Cheerleading, sport or not? Cheerleading is a physical and competitive activity based on an organized routine including tumbling, dance, jumps, a cheer, and stunting. Cheerleading is a sport. We work just as hard as any other athlete does to excel in a sport that we love.

The women’s sports foundation has narrowed down to these elements to define a sport. 1) It must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance on mass. Bases, front spots and back spots all work to lift that flyer up in the air. This is called stunting. 2) You have to be contesting or competing against/with an opponent. During competitions teams are ranked 1st 2nd 3rd and so on. 3) It must be governed by rules that explicitly define the time, space, and purpose of contest and conditions under which a winner is declared. During competitions there is a time limit, mat size, and score sheets. 4) Acknowledgment that the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants is required. These are national competitions; where cheer teams nation-wide compete against each other.

Cheerleaders are commonly seen on the sideline at football and basketball games supporting their team, however cheerleaders have to through rigorous training and practice all the time to perfect the routines shown at games and competitions.

A cheer team is like a big family. You have to be able to be able to either lift or toss or be lifted and tossed. You have to trust your lives in with the people assigned to catch them. If there misplaced a life could easily be lost. In fact approximately 16,000 cheerleaders get injured in cheer related accidents more than any other sport in the world.

Cheerleading should be considered a sport, and cheerleaders look at it as a sport. It has met all of the guidelines. Cheerleading is not only a sport, it’s a lifestyle.