Is Cheerleading a Sport?
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This question is one that will never be answered correctly or incorrectly.  The one thing that can be said for it is that it is an athletic endeavor.\n\nThere are two major schools of thought on this.  One, there are contests to see which is better so therefore it is a sport.  The other is that since the contests are decided by a third party it is not a sport but a competition.\n\nOne also must look at what types of cheerleading is being done.  Is it merely standing on the sidelines, waving pompoms and saying chants or is it going backflips and pyramids and throws?  Most would be more likely to call the latter a sport while considering the former not a sport.\n\nIn any case, as long as whomever is participating and/or watching is having a good time, then it is all good.\n\nGO TEAM!
445349
Yes, it's a sport just like any other.  It is also the fastest growing high school sport in the nation.
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There is, start participating and let the world notice!\n\nIn the meanwhile, check the website below for tips and other information related to cheerleading...\nhttp://www1.webng.com/sportsrecreation/Cheerleading-Tips.html
494301
Some schools let it be a sport, but many schools prohibit the acrobatics and other things that make cheerleading a sport.
342832
Cheerleading is judged similarly to gymnastics and figure skating, and those sports are in the olympics. They are also very physically demanding. So yes cheerleading competitions are sports.
847650
Gymnastics, Dance, Cheerleading and Skating
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Composure, presence of mind and perseverance is most needed for a cheerleader. Here are some regular Cheerleading tips to help you get there. Practice on your voice, a good cheerleading team is known to have a sharp and audible voice across the audience and the judges. Learn to smile and appear calm from the external, appear as though you are enjoying the show and this can work in your favor.\n\nAnother important Cheerleading tip is to be well dressed, dressed comfortably and neatly combed for the event. If you fail to perform a certain stunt, do not get hassled and affect the remainder of the performances. Like in gymnastics, there is a section called recovery that judges use in case a performer fails but recovers gracefully and performs the other steps well.\n\nClick the link below for more information...\nhttp://www1.webng.com/sportsrecreation/Cheerleading-Tips.html
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www.cheerleading-central.com\nIt costs money but helps.
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I use to be a cheerleader and it can be very physical, so i believe it's a sport.
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I think it should be considered as a sport, for you at least. You actually take it seriously. I hate it when people give cheerleaders a bad name... even though I am not a cheerleader. For example, the other day someone asked: I need cheers for "cheer litting"\nYeah.... so I think that's great that you were nominated for that!
590923
I'm not a cheerleader, and i dint really like cheerleaders, but i do think it is a sport because of all the stuff they have to do, i mean i may not like cheerleaders but i respect that they can do alot of hard stuff that other people cant do
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It's kind of like band or twirling.  It's not considered a sport really but it is considered an extracurricular activity.  You can still get brownie points for it from colleges if that is why you are asking.
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YESSS. It not only is a very fun game. It combines skill, exercise, teamwork and winning. If thats not a sport what is?
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No offense to anyones opinion, but cheerleading is to a sport. Cheering A. gets the team pumped up, B. is great excersise, and C. Did you know that cheerleading has the second most injuries of any sport following right after football. Cheering has also grown to be competitive. There are competitions where sometime over 50-60 squads will compete for the national title.Cheering also isn't just yelling ra ra ra. Cheering involves pushing yourself as far as you can go. It also include stunting which is basically lifting a person 10 ft. in the air! Why don't you try doing five backhandsprings in a row. Cheering isn't what it used to be. It IS A SPORT, and if you ever try it and still think isn't a sport then you can ask this question.
