The age old question - do you consider cheerleading to be a sport?

I'm pretty sure we got some mommas of cheerleaders, so hopefully this won't offend anyone.

Yes, it is a very athletic and competitive sport. Check out the cheer competitions on ESPN, and Google extreme cheer leading.

Ohhh I don't know...I think competitive cheerleading is a sport--they're doing physical activity and also competing, so yes, I think it could be classified as such.

I wasn't a cheerleader..but I danced for a million years (not dance team, but "real" dancing--ballet, jazz, tap, pointe) and never really considered that a "sport" - but I didn't compete...however, it's just as strenuous and physically taxing as any other sport, if not more so.

I think where there's competition and physical activity involved, it's a sport.

I think competition cheerleading is a sport. It requires a lot of skill and practice, just like anything else. I love watching the competitions on ESPN and what not.

I think it can be. I think when there are lifts and aerobatics involved it is definitely a sport. Without that, I think the most I would call it is a form of dance. I don't consider dance a sport.

I think competition cheerleading is a sport. It requires a lot of skill and practice, just like anything else. I love watching the competitions on ESPN and what not.

:yes Even high school cheerleading, or youth cheerleading is a sport though because they do compete and they do tumble!

See I feel dancing is a sport as well, ballet for example works out every bit of your body. It is beautiful but it is also a sport.

Ohhh I don't know...I think competitive cheerleading is a sport--they're doing physical activity and also competing, so yes, I think it could be classified as such.

...

I think where there's competition and physical activity involved, it's a sport.

:agree :yes

Yes it is.

i'd say YES i was in gymnastics and cheerleading from 2nd grade until i graduated. we went to all the big competitions to. i loved that stuff. i just sit there and stare at the tv now lol. oohh the good old days.

I think it is.

I will be honest. I cheered from the age of 9 until 18. I never considered it a sport until our middle daughter joined competition cheer. She practiced more for that than our son did or does for any of his sports.

Yes, it is.

As a mom of a cheerleader and a cheerleader coach...it most certainly IS a sport.

Yes, it is a sport - especially in the form it has come to be in today.

Yeah I do

yes!!

Heck yeah it is!

It depends. When I was in Michigan the cheerleading had no gymnastics or anything (just at my school) it was simply standing there shaking you're pompoms and people would call it a sport. I was VERY athletic in HS and I was like um no I think not. Then when we moved to Ky I saw was REAL cheerleading was all about and they tumbled ran and flipped it was HIGHLY athletic so yes I would consider it a sport.

yes.. I think it is. Even though I never did it.

Yes, it is a very athletic and competitive sport. Check out the cheer competitions on ESPN, and Google extreme cheer leading.
YUP. One of my BFF in High School, was the Captain of Cheerleading and the girl was on a mission with the sport. So while I've not been a cheerleader, they use to rock the house on our football games and yes, consider it a sport.

Yes its for sure a sport. Especially competition cheering. I can link you to my stepdaughters stuff and you would be amazed.

I consider it a sport when they actually do competitions and junk like that.

Otherwise, if it is just like my high school was, and they never do anything but cheer at football/basketball games it really isn't much of a sport.

Yes it is!!!!

I was a cheer leader! And yes i concider it a sport!! my coach had us doing laps with the foot ball players!!

I do think that competitive cheerleading is a sport

~*~Charity~*~

It depends. When I was in Michigan the cheerleading had no gymnastics or anything (just at my school) it was simply standing there shaking you're pompoms and people would call it a sport. I was VERY athletic in HS and I was like um no I think not. Then when we moved to Ky I saw was REAL cheerleading was all about and they tumbled ran and flipped it was HIGHLY athletic so yes I would consider it a sport.

my h.s. had cheerleaders like that too

I consider it a sport when they actually do competitions and junk like that.

Otherwise, if it is just like my high school was, and they never do anything but cheer at football/basketball games it really isn't much of a sport.

:yes

i'd say YES i was in gymnastics and cheerleading from 2nd grade until i graduated. we went to all the big competitions to. i loved that stuff. i just sit there and stare at the tv now lol. oohh the good old days.

same here. cheerleading is DEF a sport. a very intense one at that!

I consider it a sport when they actually do competitions and junk like that.

Otherwise, if it is just like my high school was, and they never do anything but cheer at football/basketball games it really isn't much of a sport.

I've seen schools like that that don't do anything but cheer at the games & even their cheers are very simple & they don't do many of them....usually only when the team scores.

The school I went to as well as the ones here in the town we live in are definately far from ones who just shake their pom poms & cheer. Even at the football games, they are constantly dancing, doing gymnastics, etc. Each time our team scores, each cheerleader has to do back handsprings. By the time the games ends, the girls are all drenched in sweat!

