Poll: do you concider cheerleading a sport

[Serenegoose]

Of course it's a sport, in the same way that gymnastics is a sport. It requires a huge amount of commitment, training, and skill.

 

[Sanguinius- The Angel]

I said no, because it's cheering and dancing for the actual sport going on. However, what your 'no' option said, I believe to be false.

 

[Sanguinius- The Angel]

I have far more respect for cheerleaders than I do for Foot(egg)ball players, basketball players, baseball players, and soccer players.

Hockey, Rugby, and lacrosse get respect 'cause even if they're bleeding all over the ice, they're gonna finish their game.

Cheerleaders are tough as hell, WAY the hell tougher than the quarterbacks they tend to date, engaging in an athletic showing far more dangerous than the quarterbacks they tend to date, for far less recognition than the quarter backs they tend to date.

Go cheerleaders.

If this is a double post, I don't care. But saying that Football players don't get respect is ludicrous. Sure, the quarterback is most likely a wuss, but from a guy who's played on the defensive line and has broken fingers and still played? Yeah, no.

Also, I utterly agree with your statement about baseball, soccer, and basketball players, however.

 

[Burningsok]

Well there is no competition in it, except for when its competitive cheerleading. You do have to be in good shape to do it though.

 

[Jark212]

I would.
Do they train? Yes.
Do they compete? Yes.
Do they win stuff? Yes.

I think it is a sport.

I agree and will add:

Do they get more injuries then American Football players? Yes.

 

[Tanfastic]

Not in the traditional sense. But its along with chess and debate... technically "Sports" but not really "SPORTS!"

 

[Gudrests]

its not competitive so no.

Have you not seen the 'Bring it On' films?!

the thing is. there are 2 diffrent types of cheerleading. Cheering for a sports team = not a sport. And I also do not consider the "bring it on" movies to be a show of a sport either. In things like that there is no way to show who is the clear winner. The judges?.....so based off of the thoughts and feelings of 3,5,7,9,11 people 1 group is better than another. And yes i understand that Boxing and MMA are sometimes defined by a score by judges but that is still a sport. WHY??!!??! is it still a sport. Because there is a goal thoes people are trying to do. Simply, knock the other guy out. In cheerleading on the other hand there goal is to put on a show. It is the equilivent of saying Dancing is a sport. Yes there is alot of hard work being put into it, Yes these girls and guys try extremly hard to do what they do. But in the end it comes down to, Who do the judges think had more..."flare" or whatever in there routene. Even as much as i hate golf, It is people, competing to do something better than other with a set rule book and proof of who did better, To complete the course in less strokes than there opponent. Judges who will always pick who is the winner is does not make a sport.
So no, Cheerleading is not a sport, Golf,Wrestling,Football,Basketball,Tennis,Hockey, and everything elsewhere there is a set goal is.

 

[AdamRBi]

Ehhh, I'm going to say no. Not because it doesn't take skill, athletic ability, or coordination or anything like that. It's a performance art, like dancing.

 

[jamesworkshop]

I think the real reason this question comes up is the gender related issues that surround it. People want to think that because its an activity that typically doesnt revolve around men, that men dont consider it a sport. Cheerleaders are indeed phenominal athletes (went to school at a school whos only renown at the time came from cheerleading, as well as being involved with my kids school which is a consistent national cheerleading champion school. But not all people who play sports are athletes, and not all athletes play sports. Cheerleaders are indeed awesome athletes, who participate in exhibitions and competitions. They definitely deserve respect for what they do, but calling cheerleading a sport isnt a show of respect or disrespect.
some.

I disagree otherwise you would have people question wether

Tennis
Lacrosse
netball
gymnastics

were sports and plenty of women play them and play them well


Skillz

 

[Jamash]

No I don't consider it to be a sport.

At best I'd consider it to be Sports Entertainment like Professional Wrestling... at worst I'd consider it to be silly dancing and annoying chanting.

However, as it seems to be predominately confined to the Americas, I fortunately don't have to consider it at all.

 

[Godavari]

I think I heard somewhere that cheering was the most statistically injury-prone activity in high school. Not to mention the intense training that goes in to even simple routines. I'd say that yes, cheerleading is a sport.

 

[gbemery]

I would say that cheer leading is more of a sport than poker is. I still find it funny that there is a movement to make poker an olympic event.

 

[FinalHeart95]

Competitive cheerleading is. Cheerleaders in sports though? Not at all.

 

[viranimus]

I disagree otherwise you would have people question wether

Tennis
Lacrosse
netball
gymnastics

That might have been a misread. That statement is to explain that people tend to ask that question because people make the assumption that most guys only consider "guy sports" as sports. There are (im assuming only) guys out there who will see non contact martial arts as a sport, but refuse to see figure skating, cheer leading, gymnastics as sports, only because its not what they are interested in. I do not think that is the norm, especially if this thread is any indicator.

I dont think the level of sport is disputable in Tennis,or Lacrosse, and I had no Idea what netball was before this thread. I do refute Gymnastics as sport, but dont do it based on the notion that its a "girly sport" Nor do I think alot of people actually would..

What I do think is that people would ask a question like this assuming people are that commonly sexist and would make such an assumption. Again, if this thread is any indicator, most people are not.

 

[deadguynotyetburied]

Cheerleading is an athletic competition with rules and, in my humble, completely inadequate safety equipment. A sport in its fledgling state, it needs better oversight.

 

[deadguynotyetburied]

I do refute Gymnastics as sport

On the one hand, gymnastics fits as a sport in my book because it's an athletic competition governed by rules. On the other, I really wish they'd lighten up on the gymnasts. Most of the former gymnasts I know were nearly crippled by the sport.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I'm not sure I'd call it a sport per se, but more of an athletic competition. I tend to think more of sports as direct team VS team or player VS player matches. If judges or panels are involved, particularly if presentation and performance are included in the judging, then I find it hard to classify as a straight up sport. That said, I respect the heck out of what some of the competitive cheerleaders can do and I fully realize there's no way I could ever do what they do.

Somewhat off topic, but cheerleading is definitely more of a sport than some things that are considered sports like poker, darts or car racing.

 

[RN7]

If cheerleading is a sport, than anything that can done competitively, requiring skill and training would also be a sport. This includes dance, chess, gaming and ballet.

 

[Lionsfan]

Yes it is. If we're gonna call Golf a sport or swimming or running or gaming a sport then yeah so it cheerleading. If you have to train to be able to do it well and there's competition then it's a sport