Many cheerleaders, coaches and others involved in cheerleading, myself included, are offended by such a question. We know that what cheerleaders do is just as challenging as the tasks facing any athlete. And we certainly don't need to prove it to anyone since our purpose is self-fulfillment and development. However, the goal of this article is to remind us of why we know the truth about cheerleading and deserve the respect given to other athletes.

So, why is cheerleading a sport? To answer this question let's first try to figure out what it means to be a sport. Definitions generally define a sport as a physical activity or athletic game. This type of definition does not tell us much and could really be used to justify virtually any activity as a sport. But we know that a sport must have more than just physical activity. The word 'game' implies that there is some structure and purpose. Thus, it is appropriate to say a sport is a structured physical activity. Finally, we should recognize the extent of the physical demands of a sport. Therefore, our definition will be that a sport is a structured activity requiring uncommon physical abilities.

Competition

It is often assumed that competition is necessary to make an activity a sport. However, I do not feel that this is necessarily the case. Many activities defined as sports do not have head to head competition like football and basketball do. Rather, each competitor performs on her own and is then compared to other competitors to determine a winner. A good example is gymnastics.

Physical Requirements

Anyone who has participated on a cheerleading team knows the extent of the physical requirements. Some of the traits of a good cheerleader include strength for stunts and pyramids, and flexibility and coordination for tumbling. Jumps, dancing and cheers also require physical skills. Remember that our definition notes the need for uncommon physical abilities. It is with these abilities that one excels and succeeds at a true sport. As a coach, I looked for athleticism, more so than experience, in the people trying out for my squads. I had no doubt that I could make a great cheerleader out of a good athlete with a positive attitude.

Categorizing Sports and Activities

It is often necessary for organizations (such as schools) to categorize clubs and activities for administrative purposes. Often, sports is a distinct category and includes most athletic programs. Traditionally, cheerleading has been left out of the sport category and included with clubs and activities. This is, of course, just an administrative categorization and in no way reflects the true nature of an activity. While this categorization may not help gain respect for cheerleading it can be an advantage at times. For instance, college athletics are governed by many NCAA requirements, which only apply to designated sports. Therefore, cheerleading programs that are excluded may not be subject to such complicated and burdensome rules. Some may say that if cheerleading was truly a sport then it would have been included with other sports long ago. However, we know that there are reasons why cheerleading developed this way. These reasons include: 1) Cheerleading's roots and continuing role as a spirit, pep or support organization, 2) Bias against cheerleaders and stereotypes which have no basis in fact yet continue, and 3) A lack of recognition of the significant changes cheerleading has seen over the years. Therefore, the inclusion or exclusion of cheerleading as a sport for administrative reasons has no significance in determining if it is truly a sport.

While we know, for these and many other reasons, that cheerleading is a sport I have found that it can be very hard to change peoples minds when they disagree on this subject. True understanding often times only comes with participation. I respect and appreciate the people who can see the challenges which cheerleaders face, both on and off the playing field. But the most important think is not the beliefs of others, it is the excitement, exercise and accomplishments which we get from our sport.

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