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Please find Heather Jeffries, M.P.A opinion here:\n\nMost cheerleaders say “YES” while state and school officials say “no.” According to the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations, seventeen to twenty states of the United States consider cheerleading a sport. Why is the question, “Is cheerleading a sport?” such a controversial issue to anyone not involved with the sport? According to MSN Encarta, the definition of sport is an individual or group competitive activity involving physical exertion or skill, governed by rules, and sometimes engaged in professionally. Because cheerleading follows every aspect defined under the word sport, it is my belief that cheerleading should be defined as an actual sport.\n\nThe word cheerleader no longer means a sideline of squads that exist solely to support other sporting teams. Cheer teams are teams in their own right. College and high school cheer teams compete\nfor national titles just as football, basketball, baseball, etc. Cheerleaders are recruited for college scholarships that have been known to exceed amounts awarded to other sports teams. Some cheer teams put in more hours in the gym than teams such as football and basketball. Cheerleaders have to be in just as good physical condition as any other sport participant.\n\nCheerleading in the early years was nothing like the sport it is today. Over the past few decade cheerleading has evolved from leading audiences with simple arm movements to treacherous towers of humans and elaborate dances that are used to show the athleticism of cheerleaders. Cheerleading has developed from selections based on popularity to one that now claims some of the more talented athletes in the school/program.\n\nCheerleaders are not seen as athletes, but seen as being athletic. Cheerleaders are very specialized athletes. Most do not understand the skill and athleticism required by cheerleading. The gymnastics ability, power and strength make cheerleaders some of the more wellrounded athletes in sports. Cheerleading not only teaches coordination and helps condition competitors, but it also teaches teamwork, leadership, communication skills, organizational skills, productivity and much more.\n\nCheerleading contributes to the overall physical fitness of those involved. Many teams are in the gym four to six days a week working out, practicing, stretching and conditioning for upcoming performances or competitions. Running increases one’s lung power and endurance. Stretching, jumping, taking gymnastics and aerobics all help keep the body toned and healthy. So as you can see, cheerleading practice and workouts are much like those of other sports.\n\nWhen it comes to funding issues, the sport of cheerleading is not equally supported. Monies are contributed to sports that do not consistently perform well. Cheer teams that do perform well usually do not receive the monetary compensations for their performances. Scholarships, donations from alumni, and extra funding to the school rarely get distributed to the cheer programs. Programs known for winning national titles over several years occasionally receive monies. I believe this occurs only once the administration realizes the need to keep those athletes in their program. Cheerleading does not bring the revenue to schools like football games; however, the publicity that some cheer teams contribute to the school can be profitable in other ways.\n\nAs a former cheerleader myself, I remember having long and strenuous practices which seemed to last forever. Because my life was so into cheerleading, I did and still consider cheerleading a sport. I have always told people who I’ve talked to about cheerleading that I consider it to be a sport. After being exposed to the competitiveness of cheerleading, I stand stronger behind my beliefs in the sport of cheerleading.\n\nBeing a co-owner and one of the head coaches for Clarksville Cheer Extreme, an all star cheerleading gym in Clarksville, Tenn
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Well, I'd consider competitive ballroom dancing a sport long before cheerleading.\n\nTrust me, I meant this as a compliment.
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Yes definitely!\n\nImagine a football player having to run a play, while reciting a cheer, staying in step with the player next to him (or her), then at the correct moment have three to four players lift him up.  Cheerleaders do it.\n\nA high school cheerleader will, in most cases, memorize the names of all of the football and basketball players in order to do personalized cheers...on top of the pages of generic cheers they must learn.  A football player does have plays to remember, but he doesn't have to worry about the basketball team.\n\nIf you take five football players, five basketball players and five cheerleaders and required them to score a touchdown, score a basket and put someone in a half, (a half is where the flyer is lifted to sholder height of the bases) the cheerleaders will win.  There is a specific way the flyer has to jump into the hands of the bases or it's not going to go up.  Throwing a football can be done most anyway you hold it.  It may not go far, and it may not spiral, but it will go.  A basketball does not have to roll off the fingertips to score, but it will go into the basket.\n\nI broke my finger playing football as a child.  I ripped the tendon in my shoulder while playing centerfield as a teen.  I didn't injure myself playing basketball, but I did play on a league as a teen.  I have never been able to do anything above a thigh stand in cheerleading.  So, I am familiar with all sports as a participant.\n\nCheerleading is definitely a sport.  Like football, there are "plays" to remember and execute.  Like basketball, there is timing.  Like running, there is endurance.  The only difference is the participants have perfect hair the entire time.