<p>What would be the point of creating a definition of “sport” that excludes certain sports?</p>
<p>It can impact how it’s funded especially at the high school level.</p>
<p>Scoring can’t be the only criteria, otherwise tiddly-winks and poker would be sports.</p>
<p>From what I remember of gymnastics from the Olympics this year, it has moved to a more objective scoring system where each move is worth a certain amount and you get deductions for mistakes. It is still judged by humans, but at least we don’t have jokes about the “East German judge” any more. IMO it is definitely a sport.</p>
<p>And I seem to remember that some commentators were complaining that the artistic side is waning because you don’t really get scored on it any more. So you can’t please everyone I guess.</p>
<p>It sounds odd, but to me what makes something a sport is that we collectively have decided something is a sport, and therefore people strive to compete at the highest level. And at the highest level, you have to be a world-caliber athlete in order to be competitive, which is what makes tiddly-winks and poker “competitions” rather than “sports”.</p>
<p>Golf is right on the edge IMO, because you clearly don’t need to be a world-class athlete in terms of strength or speed, but the hand-eye coordination, body control, and mental aspects may push it over the “sports” line. Car racing is another one.</p>
<p>When I watch Olympic ice dancing, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline, I think that if they are sports, cheer should be also. Pairs acrobatics and power tumbling should be sports under the same line of thinking.</p>
<p>All star cheer does appear to be judged more objectively than competitive dance.</p>
<p>I do think competitive cheer should be an NCAA sport.</p>
<p>Cheerleaders need to get a championship cheerleading squad’s photo on the front of a box of Wheaties to gain true sports status! :)</p>
<p>Coming from a current high school cheerleader:
Yes, we cheer at football, basketball, and wrestling games. However, most of our time of the twelve month season is spent practicing for and competing in competitions. Our acrobatics skill is actually much higher than the skill level of our school’s gymnastics team, and we have the most sports related injuries in our school.
So, if asked by a peer, I would say “Yes. Cheerleading is a sport.”
But if asked by administration, I would say “No.”
This is because sports teams have regulations on practice hours and safety. There is no way that cheerleaders could do what they do if so many regulations were imposed.</p>
<p>My niece won 3 National NCAA dance championships (the one where 20+ girls are doing kicks and in sync with each other…is the real difference that cheering is done in support of a team vs the purpose of the team?</p>
<p>I consider dance more of an art than an athletic activity, although you do need athleticism. </p>
<p>For me, in order for it to be a sport it needs to be a competition and also athleticism needs to be the primary skill tested.</p>
<p>Our high school treats it as one, though all 3 cheer teams (football, basketball and competition) are the chant, clap, kick sort with one or two tumblers doing the occasional flip. It satisfies a gym requirement, counts towards the Title IX requirements (which our HS doesn’t actually meet but it’s getting there), everything other sports do. Our HS also considers bowling a winter sport, and golf, and marching band will get you out of the gym requirement too.</p>
<p>To me, simply describing it as “football cheer” and “basketball cheer” aka “fall” and “winter” says to me that this activity is primarily about supporting other sports, not being a sport in and of itself.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why it matters whether cheerleading is a sport.</p>
<p>^^^^^Money and rules and regulations regarding safety and other policies, from what I’ve read on this thread.</p>
<p>I have a friend that does competitive cheer in the UK and she is more of an athlete than anybody I have ever known.</p>
<p>At a high level, cheerleading is choreagraphed gymnastics. That’s why female college cheerleaders were most often gymnasts in high school (and the men wrestlers so they are able to throw the girls up in the air and catch them.) Most of the time (KaiRaiste excluded), high school cheerleading is more of a dance routines.</p>
<p>A t-shirt that I used to see at dance competitions says: “If dance were easier, they’d call it football.”</p>
<p>OTOH, my brother’s criteria (originally propounded for figure skating, but could be expanded to include cheer and dance) is: “If it involves sequins and makeup, it’s not a sport.”</p>
<p>I get to spend Sunday at a cheerleading competition. 27 teams. We’ll see if I survive ;)</p>
<p>^ hops that is most likely one of the few sporting events that I would actually enjoy watching! (former dance mom here).</p>
<p>Competitive cheerleading, I while heatedly agree is a sport. I cheered for 15 years at the competitive level with one of the best teams in the nation and believe that is a sport, while I don’t view school cheerleading in the same regard. I was awarded a scholarship to cheer for uni. </p>
<p>As for comments about making things non permissible as being dangerous, cheerleading had many rules depending on the level for what is and isn’t ‘legal’ for the division.</p>
<p>Also there are colleges teams that compete in a fashion very similar to gymnastics now. With a scoring system.</p>
<p>I think people fail to realize there’s a staunch difference between competitive cheerleading, and sideline cheerleading.</p>
<p>Just for a little taste of competitive cheerleading… </p>
<p>YouTube “Maryland twisters f5 worlds 2012 day 1”</p>
<p>But I’ll step out cause I know I’ll get heated haha</p>
<p>(Also, a former gymnast and skier who got to ski with the us ski team)</p>
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<p>That’s called All-Star cheer. You can’t take all of the glitz and rah rah out, that’s part of it, but these kids are certainly doing a sport: [Top</a> Gun Open Lvl6 NCA All-Star 2011 - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyetD3ycg1Q]Top”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyetD3ycg1Q)</p>
<p>I’d like to see a golf or fishing pro -those are “real” sports - try it!</p>
<p>That said, now that my DD is in college, I am beyond relieved that she is finished with competitive cheering.</p>