Cheerleading Essay

You have been training all summer. You have been in the weight room almost every day and wake up so sore you can barely walk. You give encouraging words to your teammates and pump them up right before a game. You are tough and fearless when you take the field. You strive to do your best and want to win. How would you feel if every time you took that field your peers didn’t believe in you and did not respect your sport? Cheerleaders go to the gym and work just as hard as other athletes do, and are not receiving any credit. This makes us frustrated and let down. There are many aspects of cheer that people are unaware of. Being a cheerleader, you have to be able to tumble, stunt, be competitive, have teamwork, and most of all dedication. Cheerleading is a sport because it is physically demanding, requires teamwork, and is very competitive.

Because of the physical demand, skill set needed, and the rules set to tumble, stunt, and jump, competitive cheerleading should be considered an official sport. Yet cheerleading has rules, guidelines, training, and many other things other sports also include. It also is definitely a physical and contact sport which has caused countless injuries throughout the years of the sports existance. But, most people only know cheerleading as sideline (school) cheerleading and have not had a glimpse into the world of competitive (All Star) cheerleading.

Tumbling skills, endurance, and flexibility are important in order to become a competitive cheerleader. The world of cheerleading is often underestimated by the school jocks, nerds, and fellow classmates. However, what they don’t know is that cheer takes lots of time and training to refine. These skills will help improve your physical health and give you strength. Cheerleading can be a very competitive sport that everyone can appreciate, even if it means you have to put a bow in your

Many have seen her. Many know her. But who is the American cheerleader? Is she a blond haired, blue eyed sex symbol? Is she a drug-addicted girl with no brains and even fewer moral values? Maybe she is just your average, pretty, girl-next-door with a loud voice and lots of spirit. What is clearly true is that cheerleading and cheerleaders have evolved greatly over a century-long history. What started as one bold college student has turned into an activity with over 3 million participants (Brady 1); one that is backed by a $150 million industry (Williams 2). Modern cheerleading has come a long way from its historic roots, but large differences still exist between the iconic cheerleader, the stereotypical cheerleader, and the truth.

The additional four hours that she puts in of her own time consists of two private tumbling classes (lasting an hour a piece) and a two hour private lesson that works exclusively on her own skill set. There is a lot more proof that cheer is in fact a sport outside of practices, according to Varsity.com a sport needs all of the following characteristics for it to actually be considered a sport,

Cheer isn’t just a sport it’s like a second family. You learn many hardworking and problem-solving skills. You also learn how to fail and get back up from it. It’s not just mentally, it’s physically you condition and become stronger.

When people hear the word “cheer leading” they tend to think of a group of pretty girls frolicking around being peppy in short skirts and pom-poms while being optimistically spontaneous and enthusiastic without having to put in any effort toward a physical and mental state that challenges one’s ability. It never comes to mind, to question whether the fact competitive cheer leading is a sport. Being peppy is the common stereotypical outlook that has been put on cheer leaders. It can be seen as

In cheerleading athleticism is not required and competitions are not held. Cheerleaders participate in athletics as bystanders. They are there to support and entertain their school.

Over 50 high schools lie to athletes. Studies show that if teams practice and work hard doing athletic things that they should be counted as a sport. When it comes to school cheerleading if the school team doesn’t go to compete they don’t count as a sport very much, Just a “spirit squad”. When it comes to cheerleading schools say no. Schools should support cheerleaders because they compete, Practice hard, and do athletic things.

In the article “THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CHEERLEADER AND RITUALIZED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION,” I learned many things. The first surprising thing was the cheerleading started off as mainly a boy sport and now you don’t see nearly as many boys as you do girls involved with cheerleading and I think that is partly because in today’s society boys get made fun of for being a cheerleader. (Bennett) Another major thing that bothers me about cheerleading is that many girls get into cheering for the wrong reason, let’s just say that a lot of it is popularity. All in all there is so much you can argue on either side for cheerleading and hopefully schools are starting to see how cheerleading has changed into something other than rooting on your team, or competing for a national title.

Truth is, there are two very different types of cheerleaders. There are the traditional sideline cheerleaders who cheer on other teams for support, and then there are the competitive cheerleaders, who perform in front of audiences and judges to receive their own first place title. Competitive cheerleaders are just as much athletes as cross-country runners or gymnasts! Cheerleading is even expanding and growing into more than just a hobby. Erik Brady agrees when he writes in his article in USA Today, “The world of cheer no longer means sideline squads that exist solely to support other teams” (Brady). Cheerleading has grown extensively in the past twenty years. It now has its own magazines and web forums, such as Fierceboard or Inside Cheerleading. People join All-star cheerleading teams, which are just like travel club soccer or softball teams. The difference is that the hobby of cheerleading isn’t getting recognized for the sport that it is.

Cheerleading is a sport that many people don’t support in a way that they support the popular sports in most schools, like football and basketball. Cheering can open many doors and create an ample amount of job opportunities. By cheering you can also receive full ride athletic scholarships from many schools. A cute skirt and pompoms is not the only thing you have to work for when it comes to cheering. Just as any other sport you have to have a certain grade point average to try out for your cheerleading team and also you are held accountable for maintaining your grade point average with also being held accountable for remembering cheers, games day dates and events that you will have to attend with your team. Cheer teaches you many things other than being able to tumble and shout! As a cheerleader, you learn to encourage anyone that needs that boost of encouragement, we learn how to work together with other people. Your cheer team members will become your family!

Cheerleaders must pay attention to the games and be aware of what is going on in the game.

A cheerleader is a person who is a member of a group who shout out special songs or chants to encourage sports teams. (“Cheerleading”. World of SportsScience. Ed.K Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol 1. Detroit: Gale,2007.139-141 Gale Virtual Reference Library. 9 Nov. 2016). Cheerleading began in the late 1800s at the University of Princeton, in New Jersey. (“History of Cheerleading.” iSport Online.Cheerleading.iSport 9 Nov. 2016 cheerleading.isport.com/cheerleading-guides/history-of-cheerleading). Cheerleading was in fact created by men at this time. The men who started cheering were called “yell leaders.” Women did not start cheering until 1923, and since then women have dominated cheerleading. Cheerleading started to evolve

From an outsiders perspective one may see brainless and beautiful robots, which scream and perform neat tricks. This is not the case from the inside; cheerleading is so much more than that. Many people are under the impression that cheerleading is not a sport. I am the voice of reasoning that will let you in, and I will show you that cheerleading, in fact, is a sport. Cheerleading requires much physical demand from the body just as any other sport would. Cheerleading, in general, is a team effort. There are many sides to cheerleading, which make it a versatile sport. When it comes to cheerleading there’s more to it than what meets the eye.