Dear Jeff: Is Cheerleading a Sport?

Dear Jeff,

Your comment that cheerleading is not a sport, as reported by the Associated Press, has created a buzz and led to more questions being asked than answered. “Why don’t you consider cheerleading a sport?” and “how would Varsity be impacted if the court determines cheerleading is a sport?” are the questions being asked the most. We found the Varsity.com article Being a Cheerleader – Is Cheerleading a Sport? that says the reason cheerleading isn’t a sport is “because cheerleading’s primary purpose to support high school athletic teams, and competition comes second!”, but don’t think it relates to the ongoing case because the team in question at Quinnipiac University is a competition only team that does not support other athletic teams.

We would love for you to expand on your comment that cheerleading is not a sport. Your comment seems to conflict with being the head of a group of companies that hosts hundreds of competitions each year and your membership on the Board of Directors of the USA Federation for Sport Cheering (USA Cheer), so we’d love to know the reasoning behind your comment. And no, the Varsity Weighs in on Cheerleading as Sport Debate press release did not adequately answer the questions.

Sincerely,

Andre