Why Cheerleading Is a Sport Essay Example
Introduction
Do you know a NCAA sport that requires its participants to be as strong as football players, as flexible and skillful as gymnasts, and as graceful as dancers, all with a peppy attitude accompanied by a smile? Competitive Cheerleading incorporates all of these components, but it isn’t recognized by the NCAA as a sport. So, should the NCAA recognize Competitive Cheerleading as an official sport? Some may say that cheerleaders exists primarily as entertainment at male-dominated sporting events and fail to recognize it as a legitimate athletic sport, which is inaccurate and unfair. Recognizing Competitive Cheerleading would ensure gender equality and equal rights for women, as well as provide exposure for the college or university that each team would represent. With that being said, the NCAA should recognize Competitive Cheerleading as a sport. In section one of this essay, I will describe how Competitive Cheerleading fits the definition of a sport, as defined by the NCAA. In section two, I will discuss and elaborate on Competitive Cheerleading the personal sacrifice, commitment and discipline that is required to become a competitive cheerleader. In section three, I will describe Title IX, and explain how Competitive Cheerleading will help Colleges and Universities comply with the gender equality amendment of 1974. In my final section I will explain the dangers associated with competitive cheerleading.
The Sport of Competitive Cheerleading
Competitive Cheerleading should be classified as an official sport by the NCAA because it fits their definition of a sport. A sport, as defined by the NCAA, is “an institutional activity involving physical exertion with the purpose of competition versus other teams or individuals within a collegiate competition structure”. It goes on to say that a NCAA sport “Includes regularly scheduled team and/or individual, head-to-head competition (at least five) within a defined competitive season(s); and standardized
Do you know a NCAA sport that requires its participants to be as strong as football players, as flexible and skillful as gymnasts, and as graceful as dancers, all with a peppy attitude accompanied by a smile? Competitive Cheerleading incorporates all of these components, but it isn’t recognized by the NCAA as a sport. So, should the NCAA recognize Competitive Cheerleading as an official sport? Some may say that cheerleaders exists primarily as entertainment at male-dominated sporting events and fail to recognize it as a legitimate athletic sport, which is inaccurate and unfair. Recognizing Competitive Cheerleading would ensure gender equality and equal rights for women, as well as provide exposure for the college or university that each team would represent. With that being said, the NCAA should recognize Competitive Cheerleading as a sport. In section one of this essay, I will describe how Competitive Cheerleading fits the definition of a sport, as defined by the NCAA. In section two, I will discuss and elaborate on Competitive Cheerleading the personal sacrifice, commitment and discipline that is required to become a competitive cheerleader. In section three, I will describe Title IX, and explain how Competitive Cheerleading will help Colleges and Universities comply with the gender equality amendment of 1974. In my final section I will explain the dangers associated with competitive cheerleading.
The Sport of Competitive Cheerleading
Competitive Cheerleading should be classified as an official sport by the NCAA because it fits their definition of a sport. A sport, as defined by the NCAA, is “an institutional activity involving physical exertion with the purpose of competition versus other teams or individuals within a collegiate competition structure”. It goes on to say that a NCAA sport “Includes regularly scheduled team and/or individual, head-to-head competition (at least five) within a defined competitive season(s); and standardized