When I think of cheerleading, I envision a team that uses physical exertion and lots of skill. Some may think it’s not a sport, well I’m here to tell you why it is.
There are many different types of cheerleading. The two forms I will be comparing are sideline cheer and competitive. Sideline cheer is when you cheer for other teams like football or basketball. You still do the same stunting, tumbling, jumps, and dancing as in competitions, you just are doing it out of support and for entertainment, not to win. Competitive is when you do all those things but against other teams. Competitive cheerleading consists of four primary components. Teams receive scores on the difficulty, skill, and creativity of each of these parts during competitions.
I can understand why some people might say sideline cheer is not a sport because there is no competition going on, but the physical activity and skill are still there. Just because you’re kicking a soccer ball at your house and not during a game does not make soccer any less of a sport. When a team cheers on a sideline, they are doing just about the same skills as when they are on a competition floor.
Besides the technical terms of what a sport is, how about the level of trust you have to have in your teammates and the injuries that occur? There are four spots you can go to while putting a stunt together. Three people on the bottom: two bases, a back spot, and one on top—the flyer. Then you combine these groups and make pyramids where multiple people are standing on top of each other. That’s a lot of trust you have to have for the people below to catch you and bring you down safely. It’s also a lot of trust to have in the person you’re holding. The flyer has to stay tight and not kick around up there. This brings me to my next point: injuries.
Cheerleading is a physically demanding activity that involves high-risk stunts, making it comparable to traditional sports in terms of athleticism and danger. Research shows that up to 60% of all cheerleading injuries, as well as 96% of concussions and closed head injuries, occur during stunting. Among these, pyramid stunts are particularly hazardous, accounting for up to 66% of head and neck injuries. Additionally, other components of cheerleading, such as spotting and basing, contribute to 23% of injuries, while tumbling accounts for up to 26%. Falls from significant heights also pose a serious risk, causing up to 25% of injuries. These statistics highlight the intense physical demands and inherent risks of cheerleading, reinforcing the argument that it should be recognized as a sport.
In conclusion, cheerleading meets all the criteria of a sport, requiring physical exertion, skill, teamwork, and competition. Whether on the sidelines or in a competitive setting, cheerleaders perform challenging stunts, tumbling, and routines that demand strength, precision, and trust in their teammates. The high risk of injury further proves the intensity and athleticism involved in the sport. Despite the misconceptions, cheerleading is more than just a performance—it is a physically and mentally demanding activity that deserves recognition as a true sport.
