The Kite Runner

What makes a sport?

CHEERLEADING

As Cheerleading gains in popularity in today’s society, the controversy rages on about whether it's a sport or not. There are rarely any questions about the athleticism of Cheerleaders, so are Cheerleaders athletes without a real sport? No, cheerleading is certainly a sport, it may not demand as much as a sport like football does, but the principles are still all there.

The world of cheer no longer means sideline squads that exist solely to support other teams, with no focus on themselves. They are teams in their own right these days, not so different in some respects from the football and basketball teams for which they traditionally cheer for. College and high school cheerleaders compete for national championships just like any other sport. They risk terrible injuries. Believe it or not they even get recruited for college scholarships. In almost every case, they put in unbelievable practice hours to create perfection.

Many people stand by the stereotype of a bunch of girls acting ridiculous, but don’t have the slightest idea how much physical endurance and the