As someone who has been a cheerleader for almost their entire childhood, one of the most heated debates I have encountered multiple times is whether or not cheerleading counts as an actual sport. There’s a hundred reasons why one can argue that it is, but with that comes a hundred reasons why it is not.
While my perspective on this may be slightly biased, we have to look at the facts. Cheerleaders condition and practice just as much as any other sports would, it just looks a little bit different.
A huge part of what cheerleaders practice for is perfecting their stunts. Stunting is when a group of base athletes work together to put another athlete in the air. The team members who get put in the air are called flyers, the two people holding the flyer’s feet are called bases, and the fourth member of a stunt group is called the backspot, who holds the flyer’s ankles and gives her the most momentum to get up into the air.
In order to successfully hit a stunt, you need to be strong. A key part to any good stunt group is having strong bases. In order to be strong, you have to condition. The same thing applies for flyers. In order to be a good flyer, you have to be flexible and have good balance. In order to be flexible, you have to stretch.
Cheerleading truly is a team effort. Regardless of the season, sideline or competition, it’s never just a one person show.
When it comes to breaking down the two seasons, I have always believed that the competitive season, also known as the winter season, is easily a sport. Not only are teams working harder and only focusing on routine specific skills like tumbling and stunts, but they are also competing against other teams for an award… just like any other “real” sport would.
But what about sideline season, also known as the fall season? My deepest darkest secret is that I really do enjoy the fall season more than winter. Don’t get me wrong, both are lots of fun. However, one may argue that fall cheerleading is less of a sport than winter because it is less work and more fun.
Fall season consists more of entertainment for crowds, pep rallies, and football games. Fall cheerleading is where all those cheerleaders in high school based movies get their stereotype from: pretty, stupid, and unathletic.
Even if cheerleading itself is not considered a real sport by everybody, the stereotypes surrounding it deserve to be killed. I truly believe that cheerleaders tend to be some of the most hardworking, kind hearted, and best performing people out there.
Aside from cheerleading keeping you in shape in the same way that other sports would, I’ve also found over the years that cheerleading has enhanced my comfort levels with public speaking, overall communication, and has increased my confidence when it comes to large crowds and groups.
Whatever you may formulate your opinion on when it comes to cheerleading, all cheerleaders deserve to hold the title of being athletes.