Is Cheerleading a Sport?

[lordvictorino]

Hi All,

Do you believe that Cheerleading is a Sport?

A Federal Trial is under way in Connecticut that may answer this age old question, “Is Cheerleading a Sport?”

The Quinnipiac University Women’s Volleyball team is suing its Hamden, Conn. school after university officials eliminated the team in favor of a more cost-effective competitive cheer squad.

The case could determine if cheerleading is considered a college sport under Title IX gender-equity requirements.

According to an Associated Press report, school officials for Quinnipiac said the benefit of a competitive cheer team is that it provides more athletic opportunities for women at a lower cost than a volleyball team.

Quinnipiac’s cheer team reportedly cost the school about $1,250 per roster spot in the 2008-2009 season. The team currently has 30 members. The volleyball team cost more than $6,300 per team member in the same season with 11 players.

However, the volleyball team is arguing that cheerleading cannot be considered a university sport under Title IX.

An activity is considered a sport under Title IX if it has coaches, practices, competitions during a defined season, and a governing organization. The activity also must have competition as its primary goal—not just the support of other athletic teams.

But Judge Stefan Underhill recognized the competitive attributes of the cheer squad, the Associated Press reported.

In issuing his injunction, Underhill said competitive cheer “although not presently an NCAA recognized sport or emerging sport, has all the necessary characteristics of a potentially valid competitive sport.”

Hofstra university head coach Christine Farina says there’s no question that cheerleading is a sport.

“They’re training rigorously five times a week, and they’re intense practices and they’re athletes, they are absolutely athletes,” she said.

Farina added that many squad members start developing their skills at an early age.

“There’s youth programs that these cheerleaders start when they’re five years old,” she said. “It is something that…they have the passion for it.”

Cheerleaders all over and their coaches are closely watching the case as the decision could set a precedent and affect schools and athletes across the country.

So, what do you think about this Sitch?

Please and Thank You,

Tony M. Victorino

[Nightspade]

Hmm, it seems the main argument those opposed to it's recognition is that Cheerleading isn't done primarily for competition. Rather to support a sports team, meaning the cheerleaders themselves aren't competing unless they are participating in a competitive cheer event. Those do exist, however not every cheerleading team competes (to my knowledge.) Does the existence of none competitive cheering squads disqualify it from being a legitimate sport? I don't think that question matters. What needs to be asked is...

"What is the primary goal of Cheerleading?" What motivates most of the athletes? What is the end goal that cheerleaders strive for every game?

[drakkenfan]

I would say cheerleading is a sport. I also think that dance is a sport. And yoga.

[Dr. Feelgood]

Jun 22, 2010 18:28:37 GMT -5 drakkenfan said:

I would say cheerleading is a sport. I also think that dance is a sport. And yoga.

Yes, yes, and no. I don't think there are yoga competitions (that would go against everything yoga is about, if I understand correctly). In order to be considered a sport, I figure it has to include A) competitions, regardless of if the majority of practitioners compete or not (dance being an excellent example); and B) some manner of athletic performance. If bodybuilding is a sport, then cheerleading sure as hell is too.

Coincidentally, Penn & Teller's BS had an episode just recently on the evil conspiracy that keeps cheerleading from being regarded as a sport. Summary: Blame moneys & myopic feminists with outdated views. EVIL!

[manofevil]

I've heard it said someplace that competitive sport is can only be designated a SPORT as opposed to a game if there is the possiblility of injury to the players. That is the reason why chess and poker are not sports in spite of the fact that games are broadcast on television. Given some of the gymnastic feats cheerleaders are called upon to do, I guess that cheerleading could be considered a sport. I would not however see it emphasised over other sports as in this case. That DOES smell a great deal like budget cutting based on sexism. In many universities, cheerleaders double as sexual offerings (unofficially) to the athletes who are part of big name college teams. This is sadly a practice which is done until it's exposed by some circumstance. In other words, the schools allow this until their caught. This practice at some schools has tarred the entire community in an unfair way to the point where a school that emphasizes cheerleading over other sports is certainly going to suffer a loss of female admitions. My two cents.

[Nightspade]

Ugh, how uncouth. Do you have any reports where this came out in a court of law? Or just news reports covering the subject?

