Equity and Cheerleading

I was drawn in by this week's headlines after a federal judge ruled that cheerleading, at the collegiate level, isn't a sport.

Of course cheer is a sport, I thought to myself as I perused the articles. I've seen some of those girls at the top of their game - incredible! But then I started to understand the underlying issues - federal funding, Title IX, lack of NCAA oversight, and specifically whether or not Quinnipiac University could replace its expensive volleyball team with an inexpensive competitive cheer team and call it equal.

I get the outrage - it's mostly subtextual. American media and popular culture (not to mention popular practice) has pigeonholed these competitors so much so that when I saw the headline "Is Cheerleading a Sport?" I instantly read the fiery undertones: Are Cheerleaders Athletes?

Of course cheerleaders are athletes. But cheerleaders' athletic abilities aren't what's being called into question here. It's gender equity. The fact of the matter is that for decades the sole role of female dominated cheer teams has been to support male dominated sports. And yes, they've done that with a tricky combination of athleticism and encouragement. It isn't fair, but because of this history, cheer as a sport has a long road of definition ahead of itself, even if this new outgrowth of competitive cheer (or stunts and gymnastics, as the University of Oregon calls its team) isn't at all like its predecessors.

I fully recognize cheerleaders as athletes. However, until competitive cheer can clearly define itself as a regulated female-only sport through the NCAA, I don't think cheer should be able to replace other established female-only NCAA sports and retain a school's compliance with Title IX. That just isn't equitable.