Don’t think cheer is a sport? Maybe you should try it before you start judging.

    “The definition of a sport is competing against other teams, judges, and following rules, that’s what we do in cheer.” sophomore Hayley O’Neill said.

    No way! Who would have thought the cheer girls aren’t meant to just look pretty? Cheer is a mix of gymnastics and dance, so wouldn’t that give it a reason to be more of a sport. Cheer is also on ESPN, so if the world says it’s a sport then sorry, you lose.

    “I think it can be as hard as football and really dangerous,” sophomore Melanie Jacobsen said.

    Don’t believe her? Look it up. Cheerleading is the fifth most dangerous sport in the word and has the largest amount of injuries per year. Where as football doesn’t even make top ten for danger or injuries.

    “Cheer is not a sport because there’s no physical contact during it.” junior Kyle Holleschan said.

    Though there may not be much, cheer is a contact sport. Every time a flirer is thrown or a tumbler is off physical contact comes into play. Cheer girls have to lift their weight and be able to think in an instant if something goes wrong.

    “People don’t see cheer as a sport because all they see is the girls cheering on the sidelines,” cheer coach Lori Carson said. “They don’t look at the routine and don’t know how hard the girls work.”

    The girls are not all looks, they have to have muscle too. Cheerleaders have to do an insane amount of cardio and lifting. They always have to be focussed because the bases literally have the fliers life in their hands.

    Do you think these girls were born flexible? No, they had to work and stretch everyday to be able to do what they do. Cheer, just like any other sport, takes dedication.

    Many students and cheerleaders agree that club cheer is a sport but school cheer not so much.

      Competitive cheer involves a lot of travel and intense competitions. Competitive cheer has been described as more intense, hard. competitive, and fun. Where as school has been said to be more for fun then for improvement.

    “[Cheerleading is a sport] only if they go to competitions but if it’s for school then I don’t think so,” Senior Ashley Tringali said.

     Knowing what you do now is cheerleading a sport? Guess it’s up to you to decide.