Cheerleading Is a Sport

March 15, 2010 Cheerleading is a sport Do you consider cheerleading to be a sport like football, or any other sport? In most cases, many people tend to laugh at the idea of cheerleading being called a â€Å"sport†. People sometimes laugh because they are use to seeing cheerleaders cheer, and doing basic jumps only on the sidelines of games. In reality, they should know that cheerleading can be as dangerous as most sports. In the following essay I will be telling you why I consider cheerleading is a sport. Some part of the confusion on whether cheerleading is considered a sport or not; comes from the history of cheerleading. It all started during a football game at Princeton University. No one is sure about the date, but it is said to have started in the 1880s. At that time cheerleaders were limited to basic jumps. For example, back then they were only aloud to do cartwheels. Many years’ later competitions for cheerleading started. These competitions were not about what team can scream the loudest. These competitions were about whom can do the best stunts, have the most solid pyramid, and lastly have the best tumbling Many cheerleaders, coaches, and others involved in cheerleading, know that what cheerleaders do is just as challenging as other sports, For example, like cross-country, they run. Football players toss others, they toss girls up in the air, and the girls expect to be catch by their teammates. Like soccer players kick, they can have high kicks. Lastly, they can jump and tumble like gymnast. Cheerleaders also risk themselves building up pyramids. They are risking themselves because it can be dangerous when some one falls off or something might have gone wrong. Cheerleaders also have injuries through out the year and tryouts like all other sports. Cheerleading takes just as much dedication and skills as any other sport. Most people in this country would define a sport as an activity that pushes the individual physically and mentally to perform at their levels. And also to have some competitive component involved. Today, the games that cheerleaders attend for their school are mostly practice compared to the competitive events. If people doubt that cheerleading is a sport, they can easily take a look at some cheerleading squads performing a routine. People can go ahead and look at them on ESPN (the cable sports network). ESPN officially declared cheerleading a sport. They also began showing the national cheerleading competitions that were taking place around the country. In this show you will be able to see members of the squad leap across the matt’s. Also complete tumbling just like gymnast. Hopefully one day cheerleading will be considered a sport as football or any other sport to everyone in this country. Maybe even appear in the Olympics, since cheerleaders are just athletic and physically fit as those involved and accepted as sports.