Judges Ruling Sparks National Debate Over Cheerleading Sport or No Sport?

FOXNEWS ^ | July 22, 2010 | Diane Macedo

[Bad~Rodeo]

A federal judge's ruling that cheerleading is not a sport has taken a longtime debate out of the courtroom and into homes, gyms, schools and colleges nationwide. The never-ending question: Are cheerleaders athletes?

U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill ruled Wednesday that Quinnipiac University in New Jersey could not replace its women's volleyball team with a competitive cheering squad, saying cheerleading is "too underdeveloped and disorganized" to be treated as an official collegiate sport.

George W. Bush as a cheerleader at Andover

Under the nation's Title IX regulations, which require universities receiving federal funds to offer equal athletic opportunities to both sexes, a sport must have coaches, practices, and competitions during a defined season. It must also have a governing organization, and its primary goal must be to compete, not just support other teams.

But cheerleading advocates say their activity meets those requirements and more.

"It's probably the hardest sport in any venue, whether it be club cheerleading, high school, recreational or college," said Jane Marella, director of the Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy of Connecticut and cheerleading coach at Trumbull High School.

Cheerleaders do compete against other teams, Marella said -- just not one team at a time, like in traditional sports. And though cheerleaders cheer for other school teams, that's just a small part of the activity.

"This isn't about going in there and cheering for their football and basketball teams, it's about competing," Marella said. "The girls have to be gymnasts, they have to be able to tumble, they have to be dancers, they have to be able to be strong to lift other people or be lifted, they have to be able to have endurance . . . it's not the rah, rah with the pom poms."

And

[Bad~Rodeo]

Is competitive dancing a sport?

Post 14 claims that RC boat racing is a sport, why not

[NCLaw441]

I agree with your suggestion that women be treated as equals in sports. Instead of men and women’s basketball, for example, just have one basketball team made up of the best players, whether male or female. Same for golf, tennis, softball, baseball, football, track, soccer, etc. etc. This will completely avoid the issue of men vs. women’s sports.

[Zack Attack]

I don’t know if cheerleading is a sport, but I am a sport. I’ve even been called a good sport.

[terycarl]

agree with your suggestion that women be treated as equals in sports. Instead of men and women’s basketball, for example, just have one basketball team made up of the best players, whether male or female. Same for golf, tennis, softball, baseball, football, track, soccer, etc. etc. This will completely avoid the issue of men vs. women’s sports.

that brilliant idea would virtually eliminate women from sports altogether In the vast majority of cases, women cannot compete with men in sports

[cherry]

what about dancing?...marching?.....how about frizzbe?....anything with a physical output can be considered a sport.....this ruling is more aimed at not letting colleges use cheerleading as its Title 9 obligation....

[namvolunteer]

Quinnipiac University is a private, coeducational university with 5,700 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students. Consistently ranked among the best universities by U.S. News & World Report, Quinnipiac (pronounced KWIN-uh-pe-ack) offers 52 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate programs plus the JD program.

Located next to the picturesque Sleeping Giant Mountain in Hamden, Conn., 90 minutes from New York City

[ExTxMarine]

“It takes a great deal of athleticism...”

So does wrestling, but I am not going to call it a sport!

[NCLaw441]

You said: that brilliant idea would virtually eliminate women from sports altogether In the vast majority of cases, women cannot compete with men in sports
***

You are probably correct of course (except in some areas like gymnastics and maybe figure skating), but women generally refuse to admit it. I don’t think women’s sports should really be eliminated. I only say that to make the point that the genders are NOT equal, and Title IX is an attempt to make equal that which cannot be made equal.

[terycarl]

You are probably correct of course (except in some areas like gymnastics and maybe figure skating), but women generally refuse to admit it. I don’t think women’s sports should really be eliminated. I only say that to make the point that the genders are NOT equal, and Title IX is an attempt to make equal that which cannot be made equal.

another government attempt at redistributing that which cannot be redistributed.Now they are going to try to “redistribute income”.....how can they redistribute something which was not distributed, but earned......they would never say redistribute earnings!!!!!!