The schools all around here always are at competitions & go to camps during the summer.

We like watching the UCA cheerleading competitions on ESPN!

YES< I do believe so, my Oldest is competitive Cheerleader and she has better arms/abs and legs, then half of the kids around our neighborhood.

sure do i was one and i had to run and train just like any other sport plus lifting a human being 50 times a day at practice really isnt that easy

I consider it a sport. I could never do any of those things. Im not that athletic

I think competition cheerleading is a sport. It requires a lot of skill and practice, just like anything else. I love watching the competitions on ESPN and what not.

:agree I did cheerleading. I miss it alot. But I think it is a competitive sport. I mean the hours and practice the girls put in are alot. I loved being the flyer. But to a point it took a lot of practice on how you landed etc...

Yes I do consider it a sport very much so!!! My little sister is a cheerleader. She's been a cheerleader since 8th grade. She's the Captain of the JV squad right now. She was selected for the Nationals squad so everyone keep an eye out for the Euless Trinity High School cheerleaders when Nationals comes around in Orlando Florida.

I've seen the way she looks after a game and after practice... she's EXHAUSTED... she works SOO hard to be a cheerleader and her body shows it!

It's also one of the most DANGEROUS sports in my opinion. I see how many of those girls get hurt doing jumps, flips, tumbling, stunts and things of that sort and it's amazing. My poor sister has HORRIBLE knees and they hurt all the time, but she keeps going!! They run A LOT as well!!!

Ooh well I agree it is when there are actually competitions and such. But where I went, they never did. So I would definitely not consider the "cheerleading" at our school a sport. I mean, cheer and dance, and did a half time show, which mind you sucked ass. I did gymnastics for years and had considered doing cheerleading at school, but what they did never looked like much fun.

The competitions on tv look fun though. haha I would have done it if we got to do stuff like that. But anyhow, all in all I say it is a sport. But basic high school cheerleaders that just cheer at games. No, that isn't.

You know I would have said no a few months ago but now yes.

Breanna is in cheerleading and OMG. I never knew cheerleaders did so much stuff. They have been having practice since July and it goes til the middle of November. They have 2 competitions. They were supposed to have 4 but the organizations of 2 didn't have enough participation from other cheerleading organizations so they pulled the competitions.

I'm the team mom so I stay for the entire practice of every practice. I'm the only parent allowed in the gym so I also help coach. Especially on days when we're missing 1-2 coaches. I will do the cheers with them and their competition routine. The normal cheers and such are fine but when they start doing all their jumps I can def. feel the burn (mind you these are 5 and 6 year olds so it will get more intense).

So, ya, def. a sport.

I was reading through and saw something I wanted to post about. Breanna's cheerleading organization has been invited by the local high school to cheer at 2 of their football games with the high school cheerleaders. Each time the football team made a touchdown all the cheerleaders, theirs and ours, had to do push-ups.

Also, as a way to help keep order (it can get crazy with 14 girls that are all 5 or 6) they run laps on the third time we have to say their name for misbehaving.

A few of our girls have been or still are in gymnastics as well.

I definitely do. My sister was a competitive cheerleader all through highschool and she was a beast. She was probably one of the strongest people I knew, not to mention flexible. I know I couldn't do what she did.

Of course, I also consider drum corps a sport so my opinion might be a little more liberal than others :lol

I was my high schools mascot my Jr and Sr year and I actually lettered in cheerleading...so yes I do consider it a sport. To be on the team you have to put in alot of time and dedication to your team and school and you have to love what you do. It is hard tiring work, its not just jumping up and down and yelling its busting your a$$ for hours, 5 or 6 days a week and getting yelled at if you miss a step or turn wrong. But I wouldn't of traded the memories for the world. I cheered with the Football girls, Basketball girls and then they even got Wrestling girls our SR year and that was fun. It was hard though doing all 3 teams I had to learn all the dances and all the cheers along with them...thank god for different seasons!!

I cheered through out high school for every sport except baseball (which I went to anyway cause DH played) and I definitely consider what we did a sport. I busted my butt 6 days a week sometimes twice a day. We conditioned like every other sport, practiced routines, and did stunting and tumbling on top of going to ALLL those games. We were outrageous. Oh and we competed twice a year. Which were extra practices on top of all that madness. Cheer helped me build up a base of muscle tone that keeps me going now even though I'm not as active. I miss it so much sometimes. Sigh.

I think when the cheerleading involves doing more than jumping up and down and yelling cheers like it was at my high school, then YES ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT its a sport.
sport is active compitition!
i always wished my high school had better cheerleading... BUT we had a dance team that always did competitions... i think our team usually went national... not sure though.
the big news at my school was always football :rolleyes