Introduction
Cheerleading is an activity of its kind that generally has the participants (commonly called cheerleaders) celebrate for their team as a form of encouragement. It involves a range of activities ranging from slogan chanting to physical activities that are intense. It can be performed or undertaken with a goal of motivating the sports team or the players of a game. It can also be used to entertain the audience or for the purposes of competing. Just to put a disclaimer, there is a difference between sideline cheerleading and competitive cheerleading. Many people may think that when cheerleading is mentioned, it is often sideline cheerleading, here there are usually cheerleaders on the side of the sporting activity with a target of motivating the players as they cheer them (Grindstaff & West 7) On the other hand, competitive cheerleading is entirely different, it involves tumbling, the pyramid, jumping, dancing and tumbling.
The tumbles are usually like the routine floor in the gymnastics but with a lot of more people at once. There are stunts which come together to make the pyramid that is mostly conducted in groups of people of about four and vary in level depending on the need and the essence. Standard stunt groups are composed of two bases, a flyer, and a back. It is a common thing, and part of the sporting activity to fall during a stunt, but one thing that is taught as a flyer is how to possible fall in a way that is safe
Cheerleading is, therefore, is a sport. The proof that it is a sport is overwhelming - the fact that it involves activities that are of similar characteristics as other sporting activities. The thing about competitive cheerleading is that is as at one through six. Thus, one can be part of an entry level cheerleader with little or no experience at all (Grindstaff & West 12).
It used to be opposed in the early past by the Federation of the gymnastics. They were a lot of concerns that there could be some confusion between the sports and there came a great need to bring forth clear distinctions. Similarly, the Federation of gymnastics had initially opposed the addition of cheerleading in the beginning. Because of this, the federation since then became an ally. Initial concerns revolved around the complete confusion that existed between acrobatic or rhythmic gymnastics and cheerleading, this, in turn, led to a final accord that in a way prevented the required minimum number to be 16 members for an international competition. The expansion that has been happening in the united states have cheerleading being a sport as among the developments that have been realized. The sources reveal that America might have been in a way not aware just how much and large the international stage had become for the sport of cheerleading. In addition to the one hundred and ten of the federations that fall under the ICU members, seventy nations were represented at 2015 world cheerleading championship (Anderson 14).
According to Glatt (121), there are proofs that are given to make the point clear home- that cheerleading is part of the sporting activity. The author goes on to define a sport as any activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team do compete against another or others for entertainment purposes. He continues to state that athletes are cheerleaders and that cheerleaders are the athletes that work hard and are the committee to the sports of cheerleading. They work yea round with little break say like less than a month.
Cheerleaders travel to do competitions in rivalry with other cheerleading competitions. They usually have extended hours of training to combine gymnastics dance, stunt and jumps as mentioned in the first paragraph. One of the members of the championship league of cheerleader in an interview, says that he has had extensive experience in numerous championship titles, medals, awards, and championship jackets. This is to tell us that indeed cheerleading is a sport. If it would not have been a sport, then we would not have been having a championship. Because after all, what is the essence of championship unless if it is a gaming sports activity.
Interesting enough, on December 9, 2016, an article was released with the headline as "now cheer." It had the information that cheerleading had been made a provisional Olympic sport. The essence for this shocking news by then was because cheerleading was becoming a favorite sporting activity that was being embraced by many that the authorities concerned saw it fair to recognize it as a sport. For the first time, the University of Kentucky Wildcats represented the united states in the winter 2018 Olympic cheerleading Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea ((PEOPLE.com). Also. A new 300000 square foot, 8000 seat facility has been built and erected to harbor the growing number of athletes day by day together with spectators on Walt Disney World resort in Orlando Florida (PEOPLE.com)
Conclusion
Cheerleading as we speak today is an internationally recognized gaming activity. In other words, it is a sporting activity. Today, it is widely known that when the seasons get closer or when it calls for the same, the teams are called to go and compete. It's one for the games that are being loved and put in the category of emerging games with a lot of positive feedback regarding the adoption.
Works Cited
Grindstaff, Laura, and Emily West. "Cheerleading and the gendered politics of sport." Social Problems 53.4 (2006): 500-518.
Anderson, Eric. "Orthodox and inclusive masculinity: Competing for masculinities among heterosexual men in a feminized terrain." Sociological perspectives 48.3 (2005): 337-355.
Glatt, Ephraim. "Defining Sport under Title IX: Cheerleading, Biediger v. Quinnipiac University, and the Proper Scope of Agency Deference." Sports Law. J. 19 (2012): 297.
Jane, Emma A. "Is Debbie Does Dallas dangerous? Representations of cheerleading in pornography and some possible effects." Feminist Media Studies 17.2 (2017): 264-280.
PEOPLE.com, people.com/. Accessed 2017.
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