Gimme a "C!"

I generally keep the fact that I used to be a cheerleader to myself. It's not something I'm particularly proud of, as cheerleading in the 1960s was mostly about little pleated skirts and personality. I am of the generation of women who prefer to be known for their intellect and professional accomplishments rather than their pom-poms.

Cheerleading, however, has evolved, as a concept--it's become more athletic and competitive, involving a range of gymnastic skills and strength. It's less about popularity and more about coordination and discipline, at least theoretically--with Texas as possible exception to the rule, of course.

I was surprised to see Frank Deford, on NPR, equivocate on the subject of whether cheerleading is a true sport. I thought that battle had been won decades ago, when high schools and colleges began implementing Title IX, and all female sports (and wannabe sports) took a major upward leap in proficiency and aggressive athleticism. Deford's point was a good one, though: Colleges that declare cheerleading a sport can then justify eliminating other female sports--and spending more on expensive male-only programs, like football. 

While discussions on gender equity in sports will likely go on forever, there's no denying that cheerleading has developed  into a team activity requiring significant physical ability--a sport.

I am always amused by the passion with which people--OK, men--will squabble about whether a particular activity is a "sport" or not. I fail to see how 22 outsized, fully padded bruisers in $200 helmets, moving a pigskin bladder two feet while knocking each other down (and sometimes out) is undeniably a sport --but things like archery, hunting, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics are questionable. 

A lot of the arguing has to do with money--who will pay to see what--and the necessity of winners and losers, which means that dog racing is a sport, but marching bands are entertainment, even though every band member on the field is engaged in a complex, physically strenuous activity requiring stamina, precision, coordination, memory, the ability to read music and skin thick enough that tuba jokes bounce right off.

I once had an acrimonious dispute with the Athletic Director in my high school over whether band members should be eligible for varsity letters. The block H, he explained, was reserved for true athletes (as were the varsity jackets with the leather sleeves). He suggested that the band get  nylon windbreakers to show their spirit--and eventually admitted that he was worried that the football team might not be proud to don varsity jackets if bassoonists could wear them, too. He found no irony in the fact that the 100 members of the marching band spent two months trailing the football team around for the purpose of playing the fight song with frozen fingers every time Biff kicked a field goal.

In K-12 World, any competitive activity that involves skills, strength or teamwork ought to qualify as a sport. Why not? American schools spend much more on sports than schools in other countries. If we insist that sports engage kids whose strengths are kinesthetic rather than academic--and believe that sports build confidence, teamwork and discipline--then we ought to offer as many "sports" as we possibly can, so their benefits are broadly available.

It took about five years, but the music department eventually won the campaign to wear the same varsity letter as the football team. Our block H had a small pair of eighth notes to distinguish it from the others: letters with golf balls, the winged feet and--  eventually-- the little mortarboards of the Quiz Bowl kids. I'd call that S-U-C-C-E-S-S.

Comments

[Deborah Tonguis]

As a faculty sponsor and coach who has taken several state champion dance teams to national competitions, I can attest that both cheerleading and dance team are definitely sports. They require the same amount of practice, skill and strength as any other high school sport. Other than maybe basketball players, most male athletes would find it difficult to maintain the high level of athleticism and cardiovascular capacity to maintain a high energy 2 1/2 minute routine filled with high kicks, aerial leaps, and gravity defying gymnastics, all choreographed with pin point precision to beat blasting music. But here's the thing: baseball, basketball, football, wrestling, lacrosse, soccer and track coaches at my school receive a coaching stipend that is a percentage of their annual teacher salary (around 20%). I am paid an extracurricular fee of $200 per semester and stay after school the same amount of time as my coaching counterparts. Sports like cheerleading and dance team will never be seen as legitimate sports until the stereotypes stop being perpetuated by the media. Having watched college cheerleading and dance team squads for years, I challenge anyone to downplay the level of athleticism exhibited by those student athletes. My daughter, who danced competitively from the age of 3, became captain of her award winning high school dance team and is now an NFL cheerleader for the New Orleans Saints is far from just eye candy for the crowd. She spends hours in the gym and practices three times a week to be able to perform the routines you see on the sidelines. Don't think it's a sport? Try it sometime. Your beating heart, gasping lungs and aching muscles will tell you otherwise!

