All-Star Article On Espnw Says Cheer Not A Sport

[King]

Democracy UNK - Spring 2014: Ground-Bound Cheerleading and Why It's Unnecessary

Interesting article. They mention how stunting makes it easier to lead the crowd, which I can get behind, but not tumbling, baskets, or higher level stunts.

My question is: outside of an extension to hold a sign higher why is anything else necessary?

BTW, just so everyone is aware I WANT cheer skills to remain. Asking difficult questions which will eventually get asked doesnt mean I want it to go away. But if you cannot defend it on a message board imagine what happens if a school board, an athletic directory, or the court of public opinion needs convincing.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

If they genuinely enjoy games, which would rule out most cheerleaders (at least from my experience). The only reason games are fun is because the team is together. Cheerleaders often get disrespected at games, and the people that attend games are incapable of appreciating good cheerleading.

Wow, that is not the experience in Texas at all. Cheerleaders in our area live for Friday Night Lights and are very well respected by the fans and student body. In my experience, at the pep rallies and games, it is the tumbling and baskets that get the most oohs and ahhs. People here appreciate the preparation that it takes to choreograph pep rallies and the skills it takes to perform the stunts and baskets. There are some stunts and baskets that the Varsity squad does at every game. One game they didn't do it the "normal" way because they had a couple of cheerleaders that were missing. There was a whole bunch of angry fans when that happened...and believe it or not, there were even some that emailed the principal and head coach wanting to know why they didn't do it the "right" way.

 

[John Butler]

I think we can all agree... Allstar Cheerleading IS a sport. Competition is at the heart of allstar cheer. Sideline Cheerleading, while being certainly an athletic activity, is not a sport, because there is no competition between squads while they are "cheering on their team" from the sidelines. When college squads compete against one another in competitions, then I would move that out of "Sideline Cheerleading" and into the realm of collegiate competitive cheer, which once again falls into the category of sport.

If the powers that be would simply recognize that there is a CLEAR AND DISTINCT DIFFERENCE between competitive cheer/allstar cheer and SIDELINE cheer, we could do away with all of this other nonsense about cheer not being a sport.

For example, when the Harlem Globetrotters go on tour and spin basketballs for kids and demonstrate fancy moves for the spectators (put on a show without competing), what they are doing at that time would not be considered a sport. However, if/when they take the court against another team to compete for victory, it then can be defined as sport.

Really, all that is needed is for everyone to clearly recognize the distinction between sideline cheer and competitive cheer. One is an athletic activity, similar to dance teams, while the latter is INDEED a sport. Seems rather simple to me!

 

[King]

I think we can all agree... Allstar Cheerleading IS a sport. Competition is at the heart of allstar cheer. Sideline Cheerleading, is not a sport, because there is no competition between squads while they are "cheering on their team" from the sidelines. When college squads compete against one another in competitions, then I would move that out of "Sideline Cheerleading" and into the realm of collegiate competitive cheer, which once again falls into the category of sport.

If the powers that be would simply recognize that there is a CLEAR AND DISTINCT DIFFERENCE between competitive cheer/allstar cheer and SIDELINE cheer, we could do away with all of this other nonsense about cheer not being a sport.

For example, when the Harlem Globetrotters go on tour and spin basketballs for kids and demonstrate fancy moves for the spectators (put on a show without competing), what they are doing at that time would not be considered a sport. However, if/when they take the court against another team to compete for victory, it then can be defined as sport.

Really, all that is needed is for everyone to clearly recognize the distinction between sideline cheer and competitive cheer. One is not a sport, while the latter is INDEED a sport. Seems rather simple to me!

If you distinguish then most schools will get rid of the competition team because they only want sideline teams. That's the concern.


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[John Butler]

If you distinguish then most schools will get rid of the competition team because they only want sideline teams. That's the concern.
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I wouldn't say this is a given. Some schools fully support the distinction between the two and allow their athletes to be involved in both. Why can it not be recognized as sport when they are on the sideline, but then have a seperate "roster" and evaluation/try out for competitive in which case it would be deemed sport. I think colleges would still allow both. Just because it is considered a sport doesn't mean colleges have to give out scholarships for it. There are many sports in college that colleges do not give out scholarships. But at least then the athletes that compete on the "competitive squad" would have the benefits of being an NCAA athlete, including tutors & training perks.

