For years the controversy of whether or not competitive cheer is a real sport comes from years of people saying it’s not. But just like other sports though cheer may not include balls or even be a hard contact type of sport, it is a sport and here’s why.
Cheer first originated in the U.S., beginning with organized crowd chants at Ivy League schools like Princeton in the 1860s. With the following of competitive cheer in the early 1970’s, the first official competition was broadcast by CBS in 1978 with the acts of tumbling, pyramids, and stunts (History of Cheerleading).
Have I convinced you that cheerleading is a sport yet? Here at Kenwood, we have our very own competitive team. If you don’t see them out on the sidelines of the football games in the fall or the basketball games in the winter they’re most likely practicing and preparing for their own competition events. You may think all they do is practice chants to encourage others but it’s so much more.
“Cheer is important to me as it not only impacts my life but betters me as a person. I believe cheer is a way for me to express myself. My sport also brings me a group of great girls that I’ve created great bonds throughout my years on the team,” shares varsity cheerleader, Aubrey Holland.
Competitive cheer consists of a group of girl and/or boy cheerleaders on a seven to nine mats for two minutes and thirty seconds. For that period of time they perform a cheer with jumps, stunts, pyramid builds, tumbling, basket tosses, and a choregraphed dance all in those two and a half minutes. At the end they’re judged from first through third place.
“Cheer has impacted me tremendously. It has given me more than just a sport–it has given me a family. I’ve been cheering for most of my life, about fourteen years, but this team has made me feel the most welcomed and supported I’ve ever felt. No matter where life takes me, I’ll always carry cheer in my heart. My sport was never about winning for me, but about the love, dedication, and togetherness it requires,” adds varsity cheerleader Elizabeth Hawks.
Most competitions consist of 10-25 teams at a time depending on the event. Kenwood’s annual Harvest Cheer Fest took place Saturday, October 4th to compete against numerous other cheerleading teams in the Baltimore area.
This was Kenwood’s 17th year hosting Harvest Fest. The tickets purchased to watch the competition help raise money for Kenwood’s cheer team. Last Saturday the school’s gym was packed from wall to wall with spectators, coming to cheer on cheerleaders as they competed. Kenwood’s varsity team took third place for the 3A/4A competition, as did Kenwood’s JV cheerleading team.
Kenwood Cheer’s next competition event is tomorrow at the Howard County Fall Invitational at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland. Doors open at 5:30 with $5 admission and competition begins at 6pm with the Award Ceremony concluding at 8:45. Go support your Bluebird Cheerleaders.
