All-Star "cheerleading's Not A Sport"

[ChoreographyInTheBack]

Any funny or aggravating stories about people telling you cheerleading's not a sport?

Any good responses to hearing those dreaded four words?

I know that people know not to say it in front of me... Unless they're prepared to head for the hills.

 

[ChoreographyInTheBack]

Ew meant to capitalize the C... But this was my most popular Facebook status and basically the reason everyone knows not to mess with me:

(Note: I am not the one who came up with this. It was passed along to me and I simply reposted)

Here’s to the people who say cheerleading isn’t a sport and that cheerleaders aren’t athletes. The very definition of sport is, and I quote, "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature." We practice just as much as you do. Every day of the week, 2+ hours. We condition, we run, we do ab workouts and pushups and planks. No, we don’t lift weights, we lift our athletes- and we hold them 10-15 feet in the air until our arms shake. Until our legs quiver. Don’t doubt the flyers either. We have more muscle than you seem to think. The amount of balance, leg muscle, and core tightness it takes to stay in the air is unbelievable to someone who has never done it before. We run full speed at nothing, then flip in the air, twist, and land on our feet. We jump. We jump high- without a trampoline. Concentrating on pointed toes, extended legs, tight arms, jump height, facials, and smiling… Ever based a basket toss? You get blood blisters on your hands. Softball sized bruises start to appear like magic. As for the flyers, if you’re not tight, expect to have your back jammed into your bases knee. Don’t forget about the backspots. We are the lifeguards of cheerleading. We save lives everyday. We get concussions, hit, and rammed into the ground. Without us, your flyers would be injured. Sprained ankles, broken fingers, and pulled muscles don’t slow us down. You practice like it doesn’t hurt. Now you have 2.5 minutes on a paneled mat. You have 1000+ people in the crowd every time you go on that floor. 4 judges. 2.5 minutes of horrendous physical activity and we make it look easy. Perfection doesnt exist, but here we go reaching for it anyways. You hit or you miss. Toes weren’t pointed? Deduction. Didn’t stick your tumbling? Deduction. Stunt didn’t hit? Deduction. You all think we’re the prissy girls who always have to have perfect hair and makeup. You’re wrong. At practice, we have messy buns and running makeup. Competitions? Sweats until we absolutely have to get ready. Do you think that cheer uniform is comfortable? It’s not… Sure the hair and make up is fun and gets us in the mood to perform, but ultimately it’s to unite us as a team. To be uniformed and have the same look. Think we don’t eat and are obsessed with being skinny? Good joke. We love food. Not all cheerleaders are mean girls who think they rule the school. We have really good grades and don’t hang out with the “cool kids” and go parties every weekend. We don’t all have starting quarterback football boyfriends or even any boyfriends at all. People see us as stereo types. It's wrong. Cheerleading is in the top 5 most dangerous sports in the world. Did you catch that? Sport. Proven to be in the Top 5 most dangerous, and you still have the nerve to say its not a sport? You’ve got to be joking. Cheerleading is something you have to want and work for. You have to love it and have a passion for it. So you doubt us? Fine. We’ll prove you wrong. Say we’re not athletes? Okay. Come to a practice. Compete with us. You’ll think differently. Say what we do is easy? Try it. I dare you.

 

[ssccxnce]

this is so much an argument as to why it should be a sport but i love it non the less, i believe i found it on the boards if im not mistaken
"I could go on for hours with the different details of what cheer has taught me but it all comes down to one thing. It taught me how to love. I never have loved anything more in my life then standing on a blue mat, putting my arms down by my sides, chin on my chest, and for a split second as I wait for the world to start turning again, nothing else matters. I can live my life knowing that I have been able to fully love something and enjoy it like most people never get to. It hasn't always loved me back, cheer has broke my heart, and turned my life upside down. Even then, I loved it. It is something that will always be apart of me til the day that I die."

me personally knowing what i have gotten out of the sport is more important then yelling at somebody why, ive argued with people too many times and i have realized they have their rose coloured glasses on much too tightly to see differently

 

[JulieP]

This one isn't worth the fight to me. I know it is a sport, and it doesn't matter what other people think. Easier said than done, but I just figure that ignorance must be bliss for them.

 

[dawn]

I was just told today that my daughter is a part of the "Athletic Dept" but isnt considered an "Athlete" ...Burns me up especially as all the "Athletes" were granted housing over the break, but the cheerleaders had to wing it even though it was "mandatory" that they be there almost every day for either a football game (Pinstripe Bowl) Boys basketball, womens basketball and on top of all that they had to practice for the UCA Nationals that they left for today. I think she got a total of 4 days off all winter break....but she is not an "Athlete??" The cheerleaders were there more than the "Athletes !!" ...Oh and I live 2 hrs away..Cant wait to see this gas card bill !!

 

[pailum520]

Whenever someone says that cheerleading isn't a sport I say "do a backflip" and do a standing tuck.

 

[Jay<3Rays]

My argument: Have you ever been on ESPN?

Stupid person:no...?
Me: oh. well i have.

 

[cheerKT]

I don't care if people think it is a sport or not. It really doesn't hurt my feelings at all. People are entitled to their opinion. As long as they don't doubt the hard work it takes. Most of my friends who don't think cheer is a sport still consider cheerleaders athletes.

 

[cupieqt]

I don't care if people think it is a sport or not. It really doesn't hurt my feelings at all. People are entitled to their opinion. As long as they don't doubt the hard work it takes. Most of my friends who don't think cheer is a sport still consider cheerleaders athletes.

Preach on. All stars is private clubs. School is a different story. Although I make my living coaching all star cheer, whether or not our extreme hobby is officially titled a sport has no real bearing on me. I'm still going to work every day and my cheerleaders will still be athletes.

 

[KB_Legend]

Since I feel like I'm already making enemies in plenty of other threads I figure I'll go ahead and jump in this one too.... I don't think cheerleading is a sport... I also don't think All Stars is actually cheerleading. A cheerleader is: a person who leads spectators in traditional or formal cheering, especially at a pep rally or athletic event... That's not what competitive "cheerleaders" do, and when someone is doing that I would say they aren't participating in a sport. What happens at the all star competitions that we all go to IS a sport in my opinion, but it's not cheerleading. Maybe thats a bit semantical, but I think it would benefit allstar cheer if it was known as something other than cheerleading...

 

[cupieqt]

Since I feel like I'm already making enemies in plenty of other threads I figure I'll go ahead and jump in this one too.... I don't think cheerleading is a sport... I also don't think All Stars is actually cheerleading. A cheerleader is: a person who leads spectators in traditional or formal cheering, especially at a pep rally or athletic event... That's not what competitive "cheerleaders" do, and when someone is doing that I would say they aren't participating in a sport. What happens at the all star competitions that we all go to IS a sport in my opinion, but it's not cheerleading. Maybe thats a bit semantical, but I think it would benefit allstar cheer if it was known as something other than cheerleading...

And I'm jumping from thread to thread quoting you. I 100% completely agree. We are not cheerleading, it's just what it's called. I call it all stars until we come up with something else.

 

[Aussiekat]

cupieqt I'm definitely gonna start calling cheer my "extreme hobby" LOVE it!