Final Research Essay
Argumentative Essay: Cheerleading As a Sport
There have been many arguments on whether or not cheerleading should be considered as a sport. Many who are unaware of the world of competitive cheerleading believe that the sport doesn’t involve the physical and mental hardships that other sports do. Cheerleaders sustain injuries that many other athletes will never experience, let alone hear of. For those who think cheerleading is based upon appearance and peppiness, the truth is that this sport is about strength, skill, and bravery. In my opinion, cheerleading is a sport. When you are stretching yourself past your limits, lifting people the same size as you, and flipping your body in multiple directions, anyone who argues about cheerleading as a sport should try the abovementioned things first and then try to argue their position.
Many people wonder how an activity differs from a sport. The meaning of a sport refers to an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. When most people think about athletes and competitive sports, there is usually a lot of sweat, body contact and maybe some dirt and blood. By those standards, cheerleading is just like any other sport. Cheerleaders perform for short bursts at a time, giving their performance all they have, to do the best job possible. Cheerleaders sweat, but it is often masked by their quick movements, makeup, and lack of coverage when they are off stage. Whereas football players are often seen resting on sidelines with sweat dripping off of them. Cheerleaders have an ample amount of body contact, but for them it is part of the event-a requirement and a test of physical ability in many ways similar to boxing. From personal experience, there is blood and dirt, with scrapes, falls and broken bones. All in all, cheerleading may not be the messiest sport, but just because they look nice and perform in unison does not mean they are not some of the strongest and most talented athletes around-and well deserving of recognition of their craft as a legitimate sport. Forget the American stereotype of blonde, ditzy cheerleaders in tight sweaters pining for the muscled quarterback. The world of cheer no longer means sideline squads that exist solely to support other teams. They are teams in their own right these days, not so different from the football and basketball teams for which they traditionally cheer for. College and high school cheerleaders compete for state and national championships, while risking terrible injury. Cheerleaders get recruited for college scholarships, and in some cases they put in more practice hours than certain football teams. Although there have been very many arguments on whether cheerleading is a sport, it is now set in stone that this activity is in fact a sport. Shout this into the nearest megaphone: cheerleading, that uniquely American exemplar of earnest enthusiasm is now an industry!
The history of cheerleading offers some surprising truths about the sport. Today, cheerleading is a big part of nearly every high school and college sporting event around the country, and athletic squads vie for trophies and large prizes at cheer competitions each year. However, the history of cheerleading shows that the start of this sport is a far cry from the short skirts and athletic leaps seen today. Women started to become involved in cheerleading during World War II. At that time, cheering was limited to leading cheers for the crowd and doing a few simple dance steps with pom poms. Back then, the girls wore ankle-length skirts and varsity sweaters. The cheerleaders were normally the most popular girls in school because they were voted onto the quad, rather than having to try out. Cheerleading developed at a slow pace throughout the next several decades. Some significant changes from the past were the introduction of a few basic jump moves and the expansion of cheering to support other sports. However, a 1972 rule was passed and opened up competitive sports for female athletes; as a result, cheerleaders engaged in more athletic moves. Cheerleading uniforms also changed to suit this role. Baggy sweaters and skirts were replaced by more aerodynamic outfits that allowed the girls to flip through the air. “As the men left to fight in the war, more and more women emerged in the cheering arena. They added their own touches to the sport, introducing dance moves and routines that included gymnastic feats. When the men returned at the end of the war, they found that the popularity of women in cheerleading was irreversible. Cheerleading schools and workshops opened, and the interest in the sport grew exponentially.” (Cheerleading Tips). The development of the sport was rather quick. By a matter of time the very first stunts, tosses, pyramids and tumbling skills were introduced, allowing this once seen activity to evolve into a strong and skillful sport. By 1997, fifteen states recognized cheerleading as a sport. The sport drew widespread attention as stunts became more and more complicated. The final stamp of approval for the sport came in 1999, when ESPN declared that cheerleading was indeed a sport.
When considering the amount of injuries average cheerleaders sustain those who believe cheerleading is not a sport would most likely think the greatest level of injury consists of a sprained ankle. From personal experience, I beg to differ. At the age of fourteen, I suffered from a herniated disk in my back as a result of tumbling, jumping and stunting on a day to day basis. This injury did require surgery and months of physical therapy, along with me being told by multiple doctors that I would never cheer again. After being out of commission for more than 6 months, I returned to the sport I loved, discovering that my passion overruled my pain. Although I continued cheering for the next three years, my once had injury continued to stress a great amount of physical struggle upon my body. Even though my cheer career has ended, I am still brought to face everyday challenges along with a lifetime of back problems from this single injury. Those who think a majority of cheerleaders only sustain minor injuries are wrong. Many may not see such injuries because of the certain façade cheerleaders maintain. For fear of losing their spot on the mat or letting down their teammates, most cheerleaders will portray a brave front, masking a real feeling of throbbing and agonizing pain. “In a study published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, the authors conclude the number of emergency room visits for cheerleaders between the ages of 5 and 18 increased 110 percent from 1990 to 2002.” (Cabot). Although some would disagree, I believe that the argument of cheerleading as a sport can be defended solely on the amount of injuries resulting from this vigorous sport.
To me, cheerleading is definitely a sport. The passion cheerleaders have for the sport can overpower the many mental and physical hardships that cheerleaders face. Along with that, I believe that the amount of bravery and fearlessness cheerleaders have surpasses that of other athletes. Cheerleaders train for three hours a day, six days a week, for over half of a year. In the end, the routine may only be less than five minutes, but the passion cheerleaders have for this sport lasts a lifetime.