 

[King]

I wouldn't say this is a given. Some schools fully support the distinction between the two and allow their athletes to be involved in both. Why can it not be recognized as sport when they are on the sideline, but then have a seperate "roster" and evaluation/try out for competitive in which case it would be deemed sport. I think colleges would still allow both. Just because it is considered a sport doesn't mean colleges have to give out scholarships for it. There are many sports in college that colleges do not give out scholarships. But at least then the athletes that compete on the "competitive squad" would have the benefits of being an NCAA athlete, including tutors & training perks.

So cheerleading did try to become a sport in college, that Quinnipiac trial. To encourage schools to recognize it as a sport there is the title IX ratios that cheer could meet. The judge struck it down because the competition side didn't meet the requirements and the sideline surely doesn't meet the requirements. That avenue for sideline cheer was basically completely nixed unless an individual school wants to recognize and treat as a sport. So that is sorta where NCATA / STUNT comes in. Both of those, in general and barring one glaring legal hurdle for STUNT, meet the definitions of sport set for by the NCAA to be recognized.

The end result of all these conversations is that cheerleading on the sideline will either get recognized as a sport and be able to do all the high flying abilities or get no sport status and be ground bound, essentially.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Wow, that is not the experience in Texas at all. Cheerleaders in our area live for Friday Night Lights and are very well respected by the fans and student body. In my experience, at the pep rallies and games, it is the tumbling and baskets that get the most oohs and ahhs. People here appreciate the preparation that it takes to choreograph pep rallies and the skills it takes to perform the stunts and baskets. There are some stunts and baskets that the Varsity squad does at every game. One game they didn't do it the "normal" way because they had a couple of cheerleaders that were missing. There was a whole bunch of angry fans when that happened...and believe it or not, there were even some that emailed the principal and head coach wanting to know why they didn't do it the "right" way.

Ah, the perks of being a Texan.

 

[TealShades]

Wow, that is not the experience in Texas at all. Cheerleaders in our area live for Friday Night Lights and are very well respected by the fans and student body. In my experience, at the pep rallies and games, it is the tumbling and baskets that get the most oohs and ahhs. People here appreciate the preparation that it takes to choreograph pep rallies and the skills it takes to perform the stunts and baskets. There are some stunts and baskets that the Varsity squad does at every game. One game they didn't do it the "normal" way because they had a couple of cheerleaders that were missing. There was a whole bunch of angry fans when that happened...and believe it or not, there were even some that emailed the principal and head coach wanting to know why they didn't do it the "right" way.

Wow that's awesome. It's funny that emails were sent out. In Texas do they have one team that does both sideline and competitions?

 

[JMW]

.... Sideline Cheerleading, while being certainly an athletic activity, is not a sport,....

What us the purpose of differentiating between an "athletic activity" and a "sport". What does that distinction matter to this discussion? What rights, privileges or responsibilities does (or should) a sport have over an athletic activity (or vice versa) and why?

I'm not trying to pick on you, but several people have made similar comments, and I don't get it.

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[John Butler]

What us the purpose of differentiating between an "athletic activity" and a "sport". What does that distinction matter to this discussion? What rights, privileges or responsibilities does (or should) a sport have over an athletic activity (or vice versa) and why?

I'm not trying to pick on you, but several people have made similar comments, and I don't get it.

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In my opinion, there should be no difference. I'm only highlighting that the definition of sport involves competition. Thus, athletic activities don't always involve competition and therefore cannot under the traditional definition of the word be labeled a sport. At the end of the day, it's all semantics. It comes down to your own definition of the word sport. Again, I am simply going by the "Websters" definition of sport: Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

This certainly is in no way meant to take away from the work, preparation, and/or physical activity that goes into sideline cheer. My oldest daughter was involved in both allstar cheer as well as sideline cheer. Both were very demanding, but only one falls under the traditional definition of sport.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

Wow that's awesome. It's funny that emails were sent out. In Texas do they have one team that does both sideline and competitions?

Our specific high school doesn't have a competition team, but lots of other schools in our area do. It's up to the school's policy if they have a separate competition team or not.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

So can ground bound teams still tumble?

 

[Official OWECheer]

So can ground bound teams still tumble?

In some cases yes, in others no. In this case we're talking both (but mainly about stunting). I don't like the idea of non-building teams, because then outsiders might try classify us as gymnastics. That would make my blood boil.

 

[TealShades]

Our specific high school doesn't have a competition team, but lots of other schools in our area do. It's up to the school's policy if they have a separate competition team or not.

thank you. So in Texas is sideline cheer the only one that will be considered at sport? If so what will happen to those schools that have competition team only? Will it change their competition season/state championship?

 

[njallday]

So can ground bound teams still tumble?

isn't Ohio High School cheerleading ground bound, but they can still tumble?