A debate that’s been going on for as long as cheer has been a thing… is it a sport? To answer that you have to know what a sport actually is, but opinions vary on that too. According to google, a sport is something that involves competition and physical activity. 

   “A sport is something with a definite winner and sideline cheer does not have that,” said Amber Chance, sophomore. “Only competitive cheerleading should be considered a sport.” 

   But to bring light to the opposition, why does it need to be competitive? 

   “Cheer is a sport,” said Joey Speilman, sophomore. “It has a season, it takes practice, and it’s something not everyone can do.”

   Cheer is a sport with two seasons. The one that most people are familiar with is the one on the sidelines of football games and in high school; however, cheer also has a competition season. Competition cheer is not something that just anyone can do; there’s a lot of physical excursion and it takes years to get good at. Many people would agree that competitive cheer is a sport, while sideline cheer is not. 

   “Sideline cheer is like entertainment,” said Amber Chane, sophomore. “In competitive cheer they’re pushing their bodies to the limit.” 

   But if you ask the cheerleaders, they will tell you it’s a sport. How can one say that sideline cheer isn’t a sport because it doesn’t compete, does that mean chess IS a sport because it does? And why do we need to compete for it to be called a sport? 

   “Not every sport is competing all the time,” said Joey Speilman, sophomore. “Just because cheer isn’t competing during football season doesn’t mean it isn’t a sport, and lot’s of girls who do sideline cheer also use many of the skills involved in competitive cheerleading.”

   Even though cheerleading is not officially called a sport, shouldn’t it be? These girls on the side are giving just as much effort, sometimes more, than the guys on the football team when it comes to going against other schools.