All-Star Article On Espnw Says Cheer Not A Sport

[King]

When cheerleading competitions fill up Death Valley with thousands of people paying hundreds of dollars for their seats, cheerleading will become a sport. Maybe even taken seriously by those that do not participate. We think our sport costs a lot of money? Their sports MAKE a lot of money. Therefore, they are sanctioned sports.

Outside of football, men's basketball, and a couple other random events for individual schools most sports cost more to run than they make. That's why title IX was created. If they only showed money making sports all schools would have 2.


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[cupieqt]

Outside of football, men's basketball, and a couple other random events for individual schools most sports cost more to run than they make. That's why title IX was created. If they only showed money making sports all schools would have 2.


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Which sport do you think would make more money from spectators, women's golf or cheer? Sideline cheer isn't a sport, it's entertainment for the lulls in the game. No one is paying to get in to watch that.

 

[Dixie]

I honestly don't care if they stunt/tumble or not. My school does neither - they really just stand there taking pictures of each other.
I was stating that if they are not skilled at a level 4 pyramid/tumbling, they definitely should not be attempting it at a football game where most spectators are there to watch the football game. Most fans are trying to watch the game around the cheerleaders and I have never, in 9 years of going to high school games, heard the cheerleaders get the crowd involved. I mentioned the girl getting hurt because the fan comments were along the lines of "why are they even here?" Nothing to promote cheer to an outsider.
If they are skilled at level 4 pyramids/tumbling they should have their own venue to show that off.
From posters after me, I'm learning that some schools cheer on the cheerleaders doing their skills. That would change my view on this. But for now, no one I know goes to football games to watch the cheerleaders (or drill team or band) other than their parents. Football is big in Texas and the people are there to see football. Anyone besides the football team is seen as an accessory to the game and should enhance the game experience, not distract from it. I guess if they are a good cheer team they are enhancing the experience. I've been to games where the cheerleaders, band, and drill team weren't there and it was still packed with people.

 

[King]

Which sport do you think would make more money from spectators, women's golf or cheer? Sideline cheer isn't a sport, it's entertainment for the lulls in the game. No one is paying to get in to watch that.

Cheer as a sideline or golf I think both aren't making money, but I agree golf would probably be losing less money than cheer would (meaning it would make more than cheer but still lose a significant amount more than it generates to run).

Sideline cheer is exactly what you said, a way to fill the lulls in the game. It has evolved to, for some places, have very high flying skills. The skills are FUN to do but are very dangerous to learn if not taught properly and progressions are not followed. We then took this high flying stuff that was done on the sidelines and turned THAT into a sport. As of right now for college and high school the skills you can compete on the sideline and the skills you compete (and in general everyone agrees competition for the sake of competition is a sport, even @ASCheerMan has called allstar a sport) are no different. The only difference is that one has to be done in 2:30 (2:15 for college) and a winner is chosen. The risk involved in doing the sideline and the risk in the sport of competing is very much the same. But because one is not designated as a sport it does not get the funding, proper training, or safety standards a sport would. So the AMA suggests making cheerleading a sport NOT because they care about some persons feelings on the interwebs, but because by making it a sport it will get the assistance it needs.

 

[cupieqt]

@King and this is why I agree with what you said earlier to ground bound sideline. It's not cost effective to fund it as a sport. It would be a total loss IMO because any money made off of the little girls buying replica cheer uniforms is immediately spent on the insurance, equipment and training staff.

BUT Jeff Metzger once told me to think about our money in percentages and to weigh the pros and cons of dropping a struggling program. If ground bounding or dropping sideline cheer caused people to stop attending games or spending money at the concession stand, then it would be classified as a sport very quickly in order to save THAT revenue. I think the only people that would be upset about losing the sideline cheerleaders would be their parents and the 6 year old girls that got dragged to the game. The rest are still going to the game and spending their money.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Respectfully, what does calling a wrong cheer during a game have anything to do with the discussion? Dixie was making the point that cheerleaders should not be allowed to stunt because they could get injured and distract from the game.

I'm just trying to understand your point. Cheerleading should or shouldn't be considered a sport because...?


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Oh I definitely think that competitive cheer should be ruled a sport (I just hope that the format doesn't change too much). I was just giving reasons as to why some sideline teams might be perceived as a nuisance.

 

[King]

@King and this is why I agree with what you said earlier to ground bound sideline. It's not cost effective to fund it as a sport. It would be a total loss IMO because any money made off of the little girls buying replica cheer uniforms is immediately spent on the insurance, equipment and training staff.

