September 20, 2013

Michayla Berthiaume

ENGL 102-023

Definition Essay

11 September 11, 2013

Many people think that cheerleading is nothing but throwing your hands in the air making up rhymes to cheer on a team. What most do not understand is how much cheerleading has evolved since the first organized team in 1898. Cheering on the sidelines of a football or basketball game is an activity, however competitive cheerleading, such as all stars and competition teams, should be considered a sport based on how challenging and physically demanding it is to accomplish. A sport is defined as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and is often undertaken competitively” (The free dictionary.com). Under these very broad terms cheerleading fits perfectly.
            The most common argument is that a real sport involves playing a game and having physical contact with their opponents . Whether on a field or on a mat the best team always wins.  In football, unexpected things happen, but there are four quarters to score and win. With cheerleading there is only 2 minutes and 30 seconds to do your absolute best, with no mistakes. There are no second chances, which makes cheerleading more of a challenge and creates more pressure than any type of game.  An article written by Bill Pennington in the New York Times on cheerleading injuries, states, “For decades, they stood by safe and smiling, a fixture on America’s sporting sidelines. But today’s young cheerleaders, who perform tricks once reserved for trapeze artists, may be in more peril than any female athletes in the country” (“As cheerleaders Soar”). This statement acknowledges the level of difficulty it takes to perform such tasks, and gives insight on why cheerleaders should be given the respect they deserve.

            From 1982-2005 there have been 104 catastrophic injuries sustained by female high school and college athletes, that range from head to spinal injuries that sometimes result in death. The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injuries research reported that more than half of these injuries were from cheerleading, and all the other sports combined did not surpass cheerleading’s numbers (Pennington, 2007). This statistic proved how physically demanding the sport actually is. Considering how cheerleading in a no contact sport these are very high numbers. To be able to throw catch and properly execute stunts, it takes a lot of focus, time and power; none of which comes overnight. Blood sweat and tears are put into cheerleading just as much as football players put into their game. Not everyone is meant to be a cheerleader and there are some very demanding qualifications.

           In Cheerleading, there is no individual score sheet and winner, unlike wrestling ; a wrestler can win for himself but lose the meet. One cheerleader cannot win or lose the champion title; it is solely dependent on the team to work together to be the very best in the allotted two minutes and thirty seconds. Without one person it directly effects the entire team. In cheerleading, every  teammate must depend on each other more than in any other sport because people’s lives can be at risk. Being throw ten feet into the air takes a lot of trust that the top girl will not hit the ground. In order to perform the very best and be able to lift, jump and dance for a rigorous two and a half minutes, you must be physically fit. Today, cheerleading involves skills that require the strength of football, the grace of dance and the agility of gymnastics. Complex maneuvers are preformed that challenge the limits of the body (AACCA).

            Unfortunately in 2009 a judge in Connecticut declared cheerleading is not a sport when Quinnipiac University took out woman’s volleyball and replaced it with competitive cheerleading. Angry members of the volleyball team took the matter to court, and the judge ruled under the conditions of Title IX that cheerleading did not qualify (TitleIX, History). Without knowing anything about cheerleading he made an assumption that cheerleading was still to disorganized and messy to be a part of the organization of Title IX. Because of this one incident cheerleading is not recognized in the legal world as a sport.

The definition of a sport according to The Women’s Sports Foundation is: It must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass, “Contesting” or competing against/with an opponent is required,  It 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, and Acknowledgement that the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants. Cheerleading fits all of these rules except the last qualification that states, the primary reason is competition verses other teams or individuals within a competition structure comparable to other ‘athletic’ activities. Cheerleading’s primary purpose is to cheer on other sports teams and provide school unity, and competition comes second (Lauchaire, Varsity).   All-star cheerleading however, is the only branch that is a sport because there is no cheering on of other sports, strictly competition teams.

Since the first organized team in 1898, teams all over the country have come a long way in appearance, difficulty, and being primarily female dominated opposed to all male teams (Wikipedia, History). Cheerleading is no longer known just as cheering on football and sports teams, but as a dangerous and rigorous sport. Because cheerleading was created and still has the reputation of its primary purpose being to unite people on a particular sport, it cannot be identified and recognized as a sport such as soccer or baseball. It is an ongoing argument and organizations are working towards changing the qualifications and having exceptions for different types of cheerleading in order to receive the respect and recognition cheerleaders deserve.

Works Cited

"Cheerleading as a Sport." AACCA.org. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2013. <https://www.aacca.org/content.aspx?item=Resources/Test.xml>.

"Cheerleading." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheerleading>.

"History of Title IX." TitleIX.info. Northridge Interactions, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. <http://www.titleix.info/History/History-Overview.aspx>.

Lauchaire, Nicole. "Being a Cheerleader - Is Cheerleading a Sport?" Varsity.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. <http://www.varsity.com/event/1262/being-a-cheerleader-sport>.

Pennington, Bill. "As Cheerleaders Soar Higher, So Do the Risks." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 Mar. 2007. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.