Monday, January 30, 2006

Three cheers for the sport of cheerleading

By
Dr. ROBERT WALLACE Syndicated Columnist

Teens: Last year we had quite a debate arguing whether or not
cheerleaders should be considered athletes.

Most guys said no
because they didn't have head-to-head competition with other schools. Yes,
some cheerleading squads competed in tournaments, but it wasn't the same as
two football teams banging heads for four quarters.

Girls, and
especially cheerleaders, thought differently. They mentioned hours and hours
of grueling practices that included perfectly precision gymnastic and dance
routines. They also countered that their practices were more physically
demanding than baseball practice.

Being a former high
school varsity basketball coach, I stayed neutral in the debate. But now I've
accepted the opinion of those who maintain that cheerleaders are athletes and
deserve all the awards given to other school athletes.

What made me change
from being neutral to cheering for the cheerleaders? It was a recent report
in Pediatrics Journal, which noted that cheerleading injuries have doubled in
the past decade and that about 20,000 teens are treated in emergency rooms
for cheerleading-related injuries. Cheerleading coaches blame the rise in
injuries to the increased difficulty in stunts and gymnastic skills.

No longer does
cheerleading consist of a group of girls (and an occasional guy) standing on
the sidelines urging the crowd to "Romp 'em
and stomp 'em!" Cheerleading has changed
dramatically in the past several years.

This school year,
the Illinois High School Association recognized cheerleading as a sport. I
agree 100 percent.