Argumentative Essay
By: Rebecca Elangwe
Cheerleading is a sport. Over the past years, the athleticism has developed and increased. Modern cheerleading necessitates talents that need the strength of football, grace of dance, and skillfulness of gymnastics. Elaborate movements are used, testing the body’s extremities. Now, squads need experienced coaches, instead of just having an advisor.
Cheerleaders are now recognized for their talents and athleticism, not popularity. Because modern cheerleading requires prowess (skill), they must stay conditioned. They train as hard as any athlete. Modern cheer is, in many ways, similar to gymnastics (which is considered a sport) and dance. According to aacca.org, groups like the
Cheerleading started as a male endeavor in 1898, when a University of Minnesota football fan led the crowd in verse in support of their team. It was not until World War II, when men shipped out to war, that women took over. Then cheerleaders came to represent the American ideal of femininity: wholesome apple pie with washboard stomachs, perfect teeth, and flawless complexions. Stereotypes cast them as blond, petite, and impossibly perky. “From its humble beginning cheerleading has blossomed into a competitive athletic activity with a serious image problem” (Forman 52). But today’s post-feminist youth have put a new, diverse face on cheerleading. Cheerleading in America is no longer a matter of waving pom-poms, a cute smile and being overly
Although it is true that cheerleading does not fall under the category of a “sport” by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the NCCA, this does not mean cheerleaders are not athletes. An athlete is a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina. Cheerleaders definitely fall under the category of an athlete because cheerleading is not just smiling and shouting cheers as most people assume. Cheerleaders are trained in some of the most difficult skills such as tumbling and stunting. Cheerleading has become one of the most dangerous school activities, making doctors push schools and organizations to treat cheerleaders as athletes and that cheer is in fact a sport. Nelson feels very strongly about this topic and stresses that, “ It is disappointing how underestimated we are as cheerleaders because as a competitive cheerleader, we practice hard at least three hours a day, not only mastering the skills, but looking good while completing them…we work just as hard as any other sport but we did not get the appropriate
Because of the physical demand, skill set needed, and the rules set to tumble, stunt, and jump, competitive cheerleading should be considered an official sport. Yet cheerleading has rules, guidelines, training, and many other things other sports also include. It also is definitely a physical and contact sport which has caused countless injuries throughout the years of the sports existance. But, most people only know cheerleading as sideline (school) cheerleading and have not had a glimpse into the world of competitive (All Star) cheerleading.
Cheerleaders are competitive athletes who compete up to 20 times a year, and we must have a particular skill set and athleticism to be able to perform the routines. Who gets to decide what activity falls under the sports category or not? This debate has been ongoing for decades, and an ending is not foreseeable in the near future. Cheerleaders do not get the recognition we deserve. I practice over fifteen hours a week, go to weightlifting twice a week, and give up eight months out of the year, for somebody to tell me I do not fit the cookie cutter mold of an
Even though Cheer is considered a school club or an outside activity, cheer should be considered a sport because they compete seasonally and have all the requirements for being a sport. Cheer should be considered a sport because it has all the requirements to be a sport. Some requirements to be a sport are contesting and the sport must be governed by rules that explicitly define the time, space, and purpose of the contest and the conditions under which a winner is declared which cheerleading has both of these (Nicole Lauchaire). This basically means there is no reason that Cheer should not be considered a sport. Some people may disagree saying that cheerleaders wear “10 pounds of makeup,” and “two
I am a cheerleader, and was taken away from what I love due to an injury. When you think of cheerleading you imagine the make-up, the pom-poms, and the groups of people throwing cheerleaders high in the air, but cheerleading is more. Cheer is the performance of athletic skills, jumps, dancing, and chanting to get feedback from crowds at events, games, etc. Cheerleaders can be featured at games in support of sports teams, or at cheerleading competitions to earn points. According to varsity.com, which is a foundation that makes articles, social media, and supplies cheer groups with equipment/clothing, frequent drama that speculates when we tell people we cheer they say “cheerleading is not a sport”. Cheerleading fits all the criteria to be considered
My other reason is in cheerleading we go to competition and compete with teams.A website that helps me in this situation that had many quotes was off of www.teenink.com/nonfliction/sports/article/15172/cheerleading-isasport. A quote from the web states "competitive cheerleading includes lots of physical activity and movement.This means cheerleaders compete against teams and people like any other sport.Physical
Many have seen her. Many know her. But who is the American cheerleader? Is she a blond haired, blue eyed sex symbol? Is she a drug-addicted girl with no brains and even fewer moral values? Maybe she is just your average, pretty, girl-next-door with a loud voice and lots of spirit. What is clearly true is that cheerleading and cheerleaders have evolved greatly over a century-long history. What started as one bold college student has turned into an activity with over 3 million participants (Brady 1); one that is backed by a $150 million industry (Williams 2). Modern cheerleading has come a long way from its historic roots, but large differences still exist between the iconic cheerleader, the stereotypical cheerleader, and the truth.
