This opinion piece was written by an 8th grader at Campbell Middle School, who was a journalism apprentice in the Citizen Schools program.
By Quiana
People over the years have said that cheerleading is not a sport. They think that it’s all about short skirts and smiles........well, they are wrong.
I am 13 years old, and I’ve been doing cheerleading ever since I was three years old. Over the years I have noticed that out of all the sports I have done, cheerleading is the most fun and the most dangerous.
Cheerleading is not just about cheerleading. We pay thousands of dollars for our uniforms, competitions, and games. In my opinion cheerleading is very memorable because you get to travel around the state with your friends. (If your team is really good, you go across the United States.) Cheerleading is also very dangerous. We do flips and stunts which are the most dangerous things to do in a sport.
I have heard about girls in games and competitions breaking bones. Two stories I have heard about cheer injuries are probably the most depressing. One of the best cheerleaders, named Lauren Chang, got kicked in the chest and immediately died performing a basket toss. Another girl in high school was kicked in the jaw at a competition and she kept on doing the whole routine. The team ended up winning first place and she was so excited that she didn’t know until the end that she had lost three teeth. Once she saw them fall out of her mouth she was so in shock she fainted. She was ok but it is still interesting how these girls are so into winning in cheerleading.
To me an activity does not have to be a sport in the Olympics to qualify as a sport. It’s considered a sport if you work hard, compete, and HAVE FUN!!!
