Federal court decides that Cheerleading is NOT a sport.

reply to post by VictorVonDoom


My daughter is a cheerleader and I care if it is a sport or not, she stays physically fit and competes so i am going to go with sport.

Im curious how that affects title IX programs...

Cheerleading is a sport.

My daughter was a cheerleader for two years of grade school and all four years of high school. The cheerleaders spent just as many hours practicing and getting in shape as the basketball players did. Some of those workouts were quite tough on them. She lifted weights regularly, since she was a base and had to lift girls in the air, toss and catch them. The flyers have to be strong enough to pull up their own weight as well, as the stunts they do while held up by another are not as easy as one in the stands may believe.

Then there is the amount of respect each cheerleader has to have for what they are doing. The whole business of holding another human being's future in your hands demands a large amount of maturity. Dropping the flyer, can mean permanent injury or even death to them or the bases. Stunts don't always fall the way they would be expected to. As far as injuries go, my daughter came home with more than one black eye from a falling flyer. But they get back out there, and they do it all again. Most cheerleaders have a passion for it that rivals any other athletes' in any other sport.

I'm not surprised that the court wasn't open to cheer as a sport. The cheerleaders usually seem to take a backseat to the other sports at the schools anyway. At our school, it was the cheerleaders practicing in the hallway or in the schoolyard. The ball coaches always get first shot at the gym. I think it would be that way even if the cheerleaders brought home more awards than the ball teams.

I feel cheer leading is as much a sport as the gals spinning ribbons around during the Olympics, which I feel ain't a sport at all.

Cheerleading is not a sport, because there is no competition with the other cheerleading squad as part of its normal activity.

Like fashion modeling or architecture.

Or motivational speaking.

The goverment is involved because of money. Shouldn't be any money or control of money from the government.

I heard, now, don't quote me on this but, I heard that there are other activities happening simultaneously while the cheerleaders are performing.

What exactly those other activities are I have no clue.....

reply to post by SLAYER69


I think it's usually guys with some kind of a ball... but I never can keep track... flying women in mini-skirts are just too darned distracting.

Good to see ya again Slayer!

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide




I think it's a sport.
Hell, some of the cheerleaders I've seen are great gymnasts. And some of their routines are fabulous. Their costumes/outfits?

reply to post by Semicollegiate


Actually they do have competitions..

wikipedia - cheerleading

For those asking why it matters, it comes down to liability and insurance.

If the state does not recognize it as a sport, some insurance companies may not cover injuries incurred while participating in the activity.

If the state does recognize it as a sport (Wisconsin has it listed as a contact sport), you can lose your ability to sue for negligence.

Cheerleading is basically team based gymastics. how is that not a sport?

reply to post by FortAnthem


Easy to say but as someone who witnessed personally the females being pushed aside for male athletics, it is a very valid problem.

First I think cheerrleading is one of the most demanding sports out there, but I think I see from where the court is coming. If cheerleaading is declared a sport it would dry up a number of womens sports scholarships that are already out there. i believe that they are doing this in defense of title nine. Not as a slam to chearleading. If chearleading is not declared a sport then they cannot use it to do away with another sport that is for the women. title nine is one of the better ideas for the advancement of womens collegiate and even high school sports to come along. Normally i am ranting about .gov intervention, but on occasion they get something right. title nine is a way to force the moneymaking sports [i.e. football, and basketball], to help suppot the non income producing sports. title nine is the one of the reasons the U.S. womens sports usually dominate the world in the olympic games.

RP

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by FortAnthem

 

Easy to say but as someone who witnessed personally the females being pushed aside for male athletics, it is a very valid problem.

edit on 14-8-2012 by nixie_nox because: (no reason given)

Backtracking to the origional story seems to show the op source may be incorrect. The origional source stems from Quinnipiac University. Apparently the university attempted to disband womens valleyball. In order to comply with title IX they attempted to use competitive cheerleading in place of valleyball. The coach of the valleyball team is the one who filed the lawsuit.

The court I dont think is stating cheerleading is not a sport. I think what they are getting at is cheerleading does not meet the federal title IX requirements where as valleyball does. The other thing I noticed is the repeated use of the term "varisty" cheerleading. That also, I think, goes along with federal requirements - sport classifications to determine funding under the title.

HARTFORD, Conn. — A federal appeals court has upheld a decision that found colleges cannot count competitive cheerleading as a sport when trying to comply with gender-equity requirements.

In a decision released Tuesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on an appeal filed by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, which had been sued by its volleyball coach after it tried to eliminate the women’s volleyball program in favor of competitive cheering.

The school contended the cheer squad and other moves kept it in compliance with Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in education and athletics.

The appeals court agreed with U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill, who found in 2010 that competitive cheerleading did not yet reach the level of a varsity sport.

I get the impression that cheerleading is in fact a sport and the courts are stating that for title IX purposes it does not meet the qualifications established.

Wiki - Title IX US Education Laws

Varsity Sport / Club Sport - wiki

In the United States and Canada, varsity teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against similar teams at corresponding educational institutions. Groups of varsity sports teams are often organized into athletic conferences, which are groups of teams that regularly play each other during a given athletic season. In recognition of their high level of performance, athletes on varsity teams are often given varsity letters.

