Cheerleading

There are varying degrees of professional opinions on whether Cheerleading is classified a Sport or a school activity. A dictionary definition of a Sports is as follows: an activity usually involving physical exertion and having a set form and body of rules, a game. Does cheerleading follow this definition? Answer is no. To me, a guy who has been active in sports through coaching and scouting, is that sports and athletic events, which basically are games, is defined by one short statement, when you keep score it is classified a competitive sport. No score is kept in cheerleading. But there exists competitive cheerleading events amongst schools and group of schools. Cheerleading is an excellent activity. In schools today, it is very organized, highly competitive, and the girls at the high school level work hard as a unit. In matter of fact, starting mid-August, these young ladies get up early, practice hard, runs laps, lift weights, and work out with intensity getting ready for the season. Least we forget, cheerleading is not strictly designed for football only. Cheerleading encompasses the entire high school sports season. It carries over into basketball and sometimes into the spring sports including both men and women sports. It can be grueling and the girls need to be in tip top physical condition and maintain excellent standards of flexibility. The cheerleading coaches at the high school level put in a tremendous amount of time and energy but their pay is not that spectacular. The cheerleading coaches do it for the love of the activity. Cheerleaders and the staff members deserves a tremendous amount of credit and recognition for the positive enthusiasm and great outlook that cheerleaders and the school band possess no matter if there team is losing or winning.