During many sports games such as basketball, hockey, and soccer, there is always a group of cheerleaders hyping up the crowd and the team they are with—whether it’s by dancing, doing acrobatics, or shouting their support for their team while shaking their pom poms, cheerleaders never fail to entertain the crowds and support their teams.
Cheerleaders often don’t receive the recognition they deserve, considering how physically and mentally challenging their roles are. They are athletes in their own right, providing support to other athletes. I believe it's time for cheerleading to make its debut as an official Olympic sport in the 2028 Olympics.
When you think of the word “sports,” you would probably think of a sport like basketball, baseball, soccer, football, etc. You most likely would define it as anything that is a physical activity that involves skills such as fitness, agility, and even strategic and mental acuity.
According to a quick search on Google, the word "sports" is defined as: “An activity that involves physical effort and skill, where individuals or teams compete against one another for entertainment.”
Cheerleading involves a lot of physical exertion since it includes a lot of acrobatics, stunting, high-impact jumps, and tumbling; all of which require a great deal of strength, flexibility, agility, and coordination. It also requires countless hours of practice, a lot of precision, and excellent teamwork from cheerleaders so that they can execute their cheer routines perfectly and prevent any injuries. It is common knowledge that cheerleading is known to carry a large risk of injury, including sprains, strains, concussions, and broken bones. A study showed that “cheerleading accounts for 54% of all direct catastrophic injuries to female high school athletes and 56% to female collegiate athletes” between the years 2002 and 2017.
Cheerleading encompasses various characteristics typical of sports, such as physical exertion, agility, and the potential for injuries. This highlights that cheerleading is more than just a form of entertainment.
The International Cheer Union is the “world governing body” of cheerleading, and it was established on April 26, 2004. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave full recognition to the International Cheer Union in 2021, making cheerleading eligible to be included in the Olympics. However, cheerleading has yet to make an appearance at the Olympics, despite it being eligible.
We can see how cheerleading could be in the Olympics by looking at the success of other sports. For example, skateboarding and snowboarding used to be considered niche sports. But because they're so popular, exciting to watch, and show amazing skills, both made their Olympic debuts, showcasing their skills.
Cheerleading is similar. It's a mix of sports, art, and teamwork. There are already big competitions including national and international competitions governed by the International Cheer Union, so it is clear that cheerleading is prepared for this level of recognition. By embracing cheerleading as an Olympic sport, the Games would not only celebrate the talent and dedication of cheer-athletes but also inspire a new generation to appreciate and participate in this dynamic and demanding discipline.
Some people may argue that cheerleading is not a sport because it is not a “competitive sport” and that “most definitions of ‘sport’ include a focus on competition;” therefore, cheerleading is “not a sport.” However, I beg to differ on that statement.
Cheerleading is also a part of STUNT, which is a “female sport that incorporates skills derived from cheerleading” that was established in 2011 by USA Cheer (the national governing body for sport cheering). STUNT focuses on “the technical and athletic components” of cheer, which include pyramids, tumbling, basket tosses, group jumps, partner stunts, etc. In STUNT, cheerleading is put into “four quarters of head-to-head competition,” which allows cheerleading to meet the Title IX sports requirements.
The IOC has recognized cheerleading as a sport, highlighting its similarities to other sports in terms of physical exertion, agility, and risk of injury. Given these factors, cheerleading deserves the same level of respect, funding, and opportunities as other recognized sports, especially in the Olympics.
Rachel Suazo is the Editor-in-Chief of The Setonian. She can be reached at rachel.suazo@student.shu.edu.
