Dangers of Cheerleading: Is it a Sport?

Go! Go! Go, Fight, Win! Cheers like this are being heard across North America as football season hits high gear. The girls cheering and dancing around on the sidelines are as much a part of football as the referee. There are now more than 300,000 kidz that participate in cheerleading in North America. And with movies such as Bring It On and But I'm A Cheerleader making big noise, cheerleading is becoming one of the fastest growing sports for girls on the continent.

Sport or Not?

Many people shake their head at the idea of cheerleading being called a "sport". But whatever you call it, you might want to know that cheerleading is as dangerous as most sports - even more dangerous than football. With all those stunts and maneuvers like jumps, pyramids, twirling, flipping, and tossing, a lot of people are getting hurt while "cheering on the home team".

There were more than 20,000 bumps, breaks, bruises, scrapes, and much worse from cheerleading last year. Some of the more serious injuries: Concussions and spinal injuries from falling off the top of the pyramid or a broken leg from doing a basket toss. I'm not trying to scare any of you cheerleaders off or anything - but you're more likely to get hurt being lifted in the air for a cheer formation than you are getting tackled in football! Because of this, cheerleading coaches are putting more time into training, and certain "cheer moves" have been banned by schools. At many schools, you're no longer allowed to have pyramids more than 2 people high and you can't do flips with more than one roll. But it's still okay to yell for the team as loud as you can and wave those pom-poms as much as you want. So by all means, cheerleaders, Bring It On, but take these tips seriously and just be careful.

What Kids Think

I love cheerleading. It is a real sport and it is not just for pretty snobs. I'm a cheerleader and I'm not snobby I think it just depends on how good you are and not how pretty and popular you are. It is not dumb and it is only dangerous when you don't know what you're doing.
Kidz Submit By: basketballqueen22, age 10

Think yourself lucky to even have cheerleaders. I live on the Isle of Man and we don't have cheerleaders. We have an island basketball squad though, which I play on and we tend to go to America and play. We love the atmosphere that cheerleaders create, and think that they must be pretty fit to keep dancing so hard. Therefore cheerleading must be a sport. England agrees.
Kidz Submit By: dunkonyou85, age 17

I really personally do not consider cheerleading to be a sport in any way, shape, or form. When it comes to school cheerleading, I consider it a "special event" or something to that extent. When it comes to competitive cheerleading, I consider it an art form - much like dance and gymnastics.
Kidz Submit By: elijahcaseywood, age 15

I think cheerleading is dangerous when stunts and jumps are performed incorrectly. I think cheerleading is a blast, but don't try to stunt unless you have been taught by a professional. It's not worth the risk.
Kidz Submit By: lessthanjake, age 14

I am a cheerleader and have been for quite along time now. My views about cheering have changed since then. Now I think that cheering isn't really a "sport" unless there is stunting involved. Competition Cheering is a sport and school cheering is too unless there is no stunting involved. Those out there who think that cheerleaders are preps, give it up cuz not all cheerleaders are preps. Some are, don't get me wrong but most of them aren't. We are just doin' what we like just like all the other athletes.
Kidz Submit By: lessthanjake, age 14

Have Your Say

What do you think about cheerleading? Is it a real sport, a hobby for all those pretty snobs, or just a dumb and dangerous past time? Let us know in the comments below!

Related Stories:

• Quiz the Coach - Cheerleading & Girls' Sports
• Quiz the Coach - Cheerleading
• Cheering For the Home Team