Cheerleading Controversy

ENGL 102
Leyna Krow
2 February 2014
Definition Essay
Audience: Press
Train like Beasts, Look like Beauties
Shiny pom-poms shaking, a big huddle with all hands gathering in the middle and on the count of three the team runs out to see hundreds of screaming fans. The excitement flowing through the bodies and the two minutes and thirty seconds they have on that blue mat to show off what they got. Today, cheerleading involves skills which require the strength of football, the grace of dance, and the agility of gymnastics. Cheerleading has been tossed around for years as to whether it should be considered a sport or not. The United Nations has stated that a sport is considered “All forms of physical activity that contribute to physical fitness,
There is a high risk of injury. Cheerleaders have to train to be fit and strong and are pressured into staying that way. In Spokane Valley, Washington there is a national competitive cheerleading gym. This gym is called Build It Athletics. It’s ran by Tara Ernst. It’s a public cheerleading association that helps girls train for the future, and they form teams to enter competitions. In order to make their highest ranking team, one must be able to run a mile under 7 minutes to be able to demonstrate their ability to meet the requirements for stunting, cheering, dancing and tumbling (Ernst). No girl or boy can lift a 135 pound girl into the air with the right training. These athletes perform standing back flips, round flips, and full layout twists. Cheerleaders also perform a different amount of lifts and tosses. This is where the “fliers” are thrown into the air, held by “bases” in different positions that require strength, communication, and cooperation with other teammates (Ernst). Various squads hold about five to six practices a week to stay on top of their main goal, to win that first prize trophy. Like any other sport, cheerleading involves high physical activity (Ernst). As I talked with Tara, she stated that “These girls and boys are under a lot of pressure, not only from the long practicing, and the strain it puts on your body, but from society. Society expects cheerleaders
There are organized competitive competitions. Some squads compete in world wide competitions and get a high enough score to compete in a national competition. Every squad is given a chance to participate against teams from all around the world. These competitions can go up to four days long, start as early as seven in the morning and end late at night. But just like any other sport, cheerleading does have rules and guidelines to follow at these competitions. The designated performance area must have a minimum border of two feet before any drop off or obstruction (AACCA). The ceiling height must be adequate based on the level of the teams performing and the skills allowed (AACCA). If a team decides to do a stunt or any move that involves a mat, it needs to be carpet bonded foam at a minimum of 1-3/8 thickness (AACCA). The smallest penalty a team could have is going a couple seconds over the allotted time. The biggest penalty which could possibly get you disqualified would be performing an illegal stunt that has not been approved for the squad’s division (AACCA). These rules are strictly in forced for not only safety reasons, to find the best of the