They are in contrast to the institution's club sports. A major difference between varsity and club sports is the source for allocated funds. varsity teams receive financial support, equipment, and facilities from college and university athletic department budgets.[1] Universities often allocate club sport budgets through student life departments similar to other clubs on campus. Because club sports cost more than other clubs, many club student-athletes must pay to play and also engage in team fundraising efforts to pay for facilities time, equipment, and other team expenses.[2] At various levels of collegiate sports, varsity student athletes are eligible for scholarships solely or partially based on athletic skills.[1][3]

Originally posted by Xcathdra
reply to post by Semicollegiate

 

Actually they do have competitions..

wikipedia - cheerleading

And there are architectural competitions and eating competitions. Neither architecture nor eating are sports.

In the context of the NCAA, (money involved here) there are no competative cheerleading tournaments, I guess.

I think the reason for the thread is actually to call attention to the control from above that our current system of government exercises. Or maybe litigiousness.

reply to post by Semicollegiate


Your questions / comments are answered here.

reply to post by Xcathdra


No, you didn't answer my questions or comments.

Cheerleading could become an NCAA sport. (As in not an NCAA sport at this time)

Now, before you jump to the conclusion that cheerleading in any form is not or could never be a sport, consider this: Can you toss someone your size in the air and catch her with ease? Can you tumble like a gymnast or balance gracefully (and with a smile) on one leg, 10-feet above ground? Do you train like a runner, but have the strength of a football player?
A competitive cheerleader can do all this and more, which has prompted the NCAA to consider two variances of cheerleading for “emerging sport” status — a move that will not only legitimize the athleticism that is required for certain aspects of cheerleading, but also help universities comply with Title IX, the federal law that bans gender discrimination at educational institutions.

Read more: newsfeed.time.com...

The OP is more about strings attatched to "gifts" than about cheerleading.

Originally posted by Semicollegiate
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

No, you didn't answer my questions or comments.

I did actually..

Originally posted by Xcathdra

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by FortAnthem

 

Easy to say but as someone who witnessed personally the females being pushed aside for male athletics, it is a very valid problem.

edit on 14-8-2012 by nixie_nox because: (no reason given)

Backtracking to the origional story seems to show the op source may be incorrect. The origional source stems from Quinnipiac University. Apparently the university attempted to disband womens valleyball. In order to comply with title IX they attempted to use competitive cheerleading in place of valleyball. The coach of the valleyball team is the one who filed the lawsuit.

The court I dont think is stating cheerleading is not a sport. I think what they are getting at is cheerleading does not meet the federal title IX requirements where as valleyball does. The other thing I noticed is the repeated use of the term "varisty" cheerleading. That also, I think, goes along with federal requirements - sport classifications to determine funding under the title.

HARTFORD, Conn. — A federal appeals court has upheld a decision that found colleges cannot count competitive cheerleading as a sport when trying to comply with gender-equity requirements.

In a decision released Tuesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on an appeal filed by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, which had been sued by its volleyball coach after it tried to eliminate the women’s volleyball program in favor of competitive cheering.

The school contended the cheer squad and other moves kept it in compliance with Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in education and athletics.

The appeals court agreed with U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill, who found in 2010 that competitive cheerleading did not yet reach the level of a varsity sport.

I get the impression that cheerleading is in fact a sport and the courts are stating that for title IX purposes it does not meet the qualifications established.

Wiki - Title IX US Education Laws

Varsity Sport / Club Sport - wiki

In the United States and Canada, varsity teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against similar teams at corresponding educational institutions. Groups of varsity sports teams are often organized into athletic conferences, which are groups of teams that regularly play each other during a given athletic season. In recognition of their high level of performance, athletes on varsity teams are often given varsity letters.

They are in contrast to the institution's club sports. A major difference between varsity and club sports is the source for allocated funds. varsity teams receive financial support, equipment, and facilities from college and university athletic department budgets.[1] Universities often allocate club sport budgets through student life departments similar to other clubs on campus. Because club sports cost more than other clubs, many club student-athletes must pay to play and also engage in team fundraising efforts to pay for facilities time, equipment, and other team expenses.[2] At various levels of collegiate sports, varsity student athletes are eligible for scholarships solely or partially based on athletic skills.[1][3]

reply to post by Semicollegiate


It is a very competitive sport.
The girls on high school cheer leading teams actually do at times compete, and further most of them have trained with different companies whose teams compete regionally and nationally.
They travel around the world competing.
They also often take up gymnastics to get those moves.
Between back flips, front flips, walk-overs and getting thrown in the air and needing to get that move down just right lest they literally break their back or neck, they practice intensely.

I have seen 7 year old girls walk out of a stadium freaking out because they didn't get a medal (no I don't agree at all with this) because the competitiveness is so high.

SO
If gymnastics is a sport, cheerleading is a sport.

This is $$$ bs.

I have an idea, put the cheerleaders in the beach volleyball uniforms...then its a sport.....a spectator sport.....where the heck are my binoculars?....


NTA: I once slept with 4 cheerleaders at once....it was a team effort...and they were very athletic.....GO TEAM!