Competitive Cheerleading Not a Sport.

[Maurepas]

Before I get banned for verbally killing Arborlawn for his antedeluvian views on male/female relations (provided he is serious about them), I leave you with this ...

Replacing volleyball with competitive cheerleading!? I'm with the judge on this one.

http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/07/2 ... a-sport%2F

Eh... I've seen people argue golf is a sport. Fucking golf.

If golf is a sport, cheerleading must be.

Golf isn't a sport, it's a recreational activity, there's a difference,

Ah, but I've seen it argued as a sport. Me, I think it's a game, and a pointless one at that. Hell, I'd rather watch cricket!

I can think of several reasons why I'd rather watch competitive Cheerleading than either, but, Bottle would probably not be happy,

[Astholm]

On a related note, anyone remember this:
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailywee ... bi-rac.php

It was an odd story that came out earlier this year; obscure but memorable to those who work with autistic people, for all the right/wrong reasons.

[Forsakia]

I am a bit offended by this. I was a competitive cheerleader for four years, and was a volleyball player for the same amount of time. I 1000% percent think that not only should cheerleading be considered a sport, but I think it is much more difficult than volleyball as well. This is ridiculous that a federal judge would say it isn't. What is his reasoning behind it? It meets all of those listed requirements, and competition is the primary goal of a competitive cheer squad.

From the looks of it it's the level of organisation within cheerleading the judge felt was inadequate, rather than a judgement on cheerleading itself per se.

"Competitive cheer may, some time in the future, qualify as a sport under Title IX," Underhill wrote. "Today, however, the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."

[Maurepas]

I am a bit offended by this. I was a competitive cheerleader for four years, and was a volleyball player for the same amount of time. I 1000% percent think that not only should cheerleading be considered a sport, but I think it is much more difficult than volleyball as well. This is ridiculous that a federal judge would say it isn't. What is his reasoning behind it? It meets all of those listed requirements, and competition is the primary goal of a competitive cheer squad.

From the looks of it it's the level of organisation within cheerleading the judge felt was inadequate, rather than a judgement on cheerleading itself per se.

"Competitive cheer may, some time in the future, qualify as a sport under Title IX," Underhill wrote. "Today, however, the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."

I think the bigger concern from the Judge was that they were wanting to use it as an excuse to get rid of the volleyball team, and replace it with cheerleading.

Which, if I had to guess, their real reason for wanting to do it is simple money, that is, a cheerleading squad for the football team brings in more revenue for the school, a girls volleyball team brings in considerably less(if any) than the football games.

And I think the real issue at fault isn't whether cheerleading counts as a sport, rather that the school is willing to cut its girls athletic programs in order to generate more revenue for itself.

[Yafor 2]

Maybe somebody else can help me out here, but I'm having trouble thinking of any other currently-played sport that originated and has thrived as a "girl's sport" rather than a "boy's sport." Like, I know where I lived there were some fucking badass female hockey players, but hockey started out as a "boy's sport" that girls had to break into...can anybody name a sport where the opposite is true?

I don't normally like to post in General, but I love exercises like this, so since reading this post, I've been wracking my mind for an answer. Just as a note, I'm conceptualizing the answer to this question as somewhat different than intended: if a sport had a men's professional league prior to a women's, I'm probably going to discount it.

Rhythmic gymnastics is the most obvious answer (contrary to popular belief, it was developed as a method of exercise independent of traditional gymnastics) - which makes the idea that dancing is somehow not a sport that came up in this discussion somewhat ironic.

Softball fails for two reasons: first, it is derivative of baseball and second, it actually originated as a men's sport (though it has been popularized as a women's sport). The same is true for volleyball, which has beach volleyball as an extension (though both are more commonly known as women's sports). Team handball fails to apply for that reason as well (women are considered better at the sport, but it became a professional sport for men before it became a professional sport for women. The disparity in time is less than a decade, which is the same for volleyball, though). Badminton also had a men's league first.

Figure skating's first professional event was male, but women broke in ten years later. They were then banned until pairs were allowed. So figure skating also fails the test. It's another sport that proves the rule, at least as far as I can tell. Most other sports I know all had men's leagues well prior to having women's leagues, though I might have missed one or two (football, as proposed by Maurepas, is an incorrect guess (although not a bad one for an admittedly US-centric view, a view I'm not as familiar with), both because the first international professional game was male and the first American professional game was male. It's currently the most popular sport for both girls and boys in the United States, actually).

Sooo....all I have is rhythmic gymnastics. Not a very fruitful investigation, I'm afraid.

Though the notion that competitive cheerleading is not a sport is anathema to anyone who has seen the five Bring It On films.*

* - that's only partially a joke. I marathonned all of those movies once with my friends.

In all seriousness, I think this post nails it - and does so without even mentioning that many American high schools have dance teams as well (try to do that on stage. It's really difficult and an awesome workout)! There's the subconscious gender issue, however (as well as the stigma behind the words "dance" and "cheerleading" that make me also doubt that either will be generally accepted as a sport).

