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Why Don't We Recognize Cheerleading as a Sport?
On July 21, the American Association of University Women cheered a court decision announcing that cheerleading is not a sport. The Biediger v. Quinnipiac University case began with the university's decision to cut the varsity women's volleyball team and instead expand their club cheerleading squad into a varsity-level competitive team. The volleyball team's coach brought charges and won the case in a victory for the enforcement of Title IX. The rest is history -- or is it?
Why the decision that cheerleading isn't a sport? Quinnipiac lost the case for a reason -- its support-oriented cheer squad wasn't even close to upholding Title IX -- but that doesn't mean that other competitive cheerleading teams aren't in compliance.
In his ruling on the Quinnipiac case, Judge Stefan Underhill wrote that cheerleading didn't qualify as a sport because "the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."
Competitive cheerleading's obvious athleticism and difficulty aside, the activity is largely unregulated and disorganized because it isn't recognized as a sport. Currently, cheerleading is more of an industry than an organized athletic activity. Varsity Brands, Inc., a cheerleading equipment company that runs most championship events, has no motive to streamline or regulate cheerleading, especially when sloppy training and redundant competitions increase profits.
Granting cheerleading a place in the sports world will force the development of stricter regulations, official tournaments, and improved training and safety procedures --
important symbols of legitimacy for an activity that is often dismissed, I suspect, because it is traditionally dominated by women. Additionally, I can't help but wonder if cheerleading is denigrated even more than other 'feminine' athletics because its participants are typically not only women, but conventionally attractive, ones -- women that no one in mainstream society appears willing to take seriously.
Recognizing cheerleading as a sport with established NCAA safety and training regulations may also be key in reducing the horrifyingly high rates of cheerleading injuries. According to the 2009 Catastrophic Sports Injury Research report, 71 percent of all catastrophic injuries to female college athletes are due to cheerleading.
Cheerleading has a problematic history, but that doesn't mean that it can't empower girls and women as leaders, competitors and athletes. Judge Underhill's decision to keep competitive cheerleaders on the sidelines maintains the familiar precedent of women's activities and health coming in last place.
However, that is the interpretation that society has placed on the activities of these women. What a slap in the face to those little girls to be running, jumping, and having fun and to be looked upon as if they're damaging the women's movement.
Be quite clear about the aspects of cheerleading that promote sexism.
Look to the model of squads which are hard-working, athletic, empowering to their members, and non-discriminatory (co-ed).
Support members of those squads by acknowledging their athletic skills.
"Cheerleading" is, has, and always will involve standing on the sidelines cheering someone else on to victory. It is a valid activity that should not be relegated to a single gender.
There are new models being developed:
* National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association
* USA Cheer's STUNT
Judge Underhill's ruling establishes the necessity that title IX sports be fully developed and organized. But this is not sufficient for us to consider something a Title IX sport.
Follow the news. Demand that, if approved, cheerleading's Title IX replacement will respect and embraces the athleticism of its own members. For a cheerleading-like activity to be a Title IX sport, explicitly include the following:
* non-discriminatory (co-ed teams)
* no gender-specific roles (for instance, no prohibition on men being tossed by women)
* no gender-specific outfits (women can wear the same uniform as men)
* As a sport, it must stand alone and may not be defined through its relationship to other sports
As a female ice-hockey player, I support replacing discriminatory cheerleading with a stereotype-busting sport alternative.
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