persuasive speech cheerleading is a sport

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Cheerleading — Is Cheerleading a Sport

A Discussion of Whether Cheerleading is a Sport

Categories: Athletes Cheerleading

About this sample

Words: 1389 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1389 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Why Cheerleading is a Sport (essay)

Works cited.

Baruch, R. (2018, January 29). Their turn to be champs North Cheerleader to whoop it up at state contest. Daily Herald.
Bonesteel, M. (2014, June 10). Is Cheerleading a sport? The American Medical Association thinks so. The Washington Post.
Delaney, S., Lubeck, M., & Kerr, Z. (2019). Cheerleading injuries: Epidemiology and recommendations for prevention. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 12(1), 123-128.
Henricks, D., & Sessa, A. (2015). Cheerleading and Title IX: A legal analysis. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 86(9), 47-51.
LaBella, C. R., & Mjaanes, J. (2016). Cheerleading and the associated risks: A cause for concern. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 26(6), 443-448.
Linville, D., & Borland, J. (2016). The power of cheer; Cheerleading promotes athleticism, responsibility. The Province.
National Federation of State High School Associations. (2017). 2016-2017 High school athletics participation survey. https://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatics/ParticipationStatics.aspx/
National Federation of State High School Associations. (2018). 2017-2018 High school athletics participation survey. https://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatics/ParticipationStatics.aspx/
Parker, R. (2016). Cheerleading injuries: A narrative review of the literature. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 15(3), 173-181.
Temple, R. (2019, January 29). Cheerleading, Title IX and gender equity. The National Law Review.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 1061 words

6 pages / 2514 words

1 pages / 632 words

1 pages / 557 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

A Discussion of Whether Cheerleading is a Sport Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Cheerleading

Cheering is an essential aspect of any sporting event, providing support and motivation for athletes while also fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among fans. However, the value of cheering extends beyond the realm [...]

Cheerleading has long been a topic of debate in the world of sports. Some argue that it is not a "real" sport, while others believe that it requires just as much skill and athleticism as any other competitive activity. In this [...]

Cheerleading is a sport that encompasses various aspects, including athleticism, teamwork, and dedication. In recent years, it has gained recognition as a legitimate sport, with cheerleaders participating in national [...]

Cheerleading has long been a subject of debate regarding its classification as a sport. This essay delves into the recognition of cheerleading as a sport, explores the rigorous physical demands it places on athletes, highlights [...]

Is cheerleading a sport? This question has sparked heated debates and divided opinions among athletes, fans, and sports enthusiasts. Cheerleading, often dismissed as a sideline activity or a form of entertainment, has evolved [...]

Cheerleading is in fact a sport, and claimed to be the hardest womens sport out there as they face many challenges. It pushes you to the limits and trains you everyday. Many people out there say that cheerleading is not a sport, [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

All Things CHEER

persuasive speech cheerleading is a sport

Why Competitive Cheer is a SPORT.

The stigma behind cheerleading…

As cheerleaders, one of the most frustrating things one can hear is, “Cheerleading is not a sport”. Although you think of a thousand arguments that you could use to defend the sport that you love, oftentimes you’re left stunned when the other person insists that “cheerleading is not a sport”. Sometimes, despite your best explanation, society still has this preconception that cheerleading is not really a sport.

Why is cheer considered to not be a sport by so many? This stigma stems from a lack of knowledge of what competitive cheer really is. Cheer is then further aggravated by what the media portrays cheerleading to be. Movies and TV series often paint the picture of cheerleaders as bratty girls who are not serious about school, wear provocative uniforms or clothing and use that to gain popularity. But the truth is, competitive cheerleaders are some of the most disciplined, hardworking, and studious people.

There are two types of cheerleading – sideline cheerleading and competitive cheerleading. To briefly explain, sideline cheerleading is often what is represented in media. Sideline cheerleaders typically cheer through a school and or University. They aim to support a certain sporting team, hype up a crowd, and give motivation to that team. Competitive cheer on the other hand is when cheerleaders compete against each other at a competition using a routine. Competitive cheer is through a club or organization. This routine comprises various athletic elements such as jumps, tumbling, stunts, pyramid, and dance which are then judged by a panel of cheerleading experts on difficulty and execution.

