What if what were doing isn't cheerleading, what if it is something else? (serious)

[King]

There are non physical sideline competitions. Chant lines that compete and do cheers against other teams. Is that not also competitive cheer?

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[SharkDad]

what hurts "cheerleading's" chances is the fact that the governing body for the specific competition aspect is pretty much privatized, not it's name...

There are already a few offical studies that state that the lack of an independant governing body is one of the biggest problem with this sport at all levels.

A governing body could provide clear definitions and advocate for the sport rather than let any business leader do it for you. That would allow Sideline Cheer, Allstar Cheer, Competitive HS or College cheer all be valid terms without anyone having to explain themselves.

It would be great if we could focus on having a functioning governing body to advocate for the sport and fix it's problems rather than try to change how we describe what the sport is or think of new ways to "relate"

 

[King]

But would a single governing body handle the sport and the non sport side? They are are two completely different animal with two completely different goals. If ever a decision was made that benefited one more than the other everyone would claim the governing body favored one.

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[SharkDad]

USAG governs gymastics at all levels by having different divisions and committees. I am not an expert on how USAG operates, but I am sure it would probably have a HS committee, college committee, etc each with it's own focus and expertise for the differences at those levels. At the top there would probably be an executive committee that makes sure each of the lower level committees are promoting the sport and activity as a whole.

This allows the different levels or committes to cooperate, share like information, but still work independant of each other.

Soccer works the same way. US Soccer has many different levels. Professional to college, to HS, to youth soccer. There are many levels within each of those. I can say rec soccer and it is clearly distinguishable from travel soccer. To someone who is not involved in youth soccer, I would still have to describe the difference.

 

[King]

But soccer and USAG are all still doing the same things.

Would you say the difference between high school and premier soccer is equivalent to sidelines and sport cheer?

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[SharkDad]

But soccer and USAG are all still doing the same things.

Would you say the difference between high school and premier soccer is equivalent to sidelines and sport cheer?

I will assume by premiere soccer you mean travel soccer. I would equate travel soccer and HS soccer to Allstar and HS competitive cheerleading.

I don't know that I would try to equate sideline cheer to any other sport. What I would say is that calling it sideline cheer distinguishes it well and breaks it out into the category it needs to be so that it can be preperly regulated. It is very unsafe right now to have kids doing baskets and pyramids or any building skills without proper training, equipment, or supervision. College kids do them, but they should be getting proper training first. It is still dangerous, but safety precautions are being taken that give it the same relative risk level as the football players they are cheering for. And that level of activity can make sideline cheerleading just as athletic as other forms of cheerleading.

USAG doesn't allow gymnastics anywhere there isn't proper equipment or trained staff. Why should the governing body of cheerleading?

 

[The Sixth]

There are non physical sideline competitions. Chant lines that compete and do cheers against other teams. Is that not also competitive cheer?

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I can't say I'm very familiar with "chant lines" or anything related to it. But I still have a feeling, at that point it's really just nitpicking, as almost anything can be construed as "competitive".

 

[King]

I can't say I'm very familiar with "chant lines" or anything related to it. But I still have a feeling, at that point it's really just nitpicking, as almost anything can be construed as "competitive".

You can have competitive scrabble competitions or bridge clubs. Competitive just means you compete at it. You could have competitive underwater basket weaving really.

And while cup stacking isnt my cup of tea, that sure doesnt make it any less competitive.

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I dont think anyone will argue that just about anything can be competitive.

 

[The Sixth]

You can have competitive scrabble competitions or bridge clubs. Competitive just means you compete at it. You could have competitive underwater basket weaving really.

And that was the pt. Because by that same token you could use your term Sport Cheer and say that "sport" is a fairly ambiguous term as well. All going back to the name being of less importance than the way its defined.

 

[King]

And that was the pt. Because by that same token you could use your term Sport Cheer and say that "sport" is a fairly ambiguous term as well. All going back to the name being of less importance than the way its defined.

But Sport Cheer provides a clearer separation than sideline and competitive cheerleading. Because sideline could be competitive.

 

[SharkDad]

===== QUOTE The Sixth ====

And that was the pt. Because by that same token you could use your term Sport Cheer and say that "sport" is a fairly ambiguous term as well. All going back to the name being of less importance than the way its defined.

===== /QUOTE ====



But Sport Cheer provides a clearer separation than sideline and competitive cheerleading. Because sideline could be competitive.

All types of cheerleading can be competitive. The types are:

Recreational (non school or gym affiliated)
Sideline (HS and College cheerleading at a sporting event)
HS or College competitive (not sideline)
Allstar

No need to make it more complicated.

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[King]

well as long as they are lumped together it will never be a sport. and all are subject to any issues affecting one another.

 

[SharkDad]

who is lumping them together? I've seen plenty of pinions, but not by anyone official.

A governing body or the one created for each type of cheerleading would be in place to ensure the interests of the different participants.

 

[Ignis Pater]

I think we are going about this wrong. People outside of this sub culture will never see it as a sport regardless of what we call it. We should be recruiting certain kids, children, and grand children of law makers, state and federal. Also, how about some kids of a couple of ESPN personalities or executives. I am actually serious about this. It could help the way allstar cheerleading is looked at in the future.

 

[King]

I think we are going about this wrong. People outside of this sub culture will never see it as a sport regardless of what we call it. We should be recruiting certain kids, children, and grand children of law makers, state and federal. Also, how about some kids of a couple of ESPN personalities or executives. I am actually serious about this. It could help the way allstar cheerleading is looked at in the future.

Perception is reality. If everything was highly publicized and talked about I could see that.

But you can't force movements. They just have to happen.

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