Argument Paper: Cheerleading Is a Sport

Growing up as a cheerleader I learned that not everyone believes cheerleading is a sport nor is it actually considered one. Throughout my school years, almost everyone I encountered would argue with me about cheer being a sport. Whether someone was just messing around and antagonizing me about the subject or they were completely serious, it bothered me to know how many people actual believed in this ordeal. Knowing all the hard work and dedication cheerleaders put into practice and their routines just to go unrecognized is not worth it in the end. We all work extremely hard to produce the biggest “wow” factor stunts and to try and look pretty while doing it. As football, basketball, and baseball players all work hard day and night to achieve their goal; cheerleaders are working just as hard to achieve their own. So why are the other activities considered sports when cheerleading fits right under the same categories? #CheerladingISaSport is an extremely important topic to me because all the hard work, dedication, strength, and will power should be known; I want cheerleading to have the credit it deserves.

In 2010 “a federal judge ruled that competitive cheerleading is not an official sport,t hat colleges and high schools can use to meet gender-equity requirements”(Associated Press); therefore it is not a confirmed sport. Two years later, the Federal appeals court affirmed that decision. Even though many medical colleagues will agree that cheerleading is in fact a sport due to risks and the competitive nature, their decisions do not officially matter till a federal court rules an agreement on it. Ever since the decision was taken into court cheerleaders have been trying extra hard to gain the respect and label they long deserved. (Word count-292)

Furthermore, by making this judgement a bigger deal it would show everyone what cheerleading truly is. It would also show the strive cheerleaders have. In order for #CheerleadingISaSport to take place I would need the help of everyone to bring the subject to the media and news. The news would be my first target of audience because it would provide the topic with more opinions, hopefully good ones. It would create more gossip about cheer and what it is known as. Another audience I would like to target are athletic directors. Since athletic directors are in charge of sport programs, they ultimately decide what will be listed in the seasonal programs. It is important that each of them know what cheerleading is, as well as the fact that it should be considered a sport throughout the whole country.

Once news crews and athletic directors know about the issue, I would want them to share the information as much as they could. Providing more examples, fully detailing what cheer is. Therefore people will fully see why theres a push to make it a sport. Also, with athletic directors if they make cheerleading in the program for the season it would show the school that cheerleaders matter just as much as the other athletes. It would keep us in the same role as the other activities. Athletic directors could also fund cheerleading as they do other sports. Showing that we do represent the school and our commitment is there, there is no other reason not too.

I will reach my audience by using social media. By posting videos and pictures as well as brief descriptions will help me build my audience. As cheerleaders agree with my points they will continue to share it and hopefully the cycle will repeat concluding in more shares. Within my descriptions of my social media post, I will be using a strong word choice to convince my readers I am educated in the topic. I will also dwindle cheer terms down to normal terms, so that a non cheerleader will understand it. I believe this certain word choice will help me because it gives anyone an opportunity to understand cheer more throughly. (Word count-365)

My hashtag campaign is fully aimed to help cheerleading become a sport. I plan on perusing my audience with logical reasoning and emotion as I feel thats what would pull a reader in the most. Logically, I believe that cheerleading can fully become a sport because of all the qualifications it elicits. Such as, the competitive nature, athletic activity, and the fact that, “a sport must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass”(Women’s Sports Foundation).

Also, my campaign possess the use of ethics. Because of my experience being in cheer my whole life it shows how I know what Im talking about, as well as, my use of sources defending me in explaining how cheerleading is a sport. Throughout my essay I tend to use emotion(pathos)as well. By showing the audience how we feel when not receiving the credit we need. I want the readers to understand how emotional we feel when we are antagonized about the subject. Seeing the way we feel should persuade anyone into seeing what this topic means to us cheerleaders. Working hard and not receiving credit for it is like studying hard for a test and receiving a “D.”

Another element I would persuade my readers with is kairos. In my essay I show how us cheerleaders have been struggling to get this decision officiated since 2010. With each year we try harder and harder to gain respect in the way we deserve. By absorbing more facts and using it to our potential our decision has become closer than it ever has before. If we all keep working towards the constant issue we can make it an official sport by hopefully the following year. Every issue needs time before it is accepted and we most certainly have waited. (Word count-303)

When someone opposes against my social issue I will confront them with supporting details on why and how I believe cheer is a sport. I will try convincing them as much as I can, so hopefully they will believe in it and convince others to as well. Showing everyone who doesn’t think cheerleading is a sport exactly what we do and the logical ranking of it, it will pursue anyone into learning more about cheer, as well as learning that it is in fact a sport. In an opposition against making cheer a sport, someone would be most likely to say how cheerleading is not a sport. Due to the fact that they probably believe cheer is solely just to entertain the crowd, not to compete against one another. However, cheerleading does indeed compete head to head with other teams; even multiple teams at once. In competitive cheerleading you go head to head with five to ten teams in your category, and only one first place is rewarded. In sideline cheer you cheer on whatever sport team is playing behind you, but there is still a heavy stressor on being better than the other sideline team across the field. All in all, both forms of cheerleading are in fact sports. Competing against one another, propelling objects of mass into the air while attempting to catch them, as well as the countless hours in practice. Cheerleading was rated for the most dangerous sport right next to football. If they get the credit, we most definitely should as well.

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