am a cheerleader, and last time I checked (which was March 12th, the CT STATE competition, Danbury High School Varsity won 1st place in the class LL category, and scored higher than all but Holy Cross, that makes them the top two teams in the state..that’s a ranking! and many people go to cheerleading competitions, and cheerleading is way more demanding than football because you don’t throw around a 16 oz. ball, you throw around a real girl, usually somewhere around 110 pounds!A sport, by definition, is an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively, which you physically exert yourself in cheerleading, and there are rules, and there are competitions. The only difference is, while most sports have a good hour or longer to prove themselves, we have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to showcase an entire year’s worth. How would you like to do that?
Comment by Jessica — April 6th, 2011 @ 9:16 pm