Is cheerleading a sport?

Gina (Yes)

Because sport is defined as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature,” cheerleading embodies this definition and can indeed be considered a sport. Cheerleading routines require agility, strength, and endurance. They perform high-energy routines for long periods and showcase physical abilities such as tumbling, jumping, and stunts. 

Just as many other sports require players to learn plays, as in football or soccer, and specific synchronized moves, as in rowing, cheerleading requires memorizing multiple cheers and synchronized moves. This requires a great deal of practice and planning. Cheerleaders must work as a team, ensuring their timing and execution are done precisely and systematically. 

Cheerleading competitions draw huge crowds and have particular criteria in which they are judged. Many competitions offer scholarships and recruitment opportunities, such as basketball, football, baseball, and other recognized sports. The US All Star Federation (USASF), an organization for cheer and dance teams, has awarded $57,000 in scholarships. They also draw over 17,000 athletes from 27 countries to participate in their cheer competitions. 

Cheerleaders perform complex routines, including jumps, tumbling, and dance elements that demand significant athletic ability. This requires a great deal of work, including hours of training on overall physical fitness, taking gymnastic classes, and learning safety precautions to avoid injury. 

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) recognizes cheerleading as an Olympic sport. This means cheer competitions could be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. With petitions in play, it is only a matter of time before cheerleaders begin competing for Olympic medals. If the most prolific organization in the athletic world recognizes cheerleading as a sport, it is safe to assert that cheerleading is certainly just that and should be respected as one.

Luis (No)

While cheerleading is an important aspect of some sports, it cannot be considered a sport in its own right. After all, there are not many sports organizations in the world that recognize cheer as a sport, which has a massive implication since it prevents cheerleading from even showing itself as a sporting event.

Cheer should not be considered a sport because cheerleading is exclusively about entertainment. Cheerleading’s main function is to support the actual sports team competing and to engage with the crowd engagement. Because of this, cheerleading is entirely focused on performance instead of the standardized athletic requirements that people can find in almost any single sporting discipline.

Moreover, cheerleading has a limited season and structure, which makes it impossible to be considered a sport. After all, from baseball to basketball, every sporting discipline has defined schedules, structured leagues, and especially regular seasons. This doesn’t happen with cheerleading, which has a less consistent structure in terms of competitiveness. Additionally, cheerleading depends on other sports. Without traditional teams or sporting events, cheerleading wouldn’t be known in the United States as its main function is to entertain the crowd and primarily to support its team. Because of this, you’ll never watch cheerleading as an independent activity.

Finally, judging cheerleading in official competitions is always subjective, unlike any sport. Given this situation, there’s a significant lack of judging criteria, which makes it almost impossible to establish an objective and consistent standard for evaluating cheerleading performances. Cheerleading is a beautiful and entertaining activity that almost anyone can engage with and enjoy. However, it is a mistake to consider it a sport.