Cheerleading Could Soon Be a Sport in California

You know that cheerleading is harder than other sports, we know that cheerleading is harder than other sports, even athletes from other sports admit that cheerleader is harder than other sports, and now another state could be giving cheerleaders the respect they deserve. California could be on its way to finally declaring high school cheerleading a sport. “Cheerleaders deserve the kind of respect that other athletes already get,” Lorena Gonzalez, the California legislator who is writing the bill, told CBS Sacramento. “You have athletes who are tumbling, who are stunting, who are conditioning…This is a true sport.” While respect and recognition of what cheerleaders do is great, the bill would ultimately be about much more. Making cheerleading a sport would mean new safety guidelines and could lead to more funding for cheer teams from their schools’ athletic departments. Even though many school officials already agree that cheerleading is a sport, it’s not up to them. As one principal explained to CBS Sacramento, it’s the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) that makes those decisions. The CIF has never officially considered making cheerleading a sport, but the group is meeting next month to discuss supporting this new bill. For many high school cheerleaders, it’s about time. “We do all the same things. We practice, we have to get the grade point average, we have to go to all the games, and then to not be considered a sport is really a letdown,” a high school cheerleader from Sacramento said. While better funding, increased safety, and well-earned recognition would be great for cheerleading, some cheerleaders see drawbacks to making cheerleading a sport. Increased safety measures could mean that coaches are required to be properly trained, safety equipment has to used, and that certified athletic trainers have to be present‚ but the increased regulation could also mean that squads could be prohibited from doing certain stunts deemed too dangerous. To some cheerleaders and cheer parents, that exchange is worth it for their safety and the recognition of being an official sport. But to others, cheerleading wouldn’t be the same with outside officials telling you what stunts you are allowed to do. This bill has a long way to go before it potentially becomes a law, but it’s a first step in getting cheerleading from the sideline to the spotlight in California. Are you excited about the possibility of such a large state making cheerleading a sport? Do you think being an official sport would help or hurt cheerleading? For more on the movement in California, watch the video below from CBS Sacramento: