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Cheerleading Concerns

All right, I know the debate of whether or not cheerleading is a sport has plenty of people who support both views. I’ve seen cheerleaders participate and compete all the way up through the collegiate level and I think the twists and flips they perform while flying through the air can demand many of the same skills that are used in gymnastics.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines sport as, “Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.” I realize cheerleading isn’t as fast-paced as basketball or hard-hitting as football, but I do contend that it falls within the definition of what constitutes a sport.

If more states recognized cheerleading as a high school sport, perhaps they would receive more funding, better-trained coaches, and the resources squads need to become more competitive.

Do you think cheerleading is a sport?

(Photo provided by Getty Images/David Stluka)

Equal Cheering for Boys and Girls??

As read and reported in the New York Times:

Thirty girls signed up for the cheerleading squad this winter at Whitney Point High School in upstate New York. But upon learning they would be waving their pompoms for the girls’ basketball team as well as the boys’, more than half of the aspiring cheerleaders dropped out.

The eight remaining cheerleaders now adjust their routines for whichever team is playing here on the home court to comply with a new ruling from federal education officials interpreting Title IX, the law intended to guarantee gender equality in student sports.

Cheerleader seriously injures neck--and continues to cheer

This is another example of how amateur athletics can teach us more about courage and dedication than any professional sport can.

Kristi Yamaoka, a cheerleader for Southern Illinois University, was injured while performing a routine during a game against Bradley on Sunday. She suffered a chipped neck vertebrae as well as a concussion when she lost her balance and fell 15 feet to the floor while landing on her head.

Despite being strapped down to a gurney and unable to move her lower extremities Yamaoka calmed the worried 14,000 in attendance by continuing to cheer with her arms while the school band played the fight song.

Foxsports has the whole story here. Also check out the cheerleading message boards to see what other members of the eteamz community are saying. And also on a sidenote—go here to find out the latest info on camps related to your favorite sport.