What makes cheer a sport?

To begin let’s take a look at the definition of the word ‘sport’.

A sport defined by the Oxford Dictionary is “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”.

“ An activity involving physical exertion and skill”

Cheerleading is a highly demanding physical activity that requires a tremendous amount of skill. Competitive cheer requires an extensive amount of practice and training in order to be able to perform high-level stunts and tumbling. Competitive cheerleading is a year-round sport, with the new season typically starting in late May or early June. For an activity to truly be considered a sport, it must involve competition against others. In competitive cheer, teams compete against each other in a head-to-head fashion and are evaluated according to a standardized set of rules. The competitive season typically begins around October and goes until the following May.

It is clear to see, that there is more to competitive cheer than just standing on the sidelines and yelling. The sport requires intense physical exertion, a high level of skill, precision, athleticism, and a lot of training. This means that saying cheerleading as a whole does not meet the requirements to be considered a sport, is simply incorrect.

It’s your turn! Comment below your best “cheer is a sport because… ” comebacks and facts below, and remember do not let anyone make you feel lesser of an athlete because they do not respect your sport. Cheers!

One Comment

Emily Human

Hi Prestyn! I do agree that Cheerleading is a sport! That takes major skills and a lot of strength. High school cheer I could see is a different story, but competitive cheer is on another level. It was great reading more about the sport!

Reasons Why Cheerleading Is a Sport

With the rise of cheerleading competitions that focus more on athletic activity and less on hyping up a crowd, the debate on cheer being a sport is more intense than ever. Many cheer teams no longer cheer for a specific sports team and instead compete as their own sport. In 2021, the Olympics officially recognized cheerleading as a sport, igniting discussion as to whether cheer is a sport. With the days of pompoms and hand claps long over, here are the top reasons why cheerleading meets the definition of a sport.

Physical Exertion

There is no question that competitive cheer requires lots of hard work and physical activity. “All-star” teams incorporate dance, tumbling and gymnastics to create performance routines. "Stunting" is a particular cheerleading activity that involves cheerleaders sitting, standing or squatting on others, such as in pyramids and basket tosses. These stunts require strength, stamina, acrobatics and timing, the kind of things you’d see football players use during a football game. An example of this can be seen at the NCAA’s University of Alabama. All cheerleaders must be able to do a standing back handspring and a standing back tuck, which is a flip with no hands, in order to be a part of the cheer squad. However, these moves can be performed anywhere from the pro level to high school.

Just like any other competitive sport, cheerleading involves a lot of teamwork. Cheerleading teams must work together on their cheerleading routine and every person must collaborate to make sure it doesn’t fail. Not only that but stunts, like pyramids and basket tosses, require every person to be a key contributor. Cheerleading can be a dangerous sport because if one person doesn’t hit their marks, cheerers can suffer concussions or other injuries from falling.

In order to gain and maintain those skills, a competitive cheerleading squad must train as hard as any other baseball, basketball or football team. Collegiate-level school cheerleaders report spending as much time practicing as their peers in other varsity sports. In addition to attending cheer practice to practice stunting, tumbling, and dancing, cheerleaders must also weight lift and work out several times a week. This is to prevent catastrophic injuries from being out of shape or from a lack of strength.

Competitive cheerleading is directed by a coach, much as other team sports are directed by a coach or coaching staff. The coach will direct the routines, supervise training and motivate her charges to compete at their highest level. Coaches are trained not only in supervising stunting but in safety as well. Some coaches are highly sought-after; the University of Oregon's Felecia Mulkey, for example, was recruited after a nationwide search.

