HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: Fighting for recognition

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By Paige Bildstein, Dyersville Beckman junior

DYERSVILLE - Anyone can score a touchdown, but not everyone can do a toe touch.

Many people argue over whether or not dance and cheerleading should be considered sports, but according to the dictionary, a sport can be defined as 'an athletic activity requiring skill or physical (ability) and often of a competitive nature.'

To some, a sport must include a ball, a set of rules and games. Therefore, dance and cheerleading get categorized as hobbies because no one really understands how much effort these participants put in to their passion.

Dance and cheerleading, however, should be sports because of the competitive rigor.

The definition of a sport states there must be physical exertion and competitions. Both dancers and cheerleaders exhibit this criteria. The teams  compete at state and other competitions throughout the year. Michelle Geistkemper, an English teacher and cross country coach at Beckman, agrees.

'The stunts require coordination, strength and skill," she said. "Cheerleaders and dancers participate in competitions and are ranked based on skill.'

Dancers and cheerleaders have weekly practices that range from two to three hours long, just like other sports. Members perform their dance or stunt routines multiple times. According to livestrong.com, when performing a dance or stunt routine, cheerleaders and dancers can burn between six and eight calories per minute and between 388 and 465 calories per hour, which means team members must be in tip top shape.

Therefore, according to the definition of sports, cheerleading and dance fit these requirements.

Many athletes have numerous injuries throughout their season - so do dancers and cheerleaders. According to ABC news, during a years span, an estimated 160,000 cheerleaders are injured stunting and tumbling. When executing a turn or a stunt, it is very easy for cheerleaders and dancers to twist an ankle or be dropped during a stunt, further injuring themselves. The New York Times reported "when stunting, cheerleaders can be thrown nearly 25 in the air to perform twists and flips." This increases their chance of becoming an injured athlete.

Cheerleading and dance have the same risk of injury as other sports.

Furthermore, many people do not realize all the hard work these young men and women put into their so-called 'hobby.'

'The way I see it, dance should be considered a hobby or an activity, maybe even a lifestyle,'  Beckman sophomore Drew Wilgenbusch.

Hobbies are known to be fun activities that someone enjoys, but dance and cheerleading can be stressful and non-enjoyable at times. Similarly, dance and cheerleading are not considered sports because people are unaware there are competitions.

Dedication also is a big part of any sport. Again, cheerleading and dance require as much, if not more, dedication than in most other sports. For instance, most dance and cheerleading seasons last longer than other sport. The dance season at Beckman runs from June until February (more than nine months.) The cheerleading season at Beckman Catholic begins in June and has a week break between football and wrestling seasons.

'Dance and cheerleading are nearly year-round sports," Beckman sophomore dancer Kara Krantz said. "Football works only in the fall. We work hard all year and they work hard for three months.'

All members of the dance and cheerleading teams need to be dedicated. When one or two members are not at practice, it sets the whole team back. By being part of a team, many athletes learn how to work in a group, be responsible, trust others and have good sportsmanship.

All of these, and many other characteristics, are demonstrated on dance and cheerleading teams as well as other sports teams.

Dance and cheerleading teams exhibit many of the qualities that are displayed in numerous other sports - physical exertion, competitions and teamwork.

Hopefully the picture is clear - dancing and cheerleading should be considered sports. Go out and see the dance and cheerleaders in action and witness all their hard work.