[Nancy Flanagan]

Hey, Deb. As you can tell, I'm on your side here (and have my own beefs about marching shows, concerts, parades, graduation and the 101 other places that the band is supposed to show up--and the band teacher gets no extra compensation, while the assistant junior varsity wrestling coach gets 8%). But I digress...

Cheerleading (and color guard, and precision dance team, etc.) are sports, plainly.

[a. bendelow]

Thank you for pointing this school equity issue out for me, Nancy. It's easy to overlook the equal sacrifices and struggle that membership or leadership in a non-traditional "sport" (musical group, service club, or scholastic team) entails. How are the sacrifices of these kids not equivalent to the noble football and basketball players?

When I start my charter school, we will offer a maximum of "sports," dignifying any serious dedicated work toward performance goals.

[Sarah Ebner]

This is really interesting to me, from the UK, as we don't really have cheerleading here, and have to say that what we do have seems to be viewed in the old fashioned way you describe. I have always found it an odd thing - to have a sport and then women doing the entertaining, but maybe that's because I didn't grow up with it, and didn't realise how much it has changed in recent years To be honest, at least you're doing sports at schools there. Our school pupils seem to be doing less and less...

[Nancy Flanagan]

@a.bendelow & Sarah E.--thanks for visiting a Strange Land. Several summers ago, we hosted an exchange student from France. She was astonished at the football stadiums, fully equipped gymnasiums in every school, section of the newspaper dedicated to sports, etc.--and she was an award-winning gymnast. Sports are key in other western nations, of course--but are not necessarily attached to schools. We've nearly made a fetish of sports here--sometimes to the detriment of other, equally worthy student activities.

[Jason]

Cheerleading is a sport sure... However, let's not say that cheerleaders or band people are any more talented than football players. You say that you'd like to see a football player perform cheerleading stunts? I'd like to see a cheerleader try to run with the ball and get to the line of scrimmage. Or how bout weight lifting? All sports or extra curricular activities provide a great deal of time and serious effort. My school had a very fair policy of giving out letters specific to each activity; band, sports, speech or academic bowl pursuits. Jackets were available for purchase only not given out. Frankly, I'd like to see sports cut back and have focus placed more on the real reason kids are in school... to get an education.

[Deborah Tonguis]

I don't think I want to teach in a school where sports are not offered along with Guitar Club or Robotics. The more diverse extracurricular opportunities we can provide for our students, the better the chance that they will find their niche. Every teacher knows the heartbreak of watching a student eating alone at lunch, a symptom of someone who doesn't have a group to fit in with. It has been my experience that those very sports related extracurricular activities that are being cut actually enhance a student's academic success...perhaps because they help make students happier, healthier and more whole human beings. The real reason kids are in school is to answer the question "Who am I?". Identity, not just intellect, is at the core of every child's educational journey.

[Deborah Tonguis]

p.s. Perhaps I need to clarify that my experience with cheerleaders includes co-ed squads. These male cheerleaders take the same "conditioning" gym classes alongside the football players, where they bench press and run. In my high school, many cheerleaders are former players who have determined that it is easier to get a full scholarship in cheerleading than in collegiate football. Take a look at those male cheerleaders on the sidelines during the upcoming college bowl games. They are usually every bit as fit and muscular as a tight end on the field! I love being able to provide students with yet another way for them to get college tuition. And if colleges consider cheerleading a scholarship-worthy sport, then high schools should too.

So I wasn't really referring to the all-girl "eye candy" squads from the past. Cheerleading has evolved into a sport that barely resembles the stereotypes I see being mentioned... female cheerleaders are rightfully considered elite athletes, ones who lift weights and train 2-3 hours after school each day.