How did cheerleading become a sport?

Answer 1

There is much debate over whether Cheerleading is a sport. Based on the question I assume you consider it a sport and want to know why others with your like views consider it one too. As cheering became more about skill and athletic talent, and less about pom-poms and sidelines, people began to recognize that cheerleaders are athletes just like football players or gymnasts

Answer 2

The definiton of a sport is: an activity with rules or customs engaged in competitively, so if you are talking about competitive cheer then yes that is a sport. In addition, the flips and air stunts require specialized training and top physical condition.

Answer 3

Princeton graduate Thomas Peebles introduced the idea of organized crowds cheering at football games to the University of Minnesota. However, it was not until 1898 that University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell directed a crowd in cheering "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!", making Campbell the very first cheerleader and November 2, 1898 the official birth date of organized cheerleading. Soon after, the University of Minnesota organized a "yell leader" squad of 6 male students, who still use Campbell's original cheer today In 1903 the first cheerleading fraternity, Gamma Sigma was founded. Cheerleading started out as an all-male activity, but females began participating in 1923, due to limited availability of female collegiate sports. At this time, gymnastics, tumbling, and megaphones were incorporated into popular cheers, and are still used today. Today it is estimated that 97% of cheerleading participants overall are female, but males still make up 50% of cheering squads at the collegiate leve

Cheerleading involves: jumping, cheering, dancing, stunts and tosses (elements of lifting or throwing athletes into the air) and, tumbling(gymnastics). There are three different types of cheerleading: School( Middle, High, and College), Association(Pop Warner), and All-Star or competitive. Each has their own governing body. National Cheerleading Association(NCA) for High School. The United States All-Star Federation(USASF) and the International All-Star Federation(IASF) for All-Star cheerleaders. Cheerleading has come a long way since it's beginning and is n longer girls with pom poms shouting GO TEAM GO! With the addition of All-Star cheerleading and advanced stunting and and tumbling elements, as well as long hours spent each week at practice and conditioning, cheerleaders have become extreme athletes pushing their bodies to limits that most people only imagine.

Obviously these organization consider cheerleading a sport, as well as the athletes who participate in it. The NCAA(National Collegiate Athletic Association) has yet to recognize cheerleading as a sport even though it accounts for 66.7 of all female catastrophic sports injuries. ESPN recognizes cheerleading as a sport and broadcasts the NCA High School Nationals, as well as the USASF Cheerleading Worlds for All-Star cheerleaders. During the 2009 Worlds USASF launched it's Be An All-Star campaign promoting All-Star cheerleading and the sport as a whole. Plans have been made for cheerleading to be featured in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. For these athletes, this is their dream, their goal, what the strive for, what they live for. Cheerleading is their SPORT.

Answer 4

Because, cheerleaders help cheer on football and Basketball.