Cheerleading, Sport or Not?

Everyone gives cheerleaders crap. Always going on about how its not a sport and its easy. A lot of reasons people think this is because they only have seen sideline cheerleaders. Sideline cheerleaders have lots of ristrictions, they cant do certain stunts: "building performances displaying a person's skill or dexterity. Stunting in cheerleading has been previously referred to as building pyramids. Stunts range from basic two-legged stunts to one-legged extended stunts and high flying basket tosses". Also, Tumbling (flips and such) are limited due to the surface of the track. The purpose of sideline cheerleading is to have school spirit.

Sideline Cheerleading

But then there is Competiton Cheerleading. No, this is not sidline teams competing to be louder. A Competive Cheerleading team is way different.  They have a lot more freedom when it comes to stunting and tumbling. A routine for highschool consists of: a cheer, dance, multiple stunts, standing and running tumbling and jumps. There are different divsions just like any sport and depend on: number of people, if your all girl or co-ed, and if you tumble or not. Many student/people dont even know they have a competitive team and never see them compete, therefore they dont realize the work put into it. Comp team seasons last about 10 months out of the year, thats tryouts-nationals. Yes, you read that right, Nationals. Competive teams work to make their routine solid until its time to go to regionals, this is your ticket to go to nationals. You have to be scored high enough and in a certain percentile by judges on your score sheet to recieve a bid, a bid is like an invite. No invite, no trip to disneyland for nationals in Orlando. Competiton teams travel. Most go to a camp during the summer, then regionals isnt always close because, national judges come to watch and score, then of course nationals.

 Bring it on is the sterotypical cheer movie, but to be honest they do have really good stunts and tumbling. Kind of acurate...but sterotypical. Happy, peppy, pretty, and bitches....not all cheerleaders are like that.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10200506532891800&set=vb.1412051285&type=3&theater

The link above is a video of my team from last year,  reining state grand champions for the past 3 years! Ranked 6th in nation for small co-ed varsity.

The general public needs to realize what us as competion cheerleaders realize...WE DONT WANT TO BE CONSIDERED A SPORT. That would cause more restrictions than we already have and then state and regionals and nationals would all be controlled by indivual states. We couldnt practice on weekends....and the whole thing would change and it wouldnt be the same anymore. Dont get me wrong cheerleading is not easy its actually rated top for most injuries... its difficult,  you train and get in the best shape of your life because trying is for losers,  and you never have enough talent to win on talent alone.