[Zephie]

Competitive Cheerleading has all the Hallmarks of a real sport... in fact its more dangerous than Ice Hockey. Its not like they said they were going to field an all female Curling team. But I think Volleyball is a better idea anyway. Why can't they have BOTH?

It's not a sport.

[Farnhamia]

Competitive Cheerleading has all the Hallmarks of a real sport... in fact its more dangerous than Ice Hockey. Its not like they said they were going to field an all female Curling team. But I think Volleyball is a better idea anyway. Why can't they have BOTH?

It's not a sport.

I'll go with George Carlin's rules. He does mention cheerleading but I can imagine what he'd say.

[Class Warhair]

Why do the Americans always have to make shit activities up and brand them "sports" so the participants can't get upset in knowing they're just competing in an activity, rather than being glorified for doing it?

No, cheerleading is not a sport, televised "professional wrestling" is not a sport, eating is not a sport. All shit ideas. Let's try to be conservative rather than progressive when it comes to such definitions and classifications, please.

Er, why?

"Sport is a sacred institution which is fundamental to our way of life. This forum affirms that the term "sport" refers only to physical activities involving at least one man and one ball"

Really, what does it matter how the word is defined?

Language's effective use is extremely important. Sloppiness leads to miscommunication, ignorance.

I didn't think it mattered, because I didn't read the article linked to in the OP. Mea culpa!

When a judge rules on whether or not cheerleading is a sport, it certainly DOES matter. That sets precedent which will be used in future if any cheerleaders make legal appeals about their right to use facilities or to be represented on panels representing more than one sport, or for shares in development funding or any number of things which would make a real difference to them personally or to their sport.

However, we're caught on the horns of a dilemma. From the article:

Competitive cheerleading is not an official sport that colleges can use to meet gender-equity requirements, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in ordering a Connecticut school to keep its women's volleyball team.

For the women at that college, this might have the result of actually providing more options to get involved than is required by gender-equity rules at the school! If the school still wants to go ahead with a cheerleading team (and they well might, due to the synergy with men's sports -- both doing their thing at the same event and thus both having a larger audience) then they have to fund it in addition to the women's volleyball.

The judge's decision is good news for women at this particular school, but being a legal precedent it will likely come back to bite some competitive cheerleading squad which needs to make a legal appeal in future. Overall, a bad thing.

[Class Warhair]

Maybe somebody else can help me out here, but I'm having trouble thinking of any other currently-played sport that originated and has thrived as a "girl's sport" rather than a "boy's sport." Like, I know where I lived there were some fucking badass female hockey players, but hockey started out as a "boy's sport" that girls had to break into...can anybody name a sport where the opposite is true?

I'm going to suggest netball.

To anyone who isn't familiar with it, it may look a lot like basketball (from which it derives) but there are significant differences. You can't run with the ball (dribbling or not) but can only take, I think, three steps with the ball and then you have to pass it. The dynamic is thus more like soccer than basketball. Like the latter game, though, it is fast scoring so the advantage in the game (as measured by the score) shifts by the minute.

The rules limiting physical contact and the liberal awarding of penalty shots for contact means that once the ball gets to the Goal Shooter it almost always is put in the net, so the game doesn't favour height the way basketball does. And as in soccer, some fairly violent contact does occur, but unlike in soccer (where one goal makes a huge difference) there isn't much incentive to do it just to get possession of the ball.

It's actually freer-flowing than basketball, because the "penalty pass or shot" is taken instantly, without that farcical pause for a free throw. It's actually very entertaining to watch, as a game, quite apart from the players obviously being young and fit and good to look at anyway!

Netball is played for fun by a lot of girls and young women in Australia and New Zealand, less so elsewhere. Though declining in amateur participation, it still rates as one of the most played team sports in Australia, perhaps taking second place to Australian Rules football which is mainly played by men. Cricket and Rugby League are contenders too, but Netball is certainly in the top four and hardly any men play it at any level.

You know, the US could do worse than to adopt the game, because it's also popular in the Caribbean and you could recruit players from there (obviously, any US national team would be well-funded compared to the economic-minnow nations where it is most popular). With any commercial pressure to speak of from the US, it would almost certainly be included as an Olympic sport and a silver medal in the next Games after it's adoption would be a very easy get.

[Strathy]

I can't get too deep into that debate. Curling is one of the few sports I actually willingly watch...

Wow, someone with the same views on sports as me!

HIGH FIVE!

[Forsakia]

Does anyone have a gravedig graphic handy?

[Strathy]

whoops, I got bored and started going through the forums. I didn't realise how old this was....

[The Massive Empire]

Bonus points for wearing more revealing attire.

This better be a female only sport.

[Tekania]

Before I get banned for verbally killing Arborlawn for his antedeluvian views on male/female relations (provided he is serious about them), I leave you with this ...

Replacing volleyball with competitive cheerleading!? I'm with the judge on this one.

http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/07/2 ... a-sport%2F

Competitive Cheerleading is not a sport much like this judge is not a judge.