Per the denotation meaning of “sport”, yes Cheerleading is one. A sport is defined as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

But then again, isn’t society built on the connotation meaning behind words anyways?

In my eyes, I see no sport-like qualities in girls in short skirts shaking their hips and waving pom-poms as they cheer on football and basketball teams. Saying “Go team, go” or building pyramids does not qualify you as a sport. 

Now many cheerleaders would quickly come to their “sport’s” defense and say, “But we have like long practices and we like run and flip and stuff.” However, the connotative definition of a sport is: an activity that involves strategy, or a game plan.

Example: In baseball, a pitcher, before even throwing the ball, has to take into account the inning, how many pitches he has thrown, the batter’s cold and hot spots, the score, and how many men are on base.

Example: In golf, the golfer has to take into account the wind, any course hazards (water, sand, grass levels), the distance from the cup, the slope of the green, what club to use, the type of shot (flop, punch, drive), and what kind of spin to place on the ball once it’s struck.

I just used two, but many other examples can be derived from Track and Field, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Swimming, Lacrosse, Motor Racing, etc.

But what many Cheerleading supporters claim to be the reason why it IS a sport is because of the demand for being in shape and having a lot of stamina, which is true. I mean, you don’t see many fat cheerleaders. But if that’s the case, then wouldn’t Sex be a sport? I mean, in order to be truly successful in Sex, you need to have stamina, right?

I rest my case.

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