Expert: Cheering not competitive sport

Wow. You know you're a sellout when...

Sad, Sad, Sad

I guess Penn and Tellar were really onto something.  I always try to get people to understand the diff between HS cheer and Allstars.  No HS would ever have a gymnastics team practice on a hard surface with an unqualified coach.  But it's very common in HS. I'd say it's the norm.

 I feel this may never change with comments like that from an expert. Now no one will take us seriously.   Injuries in schools will continue and all cheer will continue to be lumped into the most dangerous sport (not sport). This college team looks like a sports team to me.  Allstars is definately a sport and now will grow at a small pace because of comments like this.  Not sure I like cheer so much anymore.  I don't want to give my $ to Jeff Webb.

Skipping around what is or is not a sport let me highlight some of the benefits of college cheer being in the atheltics dept.
Atheletes receive far more academic help in the forms of tutoring. They also get help from the teachers in working around their obligations of their sport... rescheduling test... extended deadlines, etc... do to sport conflicts. Both of these are HUGE benefits o help a kid who either may struggle academically or one that just can't handle both obligations otherwise. Coaches also are alerted automatically if their athlete is falling behind academically so that they can jump in and correct the problem before it hits bottom.
Many schools also pay their athletes do to the fact that the kid can't work. $500 a month is not uncommon.
Preferential class selection and/or classes designed just for the athletes.
There are more benefits but I know it is far better to be classified a athlete than not if you are involved in a "like" sport such as cheer.

Lastly, it would be a huge help in solving title iX issues for both men and women sports. Many colleges can't find women to play some sports like rowing, golf, track & field, etc, and have to resort to putting a female into a sport that has never played that sport and/or offering scholarships to foreigners just because no American female is available. Hello!.... Cheerleading would be awash inAmerican girls applying for the scholarships!

Honestly, can't understand why anyone would argue against it. Mr. Webb, who I have great respect for, must have a good reason for his opinion and I would love for him to share it. Jeff? How about it?

For cheer to become a sport at the H.S. level, there would have to be seasons, like there are in football, basketball, ect... in order for the CIF, here in CA, to consider it to be a sport. We all know, even at the H.S. level, cheer is all year. Not all schools have comp teams and yes, there is the safety issue. IMOP, sideline cheer is not a sport.

Now, for those colleges that have comp teams. Those teams are in the gym all the time. They practice just like all our kids at the All Star level. Competitive cheerleaders are athletes. If there are colleges willing to give out scholarships, why can't competitive cheer be called a sport? Jeff Webb needs to explain his thought process... maybe I'm missing something.

How much money has Varsity made over the years from the high schools, college teams, and most of all, All Stars? Oh, yes and lets not forget the Worlds!

Jeff, if you feel that way about our sport, the sport of competitive cheer, then it's time you move on to a new adventure....maybe volleyball!

THIS WAS EMAILED OUT TO ALL CUSTOMERS:

APPENDIX B
SUPPORT OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
FOR OCR DETERMINATION OF VARSITY SPORT
Universal Cheerleaders Association
Donna Lopiano
Executive Director
Womens Sports Foundation
Eisenhower Park
East Meadow, NY 11554
Dear Donna,
I read in the USA Today that one of the eight questions being asked of the new Title IX
Committee is how cheerleading and bowling should be counted. As we have discussed before,
we feel by definition cheerleading should not be recognized as a sport because the primary
reason for having the program is not to compete but instead to provide student leadership and
support for interscholastic athletics. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and
Advisors and the National Federation of High Schools both supported this position this year.
(see enclosed)
Donna, I think its important to point out that two high school associations aggressively seeking
approval to include cheerleading as a Title IX Sport (Colorado and Minnesota) have also asked
to include dance teams. Combining dance team numbers with cheerleading numbers would
approach those of mens football programs.
I hope that you will make the committee aware of the position taken by the AACCA, the National
Federation and your associations position paper. If I can assist you or provide further
information please dont hesitate to call me.
Best Regards
Greg Webb, Senior Vice President
Universal Cheerleaders Association
6745 Lenox Center Court, Suite 300
Memphis, TN 38115
P.O. Box 752790, Memphis, TN 38175-2790
1-888-CHEERUCA 901-387-4300 Fax 901-387-4358
www.varsity.com
45
American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors
May 29, 2002
Dr. Mary Frances OShea
National Coordinator for Title IX Athletics, Office for Civil Rights
Midwestern Division, Chicago Office
111 North Canal Street, Ste 1053
Chicago, IL 60606 7204
Dr. OShea,
It has been some time since we last communicated. With the new season approaching, I
wanted to keep you up-to-date with the latest cheerleading news.
I know that the OCR uses the positions of national organizations as one of its criteria for
determining whether an activity meets the qualifications of Title IX compliance. The National
Federation of State High School Associations has recently released its 2002 Spirit Rules Book
(enclosed), and in it, they clearly agree with our association that cheerleaders and dance team
members are primarily a support group.
Although some spirit teams do choose to engage in competitions from time to time, most do not.
Even the schools that do compete will likely only do so once or twice in a school year, while they
will lead the crowd in the school traditions at every football and basketball game.
We strongly feel that there is a hybrid nature to cheerleading that combines athleticism and
leadership as school representatives. Their primary focus is to raise school spirit and lead the
crowd in support of their athletic teams. Competition is an option, but a secondary option at
best.
The outcry from some athletic directors to call cheerleading a sport is primarily based on the
need to meet Title IX requirements. But to take the existing activity of cheerleading and label it
sport for the purposes of Title IX is to take away the opportunities that Title IX is in place to
protect.
Feel free to contact me with regards to this matter.
Best regards,
Jim Lord
Executive Director
Encl.
American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors
6745 Lenox Center Court Suite 300
Memphis, TN 38115
1-800-533-6583
Fax 901-251-5851
46
National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations
National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations
Spirit 2002-2003 Rules Book
Pg. 9 The term spirit groups may encompass cheer squads, dance/drill/pom squads and flag
corps as well as other groups designated by the school. Spirit groups shall serve as support
groups for the interscholastic athletic program within the school and, as such, play a very
important role in the administration of athletics/activities contests. Each squad should strive
to boost school spirit, promote good sportsmanship, develop good, positive crowd
involvement and help student participants and spectators achieve the most worthwhile
educational objectives of the interscholastic program.
Competition should be a secondary consideration for spirit groups unless designated as
being a purely competitive squad.
Pg. 10 If spirit competition is approved as part of the schools activities, it should be placed in
perspective with the total educational program, and should not interfere with the primary
responsibility of spirit groups, which is to support the interscholastic athletic program. Spirit
competition should serve to develop leadership, confidence and skill.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...ata/WSF_ARTICL

