Not a SPORT!

ok; so you can play it all....no doubt.....the bottom line is cheerleading
is not harder than PLAYING the game (what ever the game is uless its chess).
Cheerleaders do their part; but standing on the sidelines cheering is in no way
comparable to the guys (or girls) running down the court or getting their legs
knocked out from underneath them while trying to catch a pass. I could play too;
( and probally give you a run for your money) but i have got too old for the game......but i can still cheer......

You obviously miss the point that there is MORE to cheerleading than just standing on the sidelines.

So I will make it clearer.

There is more to cheerleading than just standing on the sidelines...

Again, it's knowledge that people don't have and make posts like that. When you research a little more into cheerleading, then let me know what you think.

That is why there are over 100 companies in the United States that host cheerleading competitions where all the cheerleaders do is stand on the sidelines (insert sarcasm here!) Take a look into the world of cheerleading outside of your usually (insert whatever sport is your favorite)-colored glasses. There are competitions on just about every weekend from October through April and its more than what you are basically trying to say about cheer.

Again, Cheerleading is more than just standing on the sidelines... Once you see past that, you might have a different view.

Coach James and BBDad I'll cheer for both of you.

Great points in both of your posts.

I never said cheering is not hard. I never said said a single negative word about cheer. I simply stated that they do not work harder than anyone else.

You started this thread KP...you KNEW what you were getting into surely and you KNEW that the majority of people on here werent going to agree with you. It seems to me like you wanted to toot your own horn a little bit on here. I certainly have never been a cheerleader but I have played enough soccer and baseball to know what i'm talking about and watched enough cheerleading to know what they do. They might go an entire game without moving 3 feet either way for petes sake. You can replay your entire high school sports career play by play on here to justify your posts on the subject but that still won't convince me and many others apparently that cheerleading is harder.

When they are talking about cheer they are not talking about during ball games. They are talking about their competition.

Yes down...I have watched parts of those on ESPN as well. I personally think the black fraternity guys who do the step-shows would take even more work than cheerleading.

Sigma_Chi_04, you need to pay attention to who is posting what. KP is not posting the responses that you are trying to find an audience for. Coach James - ACC is the one who is posting so please make sure to direct your responses correctly.

Have you ever watched a cheerleading practice? Probably not. The cheerleading competitions are a SMALL FRACTION of what actually happens. You of ALL people should know since you are the professional at determining what is athletic vs. what is not. IF you've played any sport, you PRACTICE 10 to 20 times more than you actually perform. Please tell me you see that and please tell me you aren't going to try and argue with me.

And your last comment just shows really what you are trying to accomplish. It's perfectly fine that you have your opinion, but pretty much everyone else on here will actually agree with what we've been trying to say. KP has a strong feeling that cheerleaders work harder than other athletes. So be it. I feel as though they work JUST as hard and should get the same respect. Male and Female.

At least DownNotOut can read that and see what I have been trying to say.

Again, let me make it PERFECTLY clear.

CHEERLEADING IS MORE THAN JUST STANDING ON THE SIDELINES!

Wake up. I would be more than happy to arrange a time for you to come and participate in what you deem as being not a hard sport to participate in.

In fact, I will openly challenge you to a series of athletic events and we'll include your favorites and mine. I'd love to show you what kind of athlete cheerleaders can be. Heck, I'd even let Grim broadcast it. Then, we can see where everything lies. I am willing to back my sports with more than words .... Are You?

And besides. The point of the original post is to bring to light that the Arkansas Athletics Association is proposing to actually make cheerleading a sport. The reason we do not want it to be a sport is that it will severely limit what cheerleading can accomplish as a team sport and what cheerleaders can do individually.

It would not be in everyone's best interest to make it a sport by the definition of the AAA. We will be the first people to ask the AD's to vote it not a sport. But, we don't say that because we don't feel it is a sport or isn't. It would just be better off where it is.

Cheerleading may or may not be a sport by some peoples classification. But it IS an athletic event that requires MANY skill bases and can be performed at its best by extremely talented athletes.

I am a firm believer that fishing and hunting is NOT a sport. But see, there are different rules when it comes to classifying predominantly MALE activities to FEMALE activities. That is factual.

I practice mens league softball 2 or 3 times a week, probably just as much as many of the cheerleading camps around here...does that make it a physically challenging activity only for skilled athletes? Just because you spend a substantial amount of time practicing something that doesnt make it automatically difficult. I have 2 fraternity brothers who are cheerleaders at ASU...I think they will tell you first hand that it isn't quite as hard as you make it out to be. Why are you so bothered that somebody has a different opinion about cheerleading that you do? I have formed my opinions and no amount of watching practice will change my mind. I realize there are many girls/guys that are very good at what they do and I'm not disputing that and yes they practice hard i'm sure...but no harder than any other person playing any other sport. As for your standing challenge to me...you know that is a ridiculous statement to make. Do you really think you're going to impress anybody by challenging a person that you don't know from Adam to a "series of athletic events"?

Let do this. A decathlon of events.

1 Bowling
2 darts
3 badminton
4 billiards
5 pole vault " Butter's favorite" he love poles
6 swimming "breast stroke my favorite"
7 putt putt
8 rock-paper-scissor
9 hop scotch
10 jacks

down...will this be wall darts or lawn darts? My doctor won't allow me to handle sharp objects. I guess that counts out rock paper scissors as well. How about the ultimate -*test*-('") of physical ability....we will see who can hold their breath the longest.

Why does it bother you so much that I think differently than you?

I am really not trying to change your mind, but ask you to give respect where it is due. And I will be the first to admit that ASU cheerleading is not nearly as difficult as say, Kentucky or UCentralArkansas, etc etc.

And I would challenge anyone who trys to say that cheerleading isn't an athletic event. You are the best example of a close minded thinker that you would be the best example for me to prove things to.

In fact, it is pretty clear to me that you are probably some over-weight former wanna be athlete who has trouble getting his pants on over his beer belly. I have been involved in this so called "less than athletic" activity for nearly 9 years and am now over 30 years old and STILL in better shape than you. It's not a ticking con-*test*-('"). It's me proving to you that cheerleaders are just as good of athletes and that you should give more respect.

But, nothing will change your mind. So go back to beer league softball. Take all the time you need to try and down play everything about an activity you don't understand.

And just to let you know what my idea of athletic activity is, here is what I was thinking and i'd be glad to show you how to do them.

1. Baseball - Pitcher vs. Hitter, Fielding and Throwing
2. Football - Place Kicking @ different lengths, Throwing for Distance/Accuracy
3. Soccer - Goalie vs. Striker, Kicking for Distance
4. Cheerleading - Tumbling, Stunting (I'd even TEACH you how)
5. Basketball - 1 on 1, best of 3, score to 21.

If you want to make fun of things, go ahead. But at least I am the one trying to give you and outlet to prove that your sports are harder.

Like i've said about 10 times, Cheerleading is JUST as hard as any other sport. I've never claimed it to be less or more. Give respect where respect is due.

Haha wow thanks for that good laugh here at work. Way to bring a discussion from cheerleading to a blind personal attack on me. Yea you've totally got me pegged man...haha. I could get some great personal shots in at you here i'm sure but don't worry I won't stoop to your level. As for your little decathalon idea, that is stupid. I'm sorry but i've got better things to do than spend 1/2 a day proving my superior athletecism to somebody off an internet cheerleading forum.