Five, six, seven, eight…is cheering all that great!? Many people at PVHS debate on whether cheerleading is should be considered a sport or just an activity.

   According to a recent survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations there are almost 400,000 individuals involved in high school cheerleading in the U.S. today.

   That’s 400,000 individuals that are involved in one of the most dangerous sports in the world. In a recent article from nypost.com, “Cheerleading is by far the most dangerous role for female athletes.”

   But just because a lot of people cheer, and it’s dangerous does that make it a sport?  The Cambridge dictionary defines a sport as “a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job.”

   Cheerleading is an activity that requires tremendous physical effort, and skill. Whether it’s stunting (throwing people in the air), dancing or doing 100 push-ups at a football game cheerleading requires the cheerleaders to be in great shape.

   Cheer also requires a lot of skill, and every cheerleader must be able to memorize at least 50 cheers in order to be allowed out on the field. Cheerleaders also have to follow many rules (all jewelry is prohibited during participation, nails must be trimmed at all times, no nail polish is to be worn on the field, and all stunting requires a coach.)

   Many people believe cheering isn’t a sport. When some people think of sports, they only think of activities such as football, baseball, and basketball. Adam Leavitt, a senior at PVHS agrees, when asked if cheerleading was a sport, he said “No, because when I think of sports, I think of competitive things.” That is the mindset for many students within PVHS.

   Many people also disagreed. Zach Thomas, a senior at PVHS stated, “Sure, it requires a large amount of physical fitness.” Christian Sears, another senior at PVHS, also agreed. Cheerleading requires every individual to work as hard as possible.

   Lloyd Otto had a different opinion on the topic “The way it started out, it seemed like a sport, but now it seems degrading to women and men.”

   Alexis Norman, a cheerleader from our school, talked about how it was difficult being a cheerleader. “You have to be super flexible, you have to be able to lift a person’s weight, you have to remember all the cheers, and you at least have to do a cartwheel.” 

   Cheering isn’t just about physical limits. Cheering requires spirit. It requires one to express to the whole crowd that you love being out there and supporting your team. It is about making the team you’re cheering for feel appreciated. It requires you to not only push your physical abilities, but to show genuine pride for your school.

   Mrs. Bridges, the cheer coach, believes cheerleading is a sport. “The students that go out for cheerleading turn into athletes. They start out not coordinated, but work hard and learn the game of cheering.” She said many heartfelt things about the cheerleaders from our school. “They have made such a difference. They work at what they do and put their heart and soul into it. They have pride. A true athlete is willing to work as a team and all of the cheerleaders have shown it.”

   Whether you believe cheerleading is a sport after reading this article, every cheerleader here has put all their effort into supporting our team. They all have worked hard and dedicated themselves to everything they’ve accomplished. They gone through many hardships, but have come out as true spirited athletes.