The Misadventures of Kaleya No.8-Yet Another Cheerleading Post

Cheer is a sport.
Cheer is a sport.
Cheer is a sport.
                           A phrase many people refuse to believe is true, but it truly is.
The definition of a sport:
An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
That is the Miriam Webster, official definition. By definition, cheerleading meets all criteria. It involves physical exertion, "flips"/tumbling, stunting, jumps, conditioning, dances, and cheers themselves are some examples of so. You may not know this, but cheerleaders compete!

This is only but an example of what cheerleaders do. I'm sure many of you would say "Oh I can do that", I assure you can't unless you've had the proper training of a cheerleader.

Another argument:  Male cheerleaders are gay.
That is completely untrue, nothing makes a person gay except for exclusively liking the same gender  Male cheerleaders are athletes like no other, managing to hold teammates only by their feet, an almost inhuman feat.
Even I, a twelve (almost thirteen, for the record), year-old female cheerleader can do various difficult stunts, such as a shoulder stand.

Another argument: Cheerleading is easy
Cheerleading is number 6/28 of the worlds most dangerous sports, grouped with wrestling, football, and mixed martial arts. Cheerleading is not jumping up and down on a sideline. Cheerleaders risk broken bones, sprains, brain damage, ACL tears, and even paralysis, by doing the sport. A simple miscount in football would cause a dropped ball. One in cheerleading would cause an athlete to be dropped on her neck. Football is a well-respected sport, cheerleading should be too.


Another argument: but the uniforms are so small!
We do not choose the uniforms. The uniforms do keep us safe though. All you see is a skimpy skirt and bows, but just as wrestlers need a tight-fitting singlet to allow movement, cheerleaders need a tight-fitting uniform for reasons such as uniforms staying on during tumble passes, security for catching flyers, and other reasons. Cheerleaders do not deserve to be generalized because our uniform is more "feminine" or "revealing". Even wearing athletic leggings to practice could cause safety risks. Our level of respect should not be based on the length of our skirts.

Another argument: It's not in the Olympics
 Neither is football, basketball, or baseball, but they're all respected. Cheerleaders not only compete, put their lives on the line for an elaborate show, and practice hard with blood sweat tears and sparkle, but they also cheer on sports teams and promote school spirit. SV cheerleaders are kind, spirit inducing, and loud. Once we're in uniform, we are servants of the community, but still, deserve respect.

Thank you for reading my rant.
-K.Peace