Cheerleading changing, will the times change too?
Somewhere between ESPN and Bring It On lies the truth about high school cheerleading.
Before reading any further, though, don't expect to find that truth here.
Sport? Not a sport?
Even the multiple definitions of sport are enough to blur the lines. So while no definitive answer may ever be found, perhaps all that's needed is a sense of understanding.
For decades cheerleaders have struggled to overcome the very nature of what they do. As an activity designed to enhance established sports like football and basketball, it's tough to accept cheerleading as a sport on its own merits.
And let's face it. Until relatively recently cheerleading was pretty much stationary in its overall talent level.
That's all changed.
Watch a halftime routine these days and you'll see things that even amaze the all-state football players sitting in the stands. While they're stuck in a weight room lifting barbells, the cheerleaders are out on the court lifting each other.
Not just lifting, mind you, but throwing each other several feet in the air and seamlessly catching with ease.
You'd be silly to argue that what cheerleaders do is not athletic. It's also highly competitive, which beats the heart of any definition of sport.
Beyond the normal settings - IHSA state-title competition takes place this weekend in Bloomington - improvised competitions take place at halftime and during timeouts at basketball games.
Judging by the crowd reaction, the tumbling duels are often more entertaining than the basketball game itself.
Is it a sport? Well, the IHSA board of directors declared it as one beginning in the 2005-06 school year. The Wisconsin Supreme Court even said cheerleading is a contact sport, although it did so as a way to prevent injury lawsuits.
Regardless, it's a significant step for cheerleaders seeking what they feel is their rightful place in athletic society.
No matter what, though, some minds won't change - the ones that never will consider cheerleading a sport. Rallying around an argument that just because it's on ESPN doesn't mean it's a sport, the debate lives on despite recognition by the IHSA and other governing bodies.
That's OK. But if you can't accept cheerleading as a sport, at least appreciate the athletic ability and finely-tuned teamwork.
Somewhere between ESPN and Bring It On lies the truth, understanding and maybe even common ground.
kschmit@dailyherald.com
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