Cheerleading

[LDUB]

Chicago Tribune, May 1, 2004. By Rick Morrissey
Before the "Rick's a Neanderthal" e-mail campaign begins, I would like to point out that cheerleading is a fine activity. Mesmerizing flexibility, eternal smiles, waterproof mascara—what's there not to like?

But if cheerleading is a sport, then Leeza Gibbons is Jodie Foster.

I also would like to point out that having this viewpoint doesn't make me anti-female, anti-cheerleader or even Auntie Em. Many women agree with me on this topic but would prefer to watch a certain columnist get beaten to a pulp by perky, pompom-wielding girls.

The Illinois High School Association has decided cheerleading will have its own state championship beginning in the 2005-2006 school year. In other words, the IHSA has declared cheerleading a sport. The organization's argument for inclusion seems to be that because there is so much participation and because there already are so many regional and national competitions, cheerleading is a sport.

Well, no.

If the number of participants determines a high-school activity's sport-worthiness, I would like to nominate angst and teenage rebellion as sports. Just because there's competition doesn't mean it's a sport. By that way of thinking, the Pillsbury Bake-Off could be considered a sport, and we know it isn't because there hasn't been a steroids scandal yet. Cheerleading is popular, yes. Suspenseful, sometimes (will the girl somersaulting through the air be caught or will she end up using a walker for the rest of her life?). A sport, no.

(Quick quiz. Who isn't a former cheerleader: Paula Abdul, Ann-Margret, Vanna White, Michael Jordan. That's right! MJ was never a cheerleader!)

I've been trying to figure out how we got to this point. Cheerleading squads once were made up of the "popular" girls in school. The girls were there to try to get the crowd to cheer, and they were there to be looked at during timeouts. Everybody knew his or her place. The cheerleaders cheered, most everybody in the stands refused to go along with the cheers and the game went on.

Then former gymnasts got involved, and suddenly there were flips and throws and very happy male cheerleaders holding girls aloft. It's wonderful that lots of high school kids are participating in this activity, but that fact has gotten in the way of reason. The IHSA is confusing participation with athletic endeavor.

If cheerleading is a sport, then so is aerobics. If aerobics is a sport, then so is synchronized swimming. If synchronized swimming is a sport, then so is breathing, though with nose clips.

I'm just asking:

Can it be a sport when the competitors wear body glitter?

Can it be a sport when the competitors wear makeup?

Can it be a sport when the competitors practice making animated facial expressions, as the Ursuline Academy cheerleaders were doing in a photo on the front page of the Tribune on Thursday?

I know what you're thinking: Figure skating! All of these things are done in figure skating!

Figure skating: not a sport.

Look, cheerleading can't be a sport if the main purpose is to cheer on athletes playing a game. Cheerleading was created as an organized way to support teams. A pilot fish is not a shark.

(Let's try it again: Halle Berry, Katie Couric, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dick Butkus. The Ginsburg reference threw you for a second, but you're right, Butkus was not a cheerleader.)

So many outlets exist for girls these days that there is no reason to make cheerleading a sport. Softball, basketball, track and tennis are only a few of the sports available to high school girls. It's not as if females are being denied opportunities athletically.

I'll try to head off some of your arguments:

Yes, I know you put in a lot of hours to become the best cheerleader you can be.

You're right, I couldn't touch my toes with the help of hydraulics.

I know cheerleading keeps you in great shape.

I also know that it takes teamwork to have a good cheerleading squad.

But cheerleaders are entertainers. If they are in search of legitimacy, I'd suggest they join the Screen Actors Guild or Up With People or a dance group. Forget about sports.

Cheerleading isn't a sport any more than sparkling grape juice is wine. That's a bitter cup for some of you. Cheers.

I agree with Rick. I always thought cheerleading was someting that was done at a football game or basketball game or whatever sport. Cheerleading supports a sport, it is not a sport. What is next? How about those "rule experts" who sit in the stands who yell the whole time, how about we make that a sport too.

But I'm not totaly against cheerleading being a sport. Because everyone knows sports need officials. And I don't know what a cheerelading official does, but it has to be easy. Hopefully there is a job called "skirt length inspector" or something, I'd take that one. It must be nice to just sit in a chair and collect a fat check at the end of the day.

[Snake~eyes]

I partially agree with you. When cheerleaders cheer at a sport it really isn't a sport but have you ever been to a cheerleading competition? That is why it is a sport.

[JRutledge]

I do not think the issue is whether or not someone is in shape or not, but to call cheerleading a sport, is the same way people might feel about synchronized swimming or rhythmic gymnastics. I know many folks that would debate that ice skating is not a sport, but a performance. Especially when the entire competition is based on judges and someone saying you are better than someone else. Rather than beating them out with points that you have to earn, directly in competition with your opponents. You know, like Golf, where you have to out perform others to win.