Competition

For an activity to truly be considered a sport, it must involve competition against others. In competitive cheerleading, squads compete against each other in a head-to-head fashion and are evaluated according to a standardized set of rules. This point is the real bone of contention when it comes to questions about cheerleading as a sport. Many squads still primarily exist to support other sports teams. However, there is a governing body known as the International Cheer Union that helps to set up national championships and give a clear set of rules for competitive cheer. There are other smaller groups that do this but the ICU is the one recognized by teams like USA cheer and more.

"New York Times"; Competitive Cheer Fans See Acceptance in Future; Katie Thomas; July 2010
American Association of Cheerleader Coaches and Administrators

Lori A. Selke has been a professional writer and editor for more than 15 years, touching on topics ranging from LGBT issues to sexuality and sexual health, parenting, alternative health, travel, and food and cooking. Her work has appeared in Curve Magazine, Girlfriends, Libido, The Children's Advocate, Decider.com, The SF Weekly, EthicalFoods.com and GoMag.com.

Forgotten password

Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password.

Poetry All Poetry Free Verse Song Lyrics Sonnet Haiku Limerick Ballad
Fiction All Fiction Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Scripts & Plays Thriller/Mystery All Novels Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Thriller/Mystery Other
Nonfiction All Nonfiction Bullying Books Academic Author Interviews Celebrity interviews College Articles College Essays Educator of the Year Heroes Interviews Memoir Personal Experience Sports Travel & Culture All Opinions Bullying Current Events / Politics Discrimination Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking Entertainment / Celebrities Environment Love / Relationships Movies / Music / TV Pop Culture / Trends School / College Social Issues / Civics Spirituality / Religion Sports / Hobbies All Hot Topics Bullying Community Service Environment Health Letters to the Editor Pride & Prejudice What Matters
Reviews All Reviews Hot New Books Book Reviews Music Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Video Game Reviews Summer Program Reviews College Reviews
Art/Photo Art Photo Videos
Summer Guide Program Links Program Reviews
College Guide College Links College Reviews College Essays College Articles

Summer Guide

College guide.

Song Lyrics

All Fiction

Action-Adventure
Fan Fiction
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Sci-fi/Fantasy
Scripts & Plays
Thriller/Mystery

All Nonfiction

Author Interviews
Celebrity interviews
College Articles
College Essays
Educator of the Year
Personal Experience
Travel & Culture

All Opinions

Current Events / Politics
Discrimination
Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
Entertainment / Celebrities
Environment
Love / Relationships
Movies / Music / TV
Pop Culture / Trends
School / College
Social Issues / Civics
Spirituality / Religion
Sports / Hobbies

All Hot Topics

Community Service
Letters to the Editor
Pride & Prejudice
What Matters

All Reviews

Hot New Books
Book Reviews
Music Reviews
Movie Reviews
TV Show Reviews
Video Game Reviews

Summer Program Reviews

College Reviews
Writers Workshop
Regular Forums
Program Links
Program Reviews
College Links

