One misunderstanding that is constantly being argued upon would be the question regarding whether cheerleading should be considered a sport or not. There are enough people in the world who disagree whether cheerleading is a sport, therefore it could be considered that this is a controversial topic. Many people assume that since it is dominated by mainly females, it is not “masculine” enough to be considered a competitive sport. Sports in general consists of Men’s sports but recently Women’s sports have been making an uprising. Cheerleading is a sport because it requires constant physical movement and strategy/skill from its athletes, there are national competitions with set rules and referees, and is broadcasted on ESPN concerning the winner of the most recent national competition.
Physical movement and practicing skills is crucial in defining cheerleading as a sport because it ensures that the teams are working hard to be the best. This upholds the need for competition, the one thing that majorly fuels sports in general. Practicing sports and being physical is also a good way to stay healthy and in shape, unlike playing video games where, yes, there are tournaments and a feeling of competition, but no physical movement so it excludes it from being considered a sport. Practice maintains physical wellness and enhances the skills of each player. For a sport to be beneficial to the human lifestyle, it is crucial for there to be a certain amount of exercise. Based on research found by Elena Bendikova (2014), “Physical activities and exercise done regularly within the recommended amount can be defined as permanent physical activities that can be regarded as one of the most significant factors of human health at any age” (p. 345). By being in shape, players can learn new skills and practice them until they are mastered. Skilled players can naturally do these movements because of copious amounts of practicing. Any professional player can say that they have practiced their sport so much that they begin to feel as if they are the best. The professional players know the certain motion like the back of their hand, unlike an amateur who has to actively think about what they are doing. By practicing over and over again these amateurs learn new styles and gain new strategies. Some people do not believe that physical wellness is necessary for maintaining a certain skill level in a sport but knowing and practicing these moves will provide the physical abilities necessary for playing a professional sport.
Rules represented by an individual of power is essential for a game since it makes structure and guidelines for it to be viewed as reasonable. For the most part, sports that have not embraced a lot of rules can tend to get rowdy and turbulent. For a game to play out easily without any confusions there should be a set rundown of principles to pursue and somebody to maintain these guidelines. These individuals that hold this expertise are typically called refs. Referees are prepared in security and pursue an agreement dependent on decency and structure. This agreement fluctuates from state to state however most rules that are associated with a particular game stay constant. An article written by Mohamadinejad, Mirsafian, and Soltanhoseini explain the necessity of referees and their importance in a game. Some people may believe that referees are biased in certain issues, but it is stated in the article that “Based on the contract which is concluded between referees and their hiring constitutions, referees are obligated for caring for the players in the sport competitions” (Mohamadinejad, Mirsafian, Soltanhoseini. 2012, p. S26). Referees have the obligation to ensure the game is protected, and no significant injuries are caused. They maintain these standards to keep any obligation issues and unfair activities done by the other group. This is critical in a game to make it protected, reasonable, and a good time for every one of the players.
ESPN, Inc. is the major multinational, multimedia sports entertainment group highlighting the overall most popular sports games at the time. By the end of September 30, 2018, ESPN presented over 23,000 live events and over 64,000 total live hours of event programming and studio hours– TV and digital combined. ESPN-2, now broadcasts about a dozen cheerleading and dance championships annually. The top-notch national college competitions are hosted by the Universal Cheerleading Association in Orlando. Majority of the anchors at ESPN are retired professional sports players. Which builds upon the legitimacy and credibility of ESPN itself. These competitions are broadcasted real time and have no commercial breaks like many other sports games such as basketball and football. Since these national competitions are broadcasted on ESPN, there is no question on whether or not cheerleading is considered a sport.
Cheerleading does indeed qualify for being a sport because it has rules that are upheld by a figure of authority, including the structure that ensures fairness. There is constant physical movement and intense practicing to maintain the skill level required for a professional cheerleader. Finally, it is broadcasted on a credible network by the name of ESPN. Cheerleading has many rules to maintain fairness in the competitions which can be seen through the live broadcasts that many reporters comment on. The majority of Americans have the opportunity to watch these competitions. During these competitions, judges are constantly looking over the stunts and routines carried out by the different teams to make sure that they are being correctly executed. They follow a rule book to make sure that each team competes in all fairness. If there are any slip-ups or falls, points are deducted from the entire team. These teams that are competing in the specific competition have practiced these routines and stunts over and over again to the point of perfection. Practicing their stunts strengthens their talent and helps them earn as many points as they can. Cheerleading meets all criteria for it to be a sport. Most people would not be able to execute these routines without years of practice and an essential drive for competition and winning so that in itself shows that cheerleading is not for everyone.
Overall the bias that is always being questioned would be the fact that cheerleading may or may not be considered a sport. There are many individuals on the planet who differ in the case of cheerleading, subsequently it could be viewed as a questionable theme. Numerous individuals expect that since it is dominated by fundamentally females, it isn’t ‘manly’ enough to be viewed as a focused game. Cheerleading is a sport because it requires constant physical movement and strategy/skill from its athletes, there are national competitions with set rules and referees, and is broadcasted on ESPN concerning the winner of the most recent national competition.
References
- Bendíková, E. (2014). Lifestyle, physical and sports education and health benefits of physical activity. European Researcher, 69(2), 343–348.
- Mohamadinejad, A., Mirsafian, H., Soltanhoseini, M. (2012). Study on civil liability of referees in the sport competitions. Journal of Human Sport & Exercise, 7(1), S24-S34.
