Cheerleading Is Not a Sport

A federal court has ruled that cheerleading cannot properly be called a sport because it does not provide for equal opportunities and participation in sports. Has the court gone too far? Pluto is not a planet, cheerleading is not a sport. Is this new distinction a similarly irrelevant play, or is it unfair to disallow cheerleading as a sport because it is comprised mainly of women? “Competitive cheer has become much more athletic and gymnastic—and is increasingly organising itself as a sport, and one that demands commensurate recognition and respect,” says The Guardian.