Cheerleading As A Sport

ESPN cameras all around, hundreds of screaming fans, pride and a big trophy at stake; no, the described scene is not that of a football championship. The excitement buzzing in the air escalates as the next team steps up to put all they have into a two minute and thirty second sprint to the finish. As a competitive mix of various other sports, cheerleading is a new sport on an international rise in popularity. Some may argue cheerleading should not and cannot be considered a sport, but according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary cheerleading follows the definition of a sport and therefore should be widely considered one because of its high level of physical activity, competition, and set of rules and conventions. Cheerleading requires an especially high level of physical exertion with an equally high risk of injury. In order to even make a team, cheerleaders must participate in an extensive tryout process often taking more than a week. Athletes must also meet a series of physical requirements concerning skills and fitness. Members of the North Allegheny varsity cheerleading squad first had to run a mile in under 8 minutes and demonstrate their ability to meet the requirements for stunting, cheering, dancing, and tumbling. Cheerleaders also keep busy practice schedules in order to maintain their physical condition. The nationally ranked Villanova University cheerleading squad holds various practices at least five days a week to work on strength and skills. In addition to the high physical precedent, cheerleaders risk their lives for their sport at every practice and competition and even continue to work through their injuries. According to an MSNBC.com report from June of 2009, cheerleading accounts for 65.2% of high school and 70.5% of college fatal or serious injuries among all female athletes. Like any other sport, cheerleading demands great physical effort. Cheerleaders do not give up their time to practice for nothing; most teams participate in multiple competitions throughout their yearlong season. Both high school and all-star cheerleading teams are given the chance to compete. Every year high school squads can participate in one of numerous national championships while all-star squads compete against teams from all around the globe at The Cheerleading Worlds. For “Worlds”, teams come from everywhere including China, Chile, Britain, Canada, Australia, and France. Attending the Worlds or Nationals is a privilege, and teams must qualify at smaller local and regional competitions first. Along with field hockey, figure skating, and soccer, high school cheerleaders in Pennsylvania also receive the chance to compete in the Keystone State Games at Pennsylvania State University. Teammates work together and practice hard to perform their best at every competition they attend. Although the set up of their contests may seem different, many of the same principles as other sports guide cheerleading as well. Just like any other competitive sport, cheerleading has a strict set of rules that can result in penalties if broken. Last year at the National High School Cheerleading Championship North Allegheny went only a few seconds over the time limit, which resulted in a deduction of points moving them from a meritorious fifth place to a substandard eighteenth. Judges also disqualified many other teams completely for performing illegal stunts. As well as following a set of rules, cheerleaders compete in divisions according to size and develop rivals, as do most other high school sports. Colleges recruit and give athletic scholarships to cheerleaders. Each year, Penn State University awards textbook and apparel scholarships to their cheerleaders, and returning cheerleaders acquire the opportunity to receive the $1500 Dr. Allen Scholl scholarship. Cheerleading consists of a competitive mix of gymnastics and dance as well as many other strength and cardiovascular components. The ideology behind cheerleading is the same as numerous other sports. Even though cheerleading follows the definition of a sport in every way, skeptics argue cheerleading does not qualify as a sport. Critics argue against cheerleading as a sport because of its scoring system, which they view as subjective and unfair. A panel of judges evaluates the competing teams, assigns points according to difficulty and performance, and ranks teams by point total. Certified, trained, and experienced coaches and directors serve as judges. All judges receive identical score sheets with specific guidelines, and all scores are averaged out to ensure fairness and accuracy. Assessment of the rank of teams is a legitimate method used not only in cheerleading but in many other sports as well. Olympic sports such as diving, figure skating, and gymnastics use similar scoring systems. Athletes of these sports are much respected, and criticizing cheerleading for using a perfectly logical scoring system is unjust. Cheerleading has risen in international popularity recently and its respect as a sport should increase as well. Cheerleading is exceptionally physically demanding as well as an internationally competitive sport that follows the same principles as many other sports. Although some argue the scoring system for cheerleading is erroneous and imprecise countless other sports follow the same scoring pattern. Before you determine whether cheerleading is a sport or not find a local cheerleading competition or look out for the next ESPN broadcast of the high school and college National Championships. The hard work and dedication of hundreds of men and women will show the moment they step onto the floor.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 25 comments.

Favorite Quote: "Logic will get you from point A to point B. Imagination will take you everywhere." ~Albert Einstein "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Favorite Quote: You've got to stand for somethin' or you'll fall for anything. - Aaron Tippin

Cheerleading is simply the BEST !

I was cheer leading captain for my little league team , Columbus Cowboys, It was really a Blast ! ! !

&nd iCant wait until high school starts up so ican join the team : )

Subscribe to Teen Ink magazine
Submit to Teen Ink
Find A College
Find a Summer Program

Share this on

Send to a friend.

Thank you for sharing this page with a friend!

Tell my friends

Choose what to email.

Which of your works would you like to tell your friends about? (These links will automatically appear in your email.)

Send your email

Delete my account, we hate to see you go please note as per our terms and conditions, you agreed that all materials submitted become the property of teen ink. going forward, your work will remain on teenink.com submitted “by anonymous.”, delete this, change anonymous status, send us site feedback.

