Cheerleading is absolutely a sport and here are just a few of the numerous reasons why.

Strategy

Like all recognized sports, cheerleading has big-time strategy. One very important aspect of cheering is knowing when to say certain things. For instance, they only use touchdown cheers when their team has made a touchdown. Knowing when to say the right thing during a game is kind of like debating.

Another strategy that could be even more essential to successful cheering is knowing how to read your audience. Cheerleaders always know when the crowd is getting bored and they combat this by doing some moves. For instance, a popular move would be a little shimmy, which always wakes up the males in the stand even if their team has yet to score a point.

Trash Talk

Every athlete knows that sports involve a lot of trash talking. Cheerleaders could possibly be the worst trashers of them all because a part of their sport is calling out the other team. For example, if one of the teams comes over to the other side of the field they might use a classic cheer like: "We're hot, you're not so go light up in the parking lot. Yeahhhhhhhh! Wheeeeew!"

I have to say though that trash talking in cheerleading is bringing a new aspect to the term, because members even slander their own team mates! They are definitely one up on all the other sports.

Uniforms

Every recognized sport has uniforms and cheerleading is no exception. In fact, their uniforms could possibly be the most recognized of any sport. Uniforms are perfected to best suit the athlete's needs. In cheerleading, the girls are put in super-duper short skirts that probably do not even fit the dress code at the school. But there is a valid reason for their size. Short skirts allow for greater movement than a long skirt.

The guys are put in baggy shorts or pants. There is a definite reason why girls are dressed in skirts and not pants. Remember when we were discussing how there are strategic moves in cheerleading. Well…some of those moves tend to reveal a little more than others and that can sometimes be pretty entertaining to all that testosterone in the crowd. The shirts also tend to be pretty small and I really can't figure out how that would be of any use to the cheerleaders. So again, I have come to my own conclusion and deducted that again they are for the entertainment.

Popularity

Anyone who has been to high school knows that the jocks are usually pretty popular and party pretty hard. This goes the same for cheerleaders. Like the male athletes, the cheerleaders are also strangely popular among their fellow peers. I really can only attribute this to their unique and special athletic ability. They also have the great ability to party on and on and on. This has to be because of their superior build and strategic mind.

TV Competitions

Maybe the most compelling evidence of all is that there are televised competitions. Every sport has televised competitions and so does cheerleading. I can just imagine the whole family gathering around to watch the national championships of cheerleading. It is probably the equivalent of the Super Bowl. Now don't try and deny it, I know you have watched one of these in awe. Well…maybe you haven't; but there is always a first for everything.

Now if this isn't enough evidence that cheerleading is a sport, I have to conclude that you are just a stubborn person that is unwilling to expand your horizons even though your belly keeps miraculously expanding. You see, I know the trials and tribulations of cheerleading because I was one! Yes I was, and I am damn proud of it. Not really, but only you and I know that.