Why isnt cheerleading a sport?

Answer 1

The main argument for why Cheerleading is not considered a sport has nothing to do with athletic ability and more to do with the fact that cheerleading's scoresheet is too objective and that for schools it does not satisfy Title IX requirements

Answer 2

Cheerleading is in fact a sport. The dictionary definition of a sport is:an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, which cheerleading complies to . 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.