Cheerleading Is a Sport

Cheerleading is a Sport

Cheerleading is a sport, not an activity or hobby. Cheerleading is a very dangerous sport and injuries are extremely common. Cheerleading also involves many skills and techniques. Lastly, cheerleading involves multiple intense competitions. Cheerleading meets all the expectations of a sport and the definition of a sport; cheerleading is just as hard, if not harder, than any other sport.

Cheerleading is a very dangerous sport. “Emergency room visits for cheerleading are five times the number than for any other sport, partially because they do not wear protective gear”(Renee R.). In cheerleading, flyers, the girls who are tossed and held into the air while doing different body positions, have to be thrown into the air and rely on her teammates to catch her so she does not fall on the ground, as well as, becoming injured. When a flyer falls on the ground, it can be extremely terrifying and dangerous. Neck and head injuries are common for flyers. If the fall is serious enough, death can occur. Back spots tend to receive multiple elbows to their faces and they get the wind knocked out of them when the flyers fall on their chest. Bases also get hit in the face with flailing limbs when the flyer comes down from a stunt. In multiple cases, back spots and bases will get broken noses. Cheerleaders commonly end up with knee, wrist, ankle, and back injuries. Tumbling gives cheerleaders injuries as well. When cheerleaders tumble, the usually end up with ankle, wrist, and in bad cases, neck injuries. Competitions are also very dangerous. “They say that national cheerleading competitions, in which teams choreograph high-risk routines for high-pressure performances that are measured against those from other schools, aren't enough to make it a sport”(Drehs). When a cheer squad competes, they work harder than ever and push themselves over their limit in order to win the competition. Cheerleaders get injuries in competitions because they have complicated tumbling sequences, lift girls above their heads, jump, dance, and run around without flaw for 3 minutes. A lot of cheerleaders have asthma attacks and get a lot of other injuries while they are competing. Although injuries may occur while on the competition floor, cheerleaders have to put a smile on their face and pretend like nothing happened until they get off the mat. Cheerleading can cause terrible injuries and be extremely dangerous.

Cheerleading is also a sport because it involves multiple skills and techniques. Memorization is a huge skill necessary for cheerleading. Cheerleaders have to memorize a 3-minute routine by using eight-counts. Every motion, stunt, jump, tumbling sequence,