Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading Not a Sport

[MBWC41]

I understand exactly where you are coming from - but KY has 6 champions in football. So is football not a sport?

 

The KY football playoff system is designed by class , giving smaller schools a chance to claim a piece of the state championship pie. I don't fully agree with it, but it makes sense in some ways. I'm all for 1 state champ, regardless of class.

 

You mentioned earlier that UK and UL had won multiple championships - in different associations - This is where my problem with cheerleading begins. How can two schools, both division I, claim national chapionships ? That makes very little sense to me.

 

Do away with multiple associations and claim 1 state champ per state and 1 national champ and people will start giving cheerleaders the respect they desire.

[sweet16]

Kinda like football team that hasn't won a game making playoffs

 

All basketball, baseball, volleyball, etc make the playoffs and they don't have to win a game.

[Sandman]

Cheerleading is absolutely and athletic endeavor. Cheerleading in 2010 is competitive, requires a lot of training and a lot of devotion, teamwork, is coached at a high level, and at many high schools many of the most athletic girls in the school are cheerleaders.

 

All that said, cheerleading can't be called a sport unless they play a set schedule , during a certain amount of time, as part of the ruling stated.

[mcpapa]

Cheerleading is absolutely and athletic endeavor. Cheerleading in 2010 is competitive, requires a lot of training and a lot of devotion, teamwork, is coached at a high level, and at many high schools many of the most athletic girls in the school are cheerleaders.

 

All that said, cheerleading can't be called a sport unless they play a set schedule , during a certain amount of time, as part of the ruling stated.

 

Agree with everything you have stated.

 

Should this come to pass, does "traditional cheerleading" (cheering on the sidelines) fall by the wayside? Does the focus become cheering as competition, or cheering as team support?

 

And as I brought up in another thread, do mixed squads have to shed themselves of their male cheerleaders if this is a Title IX issue?

[Sandman]

Agree with everything you have stated.

 

Should this come to pass, does "traditional cheerleading" (cheering on the sidelines) fall by the wayside? Does the focus become cheering as competition, or cheering as team support?

 

And as I brought up in another thread, do mixed squads have to shed themselves of their male cheerleaders if this is a Title IX issue?

 

I'd love to give you a definative answer to your questions, but I don't think anyone really knows.

 

I can tell you I'd hate for "tradtional cheerleading" to fall by the wayside, because I think it does bring excitement to the games. To be frank, sometimes the cheerleading squad performs better than the team they are there to support. Also, many of the athletes that work so hard to cheer, may give it up if they can't support their team from the sidelines, as they look at this as their time to shine for all the hard work they've invested.

 

As for cheering as a competition, it's a nice premise but at the end of the day, it would be another burden on athletic departments. I respect what they do, but if cheer teams suddenly had weekly "matches" against one another, it wouldn't draw very well.

 

As far as mixed squads and Title IX, I really don't know. At the high school level, I really can't remember a mixed squad that did anything for me that a all girls squad couldn't do. At the college level this is different however, as the male athletes typically have as much desire as the female athletes do.

 

Title IX was great in theory, and much needed. It has helped the advancement of female athletics in ways that are hard to measure. But, as we have seen often at the college level, it's a murky swamp when it comes to enforcement and interpertation.

[Plato]

Isn't it dumb that we have to ask the question, "Would the boys be excluded from participation because of Title 9" What an ignorant side effect of the law.

[MountainThunder]

While there is no doubt that cheerleading involves athleticism and skill, I believe the ruling to be correct.

 

So gymnastics is not a sport either?

[spindoc]

Not a cheerleader.

Never been a cheerleader.

Never coached cheerleading.

Never dated a cheerleader.

 

But...

 

Cheerleading is competitive...

It requires teamwork...

The competition is scored...

There are championships to be won...

 

So is competitive eating, science olympiad, and twister.

[MountainThunder]

So is competitive eating, science olympiad, and twister.

 

You can't compare the athletic ability it takes for cheerleading to those events. Apples to oranges.

[mcpapa]

There are many sports that are not sanctioned by the KHSAA; and many schools have teams/clubs. Lacrosse, gymnastics, boxing, martial arts, shooting, archery, bowling, hockey, the list goes on. I just think that in its present state, cheerleading should be excluded.

[Birdsfan]

Cheerleading (like the band) has become all about the competitions. Football games are just a sideline for many cheerleading squads. Some aren't associated with a team at all -- my niece belongs to one of those. I think any competition that is based on physical fitness, natural ability, learned skills and strategy should be considered a sport.

[Clyde]

Cheerleading (like the band) has become all about the competitions. Football games are just a sideline for many cheerleading squads. Some aren't associated with a team at all -- my niece belongs to one of those. I think any competition that is based on physical fitness, natural ability, learned skills and strategy should be considered a sport.

 

The high school band (at least in the old days) used to practice much longer in the heat than the football team. Some of those students , like linemen on the football team, dropped some LBs due to the heat and continual marching practice. Add in carrying a tuba and you've got yourself a workout. So, your last sentence would seem to include the marching band. Agree?

[History]

You can't compare the athletic ability it takes for cheerleading to those events. Apples to oranges.

:thumb::thumb:

[Birdsfan]

The high school band (at least in the old days) used to practice much longer in the heat than the football team. Some of those students , like linemen on the football team, dropped some LBs due to the heat and continual marching practice. Add in carrying a tuba and you've got yourself a workout. So, your last sentence would seem to include the marching band. Agree?

I don't know. It's hard to come up with a definition that lets in the ones you want in and not the ones you don't.

[Clyde]

I don't know. It's hard to come up with a definition that lets in the ones you want in and not the ones you don't.

 

Right. No definition will satisfy people.