Is Cheerleading A Sport

734 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Research essay on influence of gender on sports

Cheerleading is not considered a sport because we live in a country founded on sexism. Picture a cheerleader, what does she look like? What is she doing? More often than not, people will think of a snob nosed blondie who is doing nothing more than shaking her pom-poms, which is farther from the truth. Cheerleaders put in a lot of time, sweat, blood, injuries, and stress into perfecting the complex craft. This work is discredited every time some ignorant person says that they don’t feel that cheerleading isn’t a sport especially compared to traditionally male oriented sports. Someone needs to talk about the misogynistic undertones of bashing cheerleading as a sport, while I might not be a woman that does not mean I cannot be a rational civilized …show more content…

Cheerleading used to be only the mean popular girls, but that is no longer the case. In its creation cheerleading was only for male enjoyment – unfortunately – during the “actual” sports in short skirts. This objectification allowed for men to categorize cheerleaders as sex symbols only, but it also caused some other women to resent them. This could be either out of jealousy or because they believe that women were being degraded in the sport. A journalist from US Weekly Racheal Abrahamson, wrote an article criticizing the required look for tryouts at the University of Washington as a, “trip back to the 1950’s.” The main reason as to why cheerleaders are sometimes very revealed is because the sport requires so much flexibility and motion that even in cold weather you will be sweating. On top of that who is one woman to judge another for what she is wearing. If anyone is to blame it is sexist men who create this sexualization of the tiniest sliver of skin that is on a woman’s body, because she is then condemned as a descendant of Mary Magdalene.
Most of the resources I plan to use will be from blogs, medical journals on injury, court appeals, and coach handbooks. Since a lot of the decision to move cheer to be classified as a sport is opinion, I will use opinions of my own as well as others. Not many, if not no academic journals exist on sports let alone cheerleading, but since the injuries behind cheer are well documented I could compare them to other sports. Believe it or not cheerleading is classified as the most dangerous sport for women, even though it is not only for women, by Dr. Fred Mueller an expert on injury for the University of North

Show More
Related

  • Cheer leading .vs. Lacrosse

    602 Words  | 2 Pages

    Comparing two very different sports, Cheerleading .vs. lacrosse. Out of the two sports Lacrosse is more athletically challenging and competitive sport. While cheerleading is also a athletically inclined sport it does not require as much training. I personally prefer to play lacrosse because I like to be involved and more active. By the end of this paper I will prove that lacrosse is the better sport.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Jomms Vs. Pukes

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the article “Jocks vs. Pukes,” by Robert Lipsyte boys and girls both play sports. “ Boys- and more and more girls-who accept Jock Culture values often go on to flourish in a competitive sports environment that requires submission to authority, winning by any means necessary and group cohesion,” says Robert Lipsyte. In Kate Nolan’s article boys are only allowed to play sports. Kate Nolan mentions, “A lot of people like to justify women’s supporting role in sports media by saying, “Well, they’ve never played the game, so they just aren’t qualified to speak about it.” Women are known to not play football because coaches never give them the chance to try. Another difference is Bill Stowe in the article “Jocks vs. Pukes” Stowe is tired of fighting for what he believes in because people are still ignorant. For instance, “It’s time to give up the torch,” he says. “People are still living in ignorance, but I’m not running it up the flagpole anymore. Life’s too short to fight,” says Bill Stowe. However, Kate Nolan wants to stand up for the females out there. For example, “I wanted ask him why, when the NFL’s always talking about growing their audience and penetrating new markets, why would he not consider a larger suspension for Ray Rice to send the message to the untapped marker of female fans that the NFL actually cares about them,” says Kate Nolan. Furthermore, in Lipsyte’s article it mentioned that women are one-hundred percent included in being part of a winning team. “The drive to feel that sense of belonging that comes with being part of a winning team- as athlete, coach, parent, cheerleader, booster, fan-is a reflection of Jock Culture’s grip on the male psyche and on more and more women,” says Lipsyte. In Nolan’s article women can only be involved in certain things like reading headlines, assisting their male colleagues with sports related issues, and guarding the sidelines. “Women in sports television are allowed to

