Should Dance/Cheer Be Considered a Sport

   When people think of sports, they usually think of things like football, basketball, soccer, or baseball. Dance and things like cheer or gymnastics, however, are often left out. Many people believe that dance should be considered an art rather than a sport, because of the field that dancers usually work with. The reality is that these sports use the same amount of time, and/or more, training than other sports. A big argument within this discussion is that dance and cheer don't actually strengthen training or count as“working out” but a key thing that the people with this opinion miss, is that work outs don't mean the same thing for every sport or person. Both dance and cheer require hours of practice, physical conditioning, and teamwork, just the same as any other sport. They also compete against other athletes, which is one of the main things that defines a sport. 

One of the biggest reasons dance and cheer may not receive the same respect is because they are traditionally female-dominated activities. While not every person who disagrees is necessarily straight up sexist, or believes in gender stereotypes, it can cause people to view activities associated with girls as less athletic or less important.  It is also important to note that some of these sports started out deeply rooted in misogyny. The main sport I’m  referencing in this is cheer. Cheer was practically “made for men” at first but cheer was just a way to “uplift the men on the field" so because of this origin many people tend to think this is how cheer is still performed, they don't know how much it has shifted. Cheer turned from a sport that was centered around dancing for men into a whole organization that people can compete in. One of the strategies used to downplay the real capacity of cheer and dance’s athleticism is dumbing down its description, describing cheers as “just throwing a girl in the air” or “spinning around on stage.” This, of course, ruins the appearance of the sport because of its description. The thing about this argument is that you can describe anything in that way. For example, saying football is nothing but “throwing and chasing a ball.” This way of describing makes anything look stupid, not just particularly dance or cheerleading. This can create a double standard where people who participate in sports like football or basketball are still taken seriously, while dancers and cheerleaders sometimes have to compete professionally before people even think to consider them athletes.  

Dance and cheer can also be forms of art and entertainment, but that does not mean they cannot be sports as well. Gymnastics and figure skating combine athletic ability with artistic performance and are still recognized as sports, so why don't non- competition cheer and dance earn that respect too? Ultimately, dance and cheerleading should be considered sports because they require equal physical strength, skill, training, discipline, and competition as other “regular” sports. Athletes should not have to be professionals for their hard work to be taken seriously. Being an athlete is about the dedication and ability required, not about whether the activity is traditionally considered a sport based on  outdated standards.