MyTake wrote:

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Clearly there is a big difference between sideline cheerleading and competitive cheerleading.    Competitive cheerleading will never be considered a sport as long as it is lumped into the same category as sideline.   So the real question is, should they be separated?    To me, competitive cheerleading is the sport of mixing acro, dance, and gymnastics.    Sideline ("spirit") cheerleading has the primary responsibility of supporting athletic programs; competitive cheerleading does not.   Apples and oranges in my opinion.   Competitive cheerleading has evolved into its own sport, branched off from and originated from sideline, but now completely different.   I think its important to have both, but it doesnt mean they should be treated the same.  Just my take on it, I know others will disagree.

---

couldn't agree more

 

MyTake wrote:

---

Clearly there is a big difference between sideline cheerleading and competitive cheerleading.    Competitive cheerleading will never be considered a sport as long as it is lumped into the same category as sideline.   So the real question is, should they be separated?    To me, competitive cheerleading is the sport of mixing acro, dance, and gymnastics.    Sideline ("spirit") cheerleading has the primary responsibility of supporting athletic programs; competitive cheerleading does not.   Apples and oranges in my opinion.   Competitive cheerleading has evolved into its own sport, branched off from and originated from sideline, but now completely different.   I think its important to have both, but it doesnt mean they should be treated the same.  Just my take on it, I know others will disagree.

---

I completely agree.

 

Just wanted to post what became of the case Jeff Webb was an expert witness for.  I think it is important we all know what is going on and how in the next couple years cheerleading will soon change.  For better or worse this decision will impact not only college cheer, but all cheer from youth to high school to all-star.

Morton

Valued customer,

We recently shared some news with you related to Jeff Webb's testimony in a trial involving the cheerleading team at Quinnipiac University. As you know, Varsity has always supported all types of cheerleading, and Jeff felt it was important to speak up in this landmark case to ensure clear differences between traditional school cheerleading squads and new, collegiate "competition-only" teams so that bothcan exist and prosper.

The judge decided the competition-only cheerleading team at Quinnipiac did not meet Title IX requirements. Varsity does believe there is a way to evolve aspects of cheerleading into an officially recognized intercollegiate sport, and thinks the cheerleading community will get there soon.

In fact, USA Cheer, the national governing body for cheerleading, has been making great strides in developing a new format they believe will not only allow it to be recognized as an intercollegiate sport, but will also help differentiate it from traditional cheerleading. For example, their new format would involve a new name and a clear difference from the current 2.5 minute competition structure, to help make the necessary distinctions between traditional school cheerleading squads and new competition-only teams.

We believe it's beneficial for athletes, schools and everyone to continue offering traditional cheerleading as well as introducing an emerging sport that further evolves current aspects of competition-only cheer. We look forward to working with you and the rest of the cheerleading community to further define and support an emerging sport that provides even more opportunities for young athletes.

We thank you for your continued support, and should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at snoone@varsityspirit.com.

Sincerely,

Sheila Noone
Vice President, Varsity Brands