All-Star Article On Espnw Says Cheer Not A Sport

[cheernerd5678]

No, this has nothing to do with Allstar.

That's what I thought but then reading the responses I was like


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[Kelli Nicole]

Ah, got it

I remembered seeing them (my whole family went to UF and follows their sports team religiously), but I didn't realize they do separate styles of teams. That seems horribly complicated and unnecessary.

HPU separated their teams this season... they have a Acro & Tumbling team (all girl) and then their coed team does the sideline aspect.

 

[SL&AM]

I think if the intent is to ground all school cheer then AS better find a way to be more affordable for families who have kids who want competitive cheer.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I think if the intent is to ground all school cheer then AS better find a way to be more affordable for families who have kids who want competitive cheer.

YES! Sad that it has to get to this point before a lot of gyms do that. We need to feed a new market.

 

[DaniV]

STUNT is specific to high school correct? And A&T is just college. What is NCATA?

 

[Official OWECheer]

STUNT is specific to high school correct? And A&T is just college. What is NCATA?

I guess you could call it the REAL (and first) Acro and Tumble. STUNT is Varsity's version.

 

[JMW]

Can someone give an argument of why all schools shouldnt be ground bound?

Can you give me an argument as to why tackling is allowed in football, or checking in hockey? I think the same concept can be applied to cheerleading, regardless of whether it's classified a sport or not.

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[King]

Can you give me an argument as to why tackling is allowed in football, or checking in hockey? I think the same concept can be applied to cheerleading, regardless of whether it's classified a sport or not.

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OK, sure. If cheerleading is about crowd support how is doing a backflip necessary to crowd support?

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Grounded schools can still tumble though, right? Since I am at a university with a game-day only team I would HATE for all sideline teams to be grounded. I do understand where she comes from, that schools maybe be afraid that their sideline team will vanish in order to compete at all competitions that would make cheer a full sport (or whatever she said saying that cheer needs to attend more than one comp, nationals, a year to be seen as a sport). Maybe in order to have a strictly competition team you must also have a strictly sideline team (with no crossovers?)? That way there will still be a team with their focus on just games and they won't have to be ground bound?

OK, sure. If cheerleading is about crowd support how is doing a backflip necessary to crowd support?

Maybe not crowd "support" but more entertainment. I've had many people come up to me at game saying they love to watch my "backflips".

 

[King]

Grounded schools can still tumble though, right? Since I am at a university with a game-day only team I would HATE for all sideline teams to be grounded. I do understand where she comes from, that schools maybe be afraid that their sideline team will vanish in order to compete at all competitions that would make cheer a full sport (or whatever she said saying that cheer needs to attend more than one comp, nationals, a year to be seen as a sport). Maybe in order to have a strictly competition team you must also have a strictly sideline team (with no crossovers?)? That way there will still be a team with their focus on just games and they won't have to be ground bound?


Maybe not crowd "support" but more entertainment. I've had many people come up to me at game saying they love to watch my "backflips".

So being able to do backflips is about entertainment NOT supporting a team. Supporting a team is the main reason cheer exists. Backflips serve a purpose outside support?

 

[vannahlexis]

Can you give me an argument as to why tackling is allowed in football, or checking in hockey? I think the same concept can be applied to cheerleading, regardless of whether it's classified a sport or not.

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Exactly what I was thinking.

If you want to make sideline cheer ground bound for safety, why not make them play flag football?



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[JMW]

OK, sure. If cheerleading is about crowd support how is doing a backflip necessary to crowd support?

How is checking necessary in hockey? The women's Olympic team doesn't check. The game can certainly be played without it.

A back-flip catches the attention of the crowd, so that they can then be led in a chant or rally to support the team.

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[King]

How is checking necessary in hockey? The women's Olympic team doesn't check. The game can certainly be played without it.

A back-flip catches the attention of the crowd, so that they can then be led in a chant or rally to support the team.

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Then checking isnt necessary for hockey. I think you satisfied your own requirement.

Can a standing double backflip off a trampoline also catch the attention of the crowd? Why not do those instead? I feel like I would notice that more.

 

[DaniV]

OK, sure. If cheerleading is about crowd support how is doing a backflip necessary to crowd support?

Playing devil's advocate here (because I don't agree that it is necessary) but we teach the kids and instructors the more skills and "height" (stunt levels and basket heights) you can achieve will get the crowd to pay attention to you so you can lead them easier. If you are just standing around doing nothing, why should they pay attention to you and follow your crowd-leading motions/words.

 

[King]

Playing devil's advocate here (because I don't agree that it is necessary) but we teach the kids and instructors the more skills and "height" (stunt levels and basket heights) you can achieve will get the crowd to pay attention to you so you can lead them easier. If you are just standing around doing nothing, why should they pay attention to you and follow your crowd-leading motions/words.

So schools that don't do skills, aka ground bound, have ineffective cheerleaders? Or just less effective? What about the USC song girls? They are far more famous than any other group of college cheerleaders to normal people and they are just dance style cheerleaders. Wouldn't that be against the argument?