But then again, I am not sure what that has to do with officiating and what officials think about this issue. I just do not like cheerleaders because most of them do not use common sense and will not get out of the way when I am on a game. They are constantly having to be told to "move" or "I need to stand here" when I and others are doing games. But I guess it is too hard to ask that, when someone twice their size is running full speed and is not looking in their direction. They might as well stand in the middle of the parking lot and not look around to see if any cars might be backing out.

Peace

[Dan_ref]

Originally excreted by BBallCoach


Blah. Blah. Blah.

[PGCougar]

I tend to look at the sports versus performance issue as a continuum that gets blurry at the middle area where we see elements of both, but aren't sure if we have a sporting event or a performance. The problem becomes how to define criteria that make something a sport.

Competition in and of itself is not a good criterion. For example, you can have a competition to see who the best accordion player is, but I doubt many here would consider that a sport.

Pure athletic ability on demonstration is probably not a good defining criterion either. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of cheerleaders are in better shape than some golfers. But so are bodybuilders - nope don't even want to go there...

Maybe a better criterion would be scoring. At one end of the spectrum, you have easily measurable methods to determine a score. Golf, baseball, basketball, football, and a host of other traditional "olympic" sports do have a very precise mechanism to score. As you get down to the other end of the contimuum, including some olympic sports such as diving, and figure skating, you have to wait for a panel of judges to tell you who the winner is. Not much different for some of the "extreme sports" gnarly 720's and other terms I'm at a loss to define. Interesting and entertaining, but outside of the spectacular and the dreadful, I'd be hard pressed to tell you who should be the winner.

I'm sure that everyone has a different opinion, but for me, if someone else has to tell me who won, then it aint a sport. Sorry, but I don't think a lot of things, including cheerleading, is a true sport. Just because they show it on ESPN, doesn't make is so.

[Snake~eyes]

Aren't any racing events performance too?

[Damian]

As the proud father of a girl whose team Katy Elite just won the national cheer championship on Orlando, I can tell you that this is a very compteitive sport. Girls practice several hours each week not counting private lessons. Skills are learned both individually and as a team.

There are positions, skills sets, gymnastics, and dance. Participants learn the "team" concempt which to me is what defines a sport.

Just because you don't understand a sport doesn't mean it isn't one. I don't understand scoreless soccer, but most parents would call this a sport.

I am not talking the pixies that attend other sporting events. I am talking about teams that compete to raise their level of skills matched against others.

[MisterV]

Under no circumstances is cheerleading a sport. Just because a winner is chosen doesn't make it a sport. If that was the case, the hot dog eating contest would be a sport.

Just because it is done competitively, doesn't make it a sport. If that was the case, trying to get in the buffet line at the Sizzler would be a sport.

Just because athleticism is involved doesn't mean it's a sport. If that was the case, Riverdance would be a sport.

Just because practice is involved doesn't make it a sport. If that was the case, then typing would be a sport.

Just because strategy is involved doesn't make it a sport. If that was the case, then navigating through rush hour traffic would be a sport.

Just because it can be seen on ESPN doesn't make it a sport. If that was the case, then the national spelling bee would be a sport.

I like cheerleading. It takes more athleticism and skill than I will ever have. I like cheerleaders. I have two daughters who hope to be cheerleaders some day, and God bless'em for it. Just don't try to tell me it is a sport.

I also buy the argument that some so-called "sports" such as figure skating, diving, gymnastics, rodeo, etc. are not sports. Competitive activities? Sure. Sports? No way.

Can we finally bury this topic once and for all?

[LDUB]

Cheerleading is not a sport, it is an activity that goes on at a sporting event. They help support the team. If cheerelading is a sport, so is the marching band. They go to the games, and they are out on the field, and they have to move quickly and play instruments at the same time. There is stratagy involved in what formations you will march in. Just because cheerleaders compete (why do they compete anyways?) does not make it a sport. If anyone has ever seen the movie "Drumline", they know that marching bands compete also.

[GarthB]

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
I partially agree with you. When cheerleaders cheer at a sport it really isn't a sport but have you ever been to a cheerleading competition? That is why it is a sport.

Miss America pageant is a competition. Is that a sport?

Marching bands compete. Is that a sport?

Cheerleading is a wonderful activity that sometimes is competitive. But it is not a sport.

OK. Haven't heard anyone mention this, so I'll go.

Since the majority here say cheerleading isn't a sport (for many "reasons" mentioned), does this mean that golf isn't a sport either?

Hmmmm.......