Cheerleading: As physically demanding as all other sports
As long as there have been high school varsity sports, there have been debates whether cheerleading is a true sport. The naysayers claim there is nothing athletic about cheerleading. Meanwhile, the proponents of cheerleading point to the acrobatic and synchronized movements each member of a team makes when performing.
Don’t football players work in synchronized ways to execute plays? A basketball team utilizes a ‘motion’ offense with players moving in learned ways, doesn’t it? Therefore, cheerleading has much in common with those two major varsity sports. It also leaves a toll on the body and injuries in cheerleading are rife in 2018.
Cheerleading vs. Dance Team – What’s the difference?
To the untrained eye, it may be difficult to see the difference between a cheerleading team and a dance team. There are quite a number of differences between the two groups and these include how the teams interact with sports fans, dress and compete.
Cheerleaders are not dancers and dance teams are not cheerleaders. It seems easy to say, but difficult to separate them. Cheerleaders have a much different job. The team works to motivate a group of fans at a game and to help build an atmosphere that will inspire the team they represent to win. This may entail doing acrobatic flips, muscle building poses or expressing themselves vocally.
Dance teams aren’t expected to do these same activities. Their job is to dance at halftime or during long game breaks. The dance team gives fans a chance to be entertained and in no way is their routine an inspiring rabble-rousing call to get sports fans on their feet.