Is cheerleading a sport?

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A federal judge is being asked to decide whether cheerleading can be counted as a sport by schools looking for ways to meet gender-equity requirements.

The issue is part of a lawsuit filed by five members of the volleyball team at Connecticut's Quinnipiac University and coach Robin Sparks last year after the school decided in a budgetary move to eliminate women's volleyball in favor of a competitive cheer squad.
Judge Stefan Underhill also will be asked to decide whether Quinnipiac improperly manipulates the size of the rosters of its other teams to get around complying with Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in athletics.

Read more: Is cheerleading a sport? Federal judge may decide - More Sports - SI.com

Title XI is so screwed up. Can you believe we're actually having lawsuits about this now?

So you tell me guys? Sport or not a sport?

not a sport. you just train your voice :P

Yes, it is most definitely a sport, I have had chick friends who competitive cheer and they practice their *** off and they get injured a lot, this is competitive cheer I'm talking about.

To me no, but i guess other people can argue it due to competitive Cheer-leading having Scores, just like scores in basketball, football and other sports, they have judges which is equivalent to a ref in real sport and they have rules to Cheer-Leading so i can see it being argued but to me its not a sport and shouldn't be considered one.

I don't care if cheer-leading is a sport or not, all that matters is the looks and body.

Ummmm, Yes it very much is. I define "Sport" as a game that uses physical talent, mental ability and a team. Cheerleading has all of those. Some moves that cheerleaders do are just flat out amazing. I would really love to know why some people don't think it is.

Hell yeah it's a sport. They train really hard and are devoted to it a lot. Cheerleading is definitely a sport.

If baseball is a sport, cheerleading is a sport.

When in doubt, just look to see if its an Olympic sport.

Sorry football americano.

^Football would be almost impossible to play in the olympics. You would only be able to play about 2 games a day which would take way to long and you are risking multiple serious injuries with American Football being so damn physical.

It's an activity not a sport.

This reminds me of a huge debate we had in like 4th grade. We decided if its just cheerleading at a football game or something no. But if its competative cheerleading then it is. It was a pretty heated arguement

Originally Posted by ukfan339

^Football would be almost impossible to play in the olympics. You would only be able to play about 2 games a day which would take way to long and you are risking multiple serious injuries with American Football being so damn physical.

And NFL players wouldn't wan too risk an injury.... And on top of that we'd destroy everyone anyways.

Yes...it is a sport.


And so is Marching Band, don't laugh...both groups devote and practice just as much as any other team and perform even more with not only games...but separate competitions as well. In both activities you could get hurt and you have to stretch before you start. Laugh all you want, call me crazy, but its true and you will never have any idea it hard it is to do either one of those until you try it for a year.

Yes it is.

I used to deny this till I die.

My aunt has been a cheer coach forever and sometimes I go chill at her gym to hang with my cousin, who is now a cheerleader.

All the stunts they do are so damn hard, every jump and step needs to be FLAWLESS. All the times when a girl gets tossed in the air and does some crazy flip, again must be flawless no excuses.

if you don't agree, try it.

You cannot "win" cheerleading, therefore it is not a sport.

Originally Posted by nbajrproductions

You cannot "win" cheerleading, therefore it is not a sport.

Yes you can. Its called competitive cheerleading. Its a sport, you're an idiot.

Originally Posted by nbajrproductions

You cannot "win" cheerleading, therefore it is not a sport.

yeah you can. you can

Trying to not to be a homer but...The UK cheerleaders have won the cheerleading championship every year since 1984 except for 2003 and 2007.

I think competetive cheering can be considered a sport.
But just cheering at a game, probably not.

This^ If you're competing then it's a sport, if not, then it's not a sport.

Originally Posted by jeff3006

Yes...it is a sport.


And so is Marching Band, don't laugh...both groups devote and practice just as much as any other team and perform even more with not only games...but separate competitions as well. In both activities you could get hurt and you have to stretch before you start. Laugh all you want, call me crazy, but its true and you will never have any idea it hard it is to do either one of those until you try it for a year.

Exactly..