Cheerleading is a Sport

What do you think of when you hear the word "cheerleader"?

This was a question that I raised to several of my friends, relatives, and co-workers. I was very surprised to the answers I had received. Most of the responses were all very similar in that they viewed it not as a sport, but just as an entertainment at sporting events. As one person put it, "I am not sure what a cheerleader is, but I know that they are a bunch of girls standing around in short skirts cheering and yelling 'rah,rah,rah.' "

Where have these folks been? There are movies and reality shows demonstrating that this is a real sport and not just a performance. These girls, boys, women and men work extremely hard to do many of the stunts that are performed and it is not merely for our enjoyment. Many of them attend special classes to enhance their stunting and gymnastic routines. They practice very long hours and sacrifice a lot of time to be able to do these skills. And competitions talk about a grueling experience all the hard work that they endure and with the possibility of injury as quoted in Forbes, "Cheerleading is actually the most injury-prone sport for women. Being tossed high into the air by teammates is risky business for the head and spine, and ankle injuries are common." This risk and level of dedication is done in order to stand out from the rest, this in itself puts a lot of stress on the individuals both emotionally and physically.

Does this sound any different than any other sport? Football, soccer, baseball, wrestling, gymnastics and every other activity out there have to do the same in order to be the best. It is just a little discouraging when I say that my daughter is in cheerleading or needs to attend a competition the significance is not given as much as if it were another sporting activity. The mindset definitely differs when compared to one of the other sports.

I encourage anyone to at least attend a competition or a local sporting event where cheerleaders are utilized for their talent and support while giving a spectacular "performance" to boost the moral of both audience and team. Take notice of how well they are choreographed, how well they are in sync and disciplined in doing this activity. This does not happen by merely cheering, "rah,rah,rah." It happens from long hours of practice and training, again just like any of the other sports that we attend or do.

I am very proud of my daughter, her team, and the coaches that put so much of their time into training our children to become better athletes. And as well to all the other professional cheerleaders who have learned to and accept the challenge of cheerleading as a sport and to those who recognize these individuals as athletes and not just "performers."

Finally, to those that cannot identify this as a true sport, I am saddened that in today's world and culture anyone can still be so naïve as to recognizing the true meaning of an athlete as well as talent. I challenge these individuals to attempt any of these same maneuvers and stunts that these cheerleaders do. I am confident that the outcome will reveal that they work just as hard, and sometimes even harder than any other sport or athlete out there.

Resources:

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/sports/2006/11/15/sports-injuries-fitness-forbeslife_cz_cs_1114dangersports.html?partner=rss

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheerleading