Throughout the United States, there have been debates of
whether cheerleading is an official sport.
Two weeks ago in Connecticut, a federal judge said that
competitive cheerleading isn’t an official sport that schools can use to meet
gender-equality requirements.
This came to pass after several volleyball players and their
coach sued Quinnipiac University after the college announced it would eliminate
the team and replace it with a competitive cheer squad.
Title IX is a 1972 federal law that orders equal
opportunities for men and women in education and athletics.
Under this 1aw, U.S. District Judge Underhill basically said
that cheerleading is too undeveloped and unorganized to be treated like other
athletics and shouldn’t receive the same opportunities.
Starkville’s own athletic director Stan Miller believes the
complete opposite.
To him, cheering is as much of a sport as basketball and
football.
The girls must try out, be physically fit and compete just
as the other athletes.
“They actually have the longest season of all the sports,”
Miller said. “They cheer from football to basketball season, which means from
August to basically March.”
The SHS cheerleaders also agree with Miller.
“I feel we do just as much as any other sport,” senior
cheerleader Jondia Weatherspoon said. “It takes endurance and conditioning, and
it has to be in your heart.”
Toria Carter, who has been a cheerleader since her seventh
grade year, feels cheering should be a sport because it is a competitive
activity that requires agility and skill.
“People only see what we do on Friday nights,” Carter said.
“They don’t see us when we go to the regional, state and national levels.”
Jessica Gray, another varsity cheerleader, believes
cheerleading should be recognized just as much as basketball and football.
“A Yellow Jacket is a Yellow Jacket whether we run, dribble,
hit or cheer,” Gray said. “We represent Jacket pride!”