[Nightspade]

Well looks like the Judge has ruled against Cheerleading's status as A sport.

cbs5.com/sports/cheerleading.title.ix.2.1818234.html

"
HARTFORD, Conn. Competitive cheerleading is not an official sport that colleges can use to meet gender-equity requirements, A federal judge ruled Wednesday in ordering A Connecticut school to keep its women's volleyball team.

Several volleyball players and their coach had sued Quinnipiac University after it announced in March 2009 that it would eliminate the team for budgetary reasons and replace it with A competitive cheer squad.

The school contended the cheer squad and other moves kept it in compliance with Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in education and athletics. But U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill disagreed in A ruling that those involved say was the first time the cheerleading issue has been decided by A judge.

"Competitive cheer may, some time in the future, qualify as A sport under Title IX," Underhill wrote. "Today, however, the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."

Quinnipiac has 60 days to come up with A plan to keep the volleyball team through next season and comply with gender rules.

"The athletes all look forward to getting back on the volleyball court for preseason in three weeks," coach Robin Sparks said. "As their coach, I feel fortunate to be able to work with such strong young women who are not afraid to stand up for their principles. It will be A joy to be back in the gym with them this fall."

School officials responded to the ruling by saying they would start A women's rugby team, but they refused to answer any questions, discuss the future of other athletic teams or say whether they would continue offering scholarships to competitive cheerleaders.

An activity can be considered A sport under Title IX if it meets specific criteria. It must have coaches, practices, competitions during A defined season and A governing organization. The activity also must have competition as its primary goal—not merely the support of other athletic teams.

Quinnipiac and seven other schools recently formed A governing body, the National Competitive Stunts and Tumbling Association, to govern and develop competitive cheer as A college sport.

Previously, competitive cheerleading championships were put on by two private organizations with ties to Varsity Brands Inc., which makes cheerleading apparel and runs camps.

Bill Seely, the executive director of USA Cheer, A national governing body for both sideline and competitive cheerleading, said he believes the ruling represents only A minor setback for the efforts to make cheer an intercollegiate sport.

"It's an opportunity to look at what hasn't worked and find what will work, so we are creating more opportunities for young women and not affecting other female sports," he said. "It's an opportunity to tweak some things."

During the weeklong trial last month, Quinnipiac had argued that if it could not count competitive cheerleading as A sport it might be forced to shut the program down, eliminating 36 positions on the squad.

Quinnipiac spokeswoman Lynn Bushnell said the school was disappointed its cheer team will lose varsity status.

"We will continue to press for competitive cheer to become an officially recognized varsity sport in the future," Bushnell said in A statement. "Consistent with our long-standing plans to expand opportunities in women's athletics, the university intends to add women's rugby as A varsity sport beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year."

The cheerleading issue was one of several Underhill was asked to decide as he considered whether the school had improperly manipulated it rosters.

He also found the school was underreporting the participation opportunities for its male athletes and overstating the opportunities for women.

Evidence presented to support an injunction A year ago showed the men's baseball and lacrosse teams would drop players before reporting data to the Department of Education and reinstate them after the reports were submitted. Conversely, the women's softball team would add players before the reporting date, knowing the additional players would not be on the team in the spring.

School officials have said any improper manipulation of the rosters has stopped. Underhill said things have gotten better, but the school "is still continuing to deflate the size of its men's rosters and inflate the size of it's women's rosters."

Underhill also agreed with the plaintiffs' argument that female runners who participate on school's indoor, outdoor and cross country track teams should be counted just once for Title IX purposes. The men have just A cross country team.

He said the women's indoor and outdoor track teams were "in essence, an adjunct of the cross-country team."

The judge had made the case A class action for all female athletes at the school, and the plaintiffs attorneys said it would have an impact far beyond Quinnipiac.

"This is A victory not only for the student athletes and their coach, but for women's collegiate sports generally," attorney Jon Orleans said. "We look forward to discussing with Quinnipiac its plan for compliance with the court's ruling."

Shawn Ladda, the president of the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports, said the ruling should send A message to schools across the nation that Title IX is not about matching numbers on A tally sheet.

"It's about the spirit of the law and it's about providing real opportunities for women," she said. "Fairness is fairness and manipulating numbers is not going to be tolerated. We need more decisions like this to push institutions to do the right thing."

"