If you have a suggestion about this website or are experiencing a problem with it, or if you need to report abuse on the site, please let us know. We try to make TeenInk.com the best site it can be, and we take your feedback very seriously. Please note that while we value your input, we cannot respond to every message. Also, if you have a comment about a particular piece of work on this website, please go to the page where that work is displayed and post a comment on it. Thank you!

Pardon Our Dust

Teen Ink is currently undergoing repairs to our image server. In addition to being unable to display images, we cannot currently accept image submissions. All other parts of the website are functioning normally. Please check back to submit your art and photography and to enjoy work from teen artists around the world!

Why Don’t More People Consider Competitive Cheerleading a Sport?

The rigorous activity is dominated by female athletes—and is growing in legitimacy and popularity.

In one episode of the reality-TV show Cheer Squad , four members of a competitive-cheerleading team sit on blue mats at their gym discussing a common problem they face. Their all-girl squad, known as Cheer Sport Great White Sharks, is a two-time world champion—but they have a hard time getting respect for it.

“You know what my biggest pet peeve is with cheer?” 16-year-old Nubs (the team goes by their nicknames) asks the group. “Everyone just doesn’t think it’s a sport.”

“People think we use pom-poms and dance around,” her teammate, 17-year-old B.H., chimes in. “That’s so different from what we actually do.”

“I’ve been asked, ‘Who are you cheering for?’ I’m like, ‘no, no, no,’” Nubs laments.

During the series, the team is training for the biggest and most prestigious event of the season, the Cheerleading Worlds competition (this year’s three-day contest in Orlando, Florida, ended Monday). As the girls hint, but as few viewers might know, squads like the Great White Sharks don’t perform at school football or basketball games. That more visible kind of cheer is known as collegiate, or sideline, cheer, where the primary purpose is to support other sports teams. Instead, the Great White Sharks are All Star cheerleaders. Though similar in some ways to their sideline counterpart, there are a couple of crucial differences. Highly trained All Star teams—mainly made up of, but not limited to, 11- to 18-year-olds—belong to private gyms and aren’t attached to any school. Their top goal isn’t to support another team, but to win competitions, which is one of the main criteria that determines whether an athletic activity is a sport.

Women’s Softball Needs the Olympics

No One Has to Get Their Period Anymore

A group of canids that carry DNA from a nearly extinct wolf species

The Secret Identity of a Coyote-Like Creature

And yet, as the Great White Sharks’ frustrations indicate, All Star cheer often has a difficult time being taken seriously. Some of this dismissal has to do with the fact that cheer is one of the rare predominantly female sports. Plus, both sideline and competitive cheerleaders maintain a hyper-feminine appearance (heavy makeup, short skirts, bedazzled spandex uniforms, and styled hair) during routines. But people also tend to lump both types of cheer together—despite the fact that All Star cheer has gained traction in recent years as a sport, and schools don’t tend to label sideline cheer as such. Though it’s still occasionally mistaken for its sideline counterpart, competitive cheer has nonetheless emerged as a powerful rebuttal to the decades-old belief that cheerleading can’t be a sport.

Competitive cheer is relatively new compared with its sideline cousin, which has been around since the 1880s but only opened to women in the 1920s. Now, 97 percent of all cheerleaders are women . The national governing body of competitive cheer, the United States All Star Federation (USASF), was founded in 2003 to establish safety regulations and competition standards, and to certify coaches. The next year saw the formation of the world governing body, the International Cheer Union. Competitive cheer’s popularity has since exploded: More than 1,000 teams—again made up of mostly young women— competed in February at the 2017 National Cheerleading Association’s All Star National Championship.

Though sideline and All Star share some of the same skill sets, they’re now performed for nearly reverse purposes: sideline mostly to entertain, with the possibility of competing if a team is talented enough, and All Star mostly to compete, with their historical role as entertainers always in mind. “Collegiate cheer is based on crowd appeal. All Star cheer is based on skill-building,” said Kenny Sampson, the host