Cheerleading Research Paper

Words: 580
Pages: 3

As I ran out to the track towards the crowd, I felt a rush of excitement. Who would have thought me Johnny Campbell would be the first to create an all-male cheerleading squad. It was the year of 1880 and Princeton was playing against Michigan University. We were finally able to get the crowd excited and involved. Because of the highly athletic nature of modern cheerleading, annual competitions were created to showcase these athletes on their own and away from the sidelines. Cheerleading should be considered a sport because it has a competitive nature, it has similar qualities to gymnastics and dancing, and it requires physical strength.
Cheerleading has a competitive nature to it, allowing cheerleaders to be involved in competitions. The United
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Cheerleaders are required to lift other cheerleaders in the air during stunts. According to Dave Csillan, “Pull-ups and push-ups are two of the best exercises for cheerleaders to safely develop and maintain upper body strength.” Most of the time the flyers may weigh more than their base or the same. Bases must develop the strength needed to lift and hold the flyer at arm's length above their heads and hold them there for extended periods of time. Being a base is a difficult task because it can cause strain on their body. Seeing girls that are not strong enough to do what they are attempting can result in painful injuries such as broken bones and sprains. The strength isn’t just about being able to move your own weight.
Although these points are valid, cheerleading is not a sport. The NCAA said in a statement Tuesday, "At this time, cheerleading is not an NCAA championship sport and currently not in the official pipeline for championship sponsorship." If the NCAA supports cheerleading as being a sport then it would change the way we view cheerleading. Cheerleading would only be for competing against other teams instead of cheering for them. Indiana University's cheerleading officials call themselves a support group, classified as a sport activity. They have no problem being with it being that