Cheerleading is the fastest growing women's sport, yet many Americans think it can't satisfy the standards and qualifications of a sport. In addition, they fail to distinguish between sideline cheerleaders and competitive ones. Sideline cheerleaders' main goal is to entertain the crowd and lead them with team cheers, which should not be considered a sport. However, it is true of competitive cheerleading.
Competitive cheerleading includes lots of physical activity. Cheerleaders must learn to fall and perform many complex actions, like lifts and tosses. This is where the "fliers" are thrown in the air, held by "bases" in different positions that require strength and cooperation with other teammates. The whole routine has to be completed in less than three minutes and 15 seconds and the cheerleaders are required to stay within a certain area. Just like gymnasts, they are awarded points for difficulty, technique, creativity and sharpness. Cheerleading is a team sport, so without cooperation, first place is out of reach.
Cheerleading is the major cause of serious sports injuries to women due to the fact that cheerleaders always perform without any equipment to protect them. While many athletes in other sports are well protected, smiling cheerleaders are tossed into the air and fall down into the arms of trusted teammates. The fliers must remain tight all the time so that their bases can catch them safely. Because cheerleading is not recognized as a sport by many schools, proper equipment isn't provided to ensure safety. Therefore, more recognition of competitive cheerleading as a sport would decrease the number of injuries.
Competitive cheerleading is a physical activity governed by rules under which a winner can be declared and its primary purpose is to compare the skills of participants. Hopefully, cheerleading will become as well-known a sport as football and basketball, and even appear in the Olympics since cheerleaders are just as athletic and physically fit as those involved in the more accepted sports.