When most people think of cheerleading, they think of the spirit squads that attempt to pump up the local crowd at high school basketball and football games. People are not aware of what these athletes are doing when they are not in front of these crowds. Strangers to cheerleaders who do not follow the sport extensively do not know the exact involvement of the athletes in this sport, at all ages. Cheerleading requires athleticism like all other sports as you must be in shape and at a great fitness level to be involved in most circumstances. Cheerleaders have to know what they’re doing at all times; while knowing what everyone else on the team is doing as well, which involves a high level of mental preparation. Cheerleading, high school or
Cheerleading is not a sport but it should be because it meets the athletic criteria for the Women's Sport Foundation and its one of the most dangerous sport in the world that should be equally protected as those other sports that are considered sports. Basically there's not only the reasons and evidence I found of why cheerleading should be considered a sport, but there's so much more out there. There is many arguments and thoughts of millions out there that think it should or shouldn't be considered a sport. Since cheerleading was created, its grown and spread dramastically across the world. Its loved by many like myself, I personally cheered for a couple of years and let me tell you it's not as easy as it may seem to those who just watch it.
Cheerleading is simply entertainment for viewers and is a social club for its participants. “Sports Beat - The Sport of Cheerleading: It’s a lot More than Just Pompoms and Smiles,” points out that a main benefit of cheerleading is the ability to “easily transition into the entertainment industry” (Hatton C-04). This statement supports our belief that cheerleading should not be considered a sport. Cheer-leading, the leading of cheers at sporting events is not a sport. Entertainment, versus athleticism, is more of what cheerleading is. Team supporters are present at games/events to raise school spirit and encourage cheering. Cheerleading generally requires a competition to be in progress, so the cheerleading itself can occur. This is not an activity which can take place alone.
Truth is, there are two very different types of cheerleaders. There are the traditional sideline cheerleaders who cheer on other teams for support, and then there are the competitive cheerleaders, who perform in front of audiences and judges to receive their own first place title. Competitive cheerleaders are just as much athletes as cross-country runners or gymnasts! Cheerleading is even expanding and growing into more than just a hobby. Erik Brady agrees when he writes in his article in USA Today, “The world of cheer no longer means sideline squads that exist solely to support other teams” (Brady). Cheerleading has grown extensively in the past twenty years. It now has its own magazines and web forums, such as Fierceboard or Inside Cheerleading. People join All-star cheerleading teams, which are just like travel club soccer or softball teams. The difference is that the hobby of cheerleading isn’t getting recognized for the sport that it is.
Cheerleading is one of the leading causes of catastrophic injuries in female athletes in high school and college levels, yet people still argue that it is not a sport and how “easy” it is. Reasons cheer is not labeled a sport yet is because all of the benefits that would need to be provided for cheer teams because of title IX, the primary purpose of cheer (not competing), and the fact that cheerleading would not exist if they labeled it a sport because then their primary purpose would be to compete, not lead on their school’s teams.
I think that the main argument of this topic is that whether or not people concider cheerleading to be a sport. It also argues whether or not other people think that cheer is a sport. This is trying to persuade its audience that cheer practice is just as hard as football practice, and that the football players should come to see what cheerleading is like before they complain whether or not it is a sport.
From an outsiders perspective one may see brainless and beautiful robots, which scream and perform neat tricks. This is not the case from the inside; cheerleading is so much more than that. Many people are under the impression that cheerleading is not a sport. I am the voice of reasoning that will let you in, and I will show you that cheerleading, in fact, is a sport. Cheerleading requires much physical demand from the body just as any other sport would. Cheerleading, in general, is a team effort. There are many sides to cheerleading, which make it a versatile sport. When it comes to cheerleading there’s more to it than what meets the eye.