BUT Jeff Metzger once told me to think about our money in percentages and to weigh the pros and cons of dropping a struggling program. If ground bounding or dropping sideline cheer caused people to stop attending games or spending money at the concession stand, then it would be classified as a sport very quickly in order to save THAT revenue. I think the only people that would be upset about losing the sideline cheerleaders would be their parents and the 6 year old girls that got dragged to the game. The rest are still going to the game and spending their money.

You are correct. I think cheer serves a very valuable purpose at a game (fan experience). The question is whether skills are necessary for that purpose. And, just so you know, I am always working on ways to improve fan experience through skills to better justify value of the program. No one else in cheerleading is bothering to help out a college program justify their value. If I could ask anything from any of the big programs it is that. If the question of the value of high danger acrobatic skills ever really caught the publics eye (think like injury at basketball game for NIU or Orlando Magic) skills done on the sidelines would go away completely for all.

 

[King]

@King and this is why I agree with what you said earlier to ground bound sideline. It's not cost effective to fund it as a sport. It would be a total loss IMO because any money made off of the little girls buying replica cheer uniforms is immediately spent on the insurance, equipment and training staff.

BUT Jeff Metzger once told me to think about our money in percentages and to weigh the pros and cons of dropping a struggling program. If ground bounding or dropping sideline cheer caused people to stop attending games or spending money at the concession stand, then it would be classified as a sport very quickly in order to save THAT revenue. I think the only people that would be upset about losing the sideline cheerleaders would be their parents and the 6 year old girls that got dragged to the game. The rest are still going to the game and spending their money.

However! Classify it as a sport and protect what we do on the sideline and it can stay around a lot longer. Sport classification can protect sideline skills.

 

[cupieqt]

However! Classify it as a sport and protect what we do on the sideline and it can stay around a lot longer. Sport classification can protect sideline skills.

But where is the justification for it? I'm with you, I just don't see the answer to it.

 

[King]

But where is the justification for it? I'm with you, I just don't see the answer to it.

from 'cheer's side or from the athletic departments side?

 

[cupieqt]

from 'cheer's side or from the athletic departments side?

From the money side. Because that's the side that's going to win out.

 

[CoachMandiCF]

I'm going to take a shot at this using the following qualifications and experiences:

-former Division I cheerleader at a large university
-cheered for top 5 football & basketball teams as well as competition team

We knew that our main purpose for cheering was to lead the crowd and support the teams. First and foremost end of story. Now....did we tumble? Yes. Did we stunt? Yes. Did 99% of the crowd know the Difference between a prep and a high to high double? Nope. They sure didn't. Did the crowd know the difference between a handspring and a full? Nope. They sure don't. The only ones who do are former cheerleaders.

Crowds react to two things - really high baskets (could even be a straight ride), cheerleaders who fall or bust, and mascots. That's it.

Plus....most of the time you're tumbling or stunting on a surface that isn't made for the soles of cheer shoes and your using mega grip death locks to hold on while pieces of black rubble turf fall in your eyes. All so the crowd can think you did the same stunt as the extension you put up for kick off.

We then have to fit in comp practice between bowl games, march madness and conference tournaments. You compete once. Maybe twice if your coach feels like exhibition ing you and that's it. You're done.

I don't see the purpose of sideline cheerleaders tumbling or stunting. Get the crowd involved with signs or in the stands. Use flags. Do push ups with the mascot. The rest is just for that 1% of the crowd who actually cheered before and is watching the sideline instead of the game.




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[King]

From the money side. Because that's the side that's going to win out.

Then nothing should ever be done besides flag waving and pom poms.

 

[cupieqt]

Then nothing should ever be done besides flag waving and pom poms.

is the truth. I love stunting and sideline cheer is where I learned all my skills. Basing in jr and high school and flying in college. That rush is nothing short of exhilarating. I'll always have a place in my heart for sideline. But I don't have a good argument for it to be considered a sport and I feel like the dialogue about it is only going to end up getting it shut down or at the least ground bound. It really is a sad prospect.

 

[King]

is the truth. I love stunting and sideline cheer is where I learned all my skills. Basing in jr and high school and flying in college. That rush is nothing short of exhilarating. I'll always have a place in my heart for sideline. But I don't have a good argument for it to be considered a sport and I feel like the dialogue about it is only going to end up getting it shut down or at the least ground bound. It really is a sad prospect.

I agree. Sadly.