    Read More

  • All Star Cheerleading Comparison Essay

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    School set regulations and the coach then make their own rules. An important part of the "cheer look" are, of course the uniform, cheer bows. Hair, nails, and make up are required to be natural on most squads. The uniform is school color except on special occasions, such as Breast Cancer Awareness month. White, athletic, cheer shoes are on every foot ("Cheerleading Uniform Decoration"). Pom-poms, different sizes and color for different squads, are a part of almost every routine. School that have a historically black culture can be seen with slouch

    Read More

  • Cheerleaders Essay

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ironically, cheerleaders get the name of a “snob” or a “brat”, however a cheerleaders job is to bring positivity and spirit to their school. To be conceited or a bully is the complete opposite of what a cheerleaders job is; which means their primary responsibility is to pump up the student body for the big game or to get others involved and support school functions. Aside from the stereotype that cheerleaders are snobby, another assumption is that cheerleaders only hang out with other cheerleaders, that they are very exclusive. In films, cheerleaders are seen as the girls that always sit at the same lunch table and no one else is allowed to sit with them, or the ones that walk the halls in the same cluster while they laugh and gossip about other girls. A cheerleader is taught to be inclusive and to get others engaged in activities throughout the school, and if cheerleaders are pushing others away by being exclusive they are not doing their

    Read More

  • Narrative Essay About Cheerleading

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Movies portray cheerleaders as the popular girls that everyone likes and aspires to be. But when reality hits at Salem High School, it’s a completely different story. Cheerleading was taken as a joke by the other athletes and even students. It was considered a hobby, but to me it was a passion and something I worked hard to be. Being on the cheer squad in high school was difficult to deal with in school because we were constantly being snubbed by the other athletes and students in our school ever since we were kids in junior high which should not happen because everyone has the right to do what they love and they should not be judged for it being different than everyone else. It was always us versus them up until my junior year of high school when we finally earned the respect of our peers.

    Read More

  • High School Cheerleaders

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Last year, during one of my high school’s football games, a couple of students approached my friend and I. “Why do we need cheerleaders?”, “Don’t you think you guys are sort of distracting the football players?”, were the questions directed towards us. Because of my timid freshman self, I was unable to answer their question at the time. Why exactly did Cheerleaders matter? As the year went on, I couldn’t help but notice the drastic effects the

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Why Is Cheerleading A Sport?

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    A study has found and proven that as a result of the amount of contact activity involved with cheerleading, “two thirds of very serious sports injuries suffered by girls in the United States” (Global Issues in Context). This inevitably highlights the rigors and risks cheerleaders endure as a result of their participation. In effect of cheerleading not being recognized as a sport and cheerleaders not being recognized as athletes, there is little awareness and support for the injuries cheerleaders encounter. Furthermore, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, “cheerleading is also among the top 20 sports with highest rate of head injuries” (Huffington Post). These head injuries include but are not limited to skull fractures, cervical spine injuries, brain injury, concussions, paralysis, and in severe cases, death. Nonetheless, as a result of cheerleading lacking recognition, injuries are typically underestimated despite their severity. It is important to consider the exertion a cheerleader must put in when completing a stunt. Being tossed or held in the air is the flyer who is then supported by two bases and a back spot. Despite being held up by a minimum of four people, one wrong move can result in the stunt collapsing, which can sometimes result in injury to both the

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Competitive Cheerleading

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many think of cheerleading as just an activity which is nearly mindless. They do not recognize the hard work and skill that is crucial in becoming a first-class cheerleader. They believe that there is no ability or athleticism that is needed. They almost demean cheerleaders as unintelligent. They believe that cheerleaders are only out to look pretty and to entertain a crowd.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: Is Cheerleading A Sport?

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    By doing this, the school districts are portraying the message that cheerleading is a joke, and that it isn’t a real sport. It sets stereotypes for cheerleaders, and they have to work to overcome those stereotypes everyday. The school districts all over the US not classifying cheerleading as a sport are in the wrong. For several reasons, all school districts should recognize cheerleading as a sport.

    Read More

  • Cheerleading Persuasive Essay

    1257 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every sport has a strategy to win. On a competitive cheerleading team there is indeed is a way to keep score, therefore a way to win. There are many different score categories that make up a total score such as difficulty, style, tumbling, stunting, dancing, and sharpness of motions. When a squad messes up or makes mistakes, judges can deduct points from the overall score to make it known that a mistake occurred. This is similar to a foul or a flag on a play. There is a maximum amount of points that you can receive, but earning a perfect score is very hard to do. In the cheerleading world, the point system that can be so close and differ so little from other teams. Scores can differ as little as a tenth of a point to one hundred points or more. There is a winner and a loser just like sports that are classified as a sport or the ones that are competed on in the Olympics. Colleges are very biased when it comes to giving out scholarships and classifying cheerleading as a sport. It is very hard to attend college on a cheerleading scholarship. Most colleges make cheerleaders pay out of pocket for being on a cheerleading team. The college squads still compete for national titles and high school cheerleading teams still compete for state titles just like any other sports team would. It is all political when it comes to college sports due to the statistics of colleges and how the athletic department divides their money. Sports that are recognized as

    Read More

  • Cheerleading is a Sport

    2203 Words  | 5 Pages

    Cheerleading is one of America’s oldest activities. Cheerleading started in the late 1880’s by all-male “pep clubs.” During a football game in 1898, Johnny Campbell was the first “cheerleader” to grace the field by leading the crowd in a now popular University of Minnesota chant. Afterwards, squads began to start up in colleges throughout the country as “yell leaders.” Although cheerleading is a considered a female sport, women didn’t show up on cheer squads until 1923. Female cheerleading became more frequent due to World War Ⅱ (Purvey). Many famous people are known to have been a part of a cheer squad, including George W. Bush who was “head” cheerleader at Phillips Academy in 1968 (Tho...

    Read More

  • The Complishment Of Cheerleading

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    The best leadership accomplishment that demonstrates my potential to make significant contributions to the campus community and broader society is cheerleading. Cheerleading has made a huge impact on my life and has created many opportunities for me. It has paved the way for my high school career. Cheerleading provided me with opportunities to lead, volunteer, perform and show the athletic ability of our squad.

    Read More

  • Cheerleading Is A Sport

    1579 Words  | 4 Pages

    The New York Times states that cheerleading is the fastest growing girls’ sport, yet more than half of Americans do not believe it is a sport. A sport is defined as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature” (dictionary.com). Cheerleading at a competitive level is physically demanding and requires team work to be the best. The misconception of cheerleaders being weak, nonathletic crowd entertainers makes people believe cheerleaders are not athletes and that cheerleading is just a hobby but cheerleaders that compete at a competitive level are in fact athletes because it meets the standards of what a sport is, which includes rules and regulations, and overcoming air resistance.

    Read More

  • Cheer Uniforms Persuasive Essay

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    The uniforms are fitted to your body while you are standing up, that doesn’t even count how disturbing it is while you are sitting down. Skirts are bound to “ride up” showing things that could be disturbing. Even if you do wear leggings underneath, you still have the tight, itchy top. Since most schools use short sleeve or t-shirts, it gets very cold very fast. Everybody knows that zip up sweatshirts just is not as warm as thick, heavy, sweatshirts. Even if the cheerleading coach purchases new t-shirts or long sleeves. They still are uncomfortable. The uniforms might be warm, but usually, the uniforms are itchy. If they are warm when you go outside, how do they feel inside with about 30 sweating 8th-grade kids? Your cheerleaders will be head to toe with sweat in a matter of seconds. Even if they are comfortable, some cheerleaders would rather wear their normal clothes from home than the ones provided by the school. Students have clothes at home that are more their style and more comfortable to

    Read More

  • Cheerleading Through the Eyes of a Cheerleader

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Is Cheerleading A Sport

Open Document