U.S. Appeals Court Confirms That Competitive Cheerleading Is Still Not a Sport, Despite Likelihood of Olympic Glory

by Dan Duquette Jr. on Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 11:49PM

To the untrained eye, the skillset necessary to compete in Olympic gymnastics would appear to be awfully similar to that needed for a competitive cheerleader.

Maybe not at the same level, but one look at Aly Raisman's floor routine Tuesday leaves very little doubt of the likelihood she would tear it up as a tumbler.

But while the Olympics — and television audiences — would agree that gymnastics is very much a sport, cheerleading, alas, is not. That's not just an opinion, either, since the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a decision on Tuesday stating just that.

According to the appeals court, cheerleading "was not yet sufficiently organized or its rules sufficiently defined to afford women genuine participation opportunities in a varsity sport."

The court did, however, leave open the possibility of cheerleading someday officially earning "sport" status.

"[We] we do not foreclose the possibility that the activity, with better organization and defined rules, might some day warrant recognition as a varsity sport," the appeals court continued. "But, like the district court, we conclude that the record evidence shows that 'that time has not yet arrived.'"

The time may not be now, but it might be close. If the popularity of gymnastics is any indication, there is an appetite for that kind of activity, and maybe the current recreational activity will turn the corner. Then we'll be able to look forward to rooting on the U.S. Cheerleading team at the 2032 Olympic Games and wondering why the cheer squad doesn't have the same bizarre appeals process gymnastics does.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/ESPN

Photo of the Night

For a guy who can be in four places at once, you'd think Jon Lester would have a better record.

Quote of the Night

"She's starting to have more and more contractions, but I told her she'd better hold on. I told her she's not going into labor while I'm gone — I would be so upset."
–Chris Paul, asking his wife not to have his second child while he plays in the Olympics