It is true that any fan can sit in the bleachers and root for their team. But knowing the chants by heart does not make them a cheerleader. Yelling along does not necessarily mean that they know all of the correct counts and motions that correspond to each cheer or that they are flexible enough to do the splits. Or that they can be in synch with the all the other members of the cheer squad at all times. In addition, another important skill required for cheerleading is stunting.
All true sports take a lot of dedication. Cheerleading does take a large amount of dedication just like any other sport does. Gregory Sean from TIMES Magazine says, “They train in the gym twice a week, not including time spent during games—or even the conditioning they do outside the structured practices.” While looking at things more in depth, two times a week seems to be a minimum amount compared to most teams. Many people say that cheerleading is not a sport because it does not involve a defined strategy, which is not true (Delp).
It’s more of a competition because you have judges, and not referees or umpires. The judges base the score usually on how many mistakes a cheer team makes and the kinds of flips and tricks they do. The more mistakes they make, the less the score will be on the score sheet. But, if you make less mistakes and your flips are very good the score will be very high. Unlike sports, there is no season or schedule where cheer teams face each other to try and win.
Title IX has several requirements to be considered a sport and all-star cheerleading meets every requirement given. The most important criteria for being recognized as a sport by Title IX is competitions during a defined season. All-star cheerleaders do have a defined competition season. Competitions run August through May with 51 sanctioned events to win bids (varsity.com). Regional competitions run December to March with the opportunity for teams to get bids to qualify for bigger competitions.
Many people have good and bad experiences about the sports or hobbies they love. For myself, cheerleading is one of those that I have excelled in due to the amazing coaches that have taught me. It is not only a skill, but a respectable title in my eyes. Although I have grown a love and passion for cheer, it was not easy at first glance. Unfortunately, failure came before success.
Cheerleaders have competitions which they physically work together to perform and compete to win awards. “The word sport is defined as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Tori Jackson). Also cheerleaders don 't get points by scoring a touchdown or making a basket, but they get points by performing a perfect routine, like other sports. “They also note that competitive cheer squads are judged on their skill--just as in figure skating, gymnastics, diving, and other sports” (pom pom shake up). Lastly cheerleaders have rules to follow just like football does, like no going off the mat just like football players can 't go off the field.
As a student in highschool, I contribute to numerous teams. I participate in cheerleading for varsity football and basketball. For cheerleading we all work together and create cheers and dances that we perform at games. We also are assigned to compose cheers by ourselves to teach the whole squad. I have been a cheerleader for three years now.
Competitive cheer teams preform a two-and-a-half-minute routine filled with elite skills such as tumbling, stunting, and jumps. Although people on the opposing side of this argument state that this activity requires
We’re not here to show you high school cheerleading. We’re here to show you the young women and men putting all of their free-time into a stuffy old gym. Trusting each other with their lives and defying gravity. We’re not here to show you the average athlete.
Cheerleading can not be done by one person, but with the help of several athletes. School cheerleading is also done to show sportsmanship and spirit. Cheerleaders are a reflection of their school, and must act like it. I promise to always represet the school in a positive way and to always show righteousness to each an every athlete. Cheerleading is not always seen as a “sport” by everyone.
Being cheer captain is a very important job not only is it important, but it comes with many responsibilities. Cheerleading itself is a very special privilege that people all around the world get to have the opportunity to do. Making the cheer team is one of the most exciting times of one’s life but becoming captain would be once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would be a pleasure of anyone. Becoming cheer captain would give me the opportunity to be a good image to the squad, showcase my leadership abilities, and motivate my squad to spread spirit all throughout the school. When I think of a cheer captain I think of someone who gets along with every member of the team and is well liked by every last person on the team to include the coaches.
Cheerleading goes beyond shaking poms and chanting cheers on the sidelines of a football or basketball game. In similarity to every other sport, with it come sprains, breaks, and severe injuries. In my mindset I was too well trained
What is Cheerleading? Many may think it’s a sport that you dress up, apply makeup, slick your hair with a bow, and simply put on a smile, and yell as loud as you can to keep the crowd pumped. Cheerleading includes all those easy and pretty factors, but it is also a sport that you stunt, tumble, and jump. Jumps and tumbling may seem really easy to many people, but there’s more work done than most might think is possible. Stunting is also a major element in cheer, and that’s what really pleases the crowd, but stunting takes tons of work.
Pom pom’s, short skirts, and lipstick. This is probably what first comes to your mind when you hear cheerleader. However, there is a lot more to cheerleading than that. Throughout these past four years Columbia athletics hasn't just taught me my physical strength, but also the values of commitment, hard work, dedication, leadership, and trust. These values have shaped me into the person I am today and I will continue to use these skills to guide me through my future life.
Being a cheerleader takes a positive attitude and the willingness to work hard! It takes commitment, self-discipline, and dedication. It takes energy and skill and it takes each of us working together to be our very best! Cheerleaders are role models at school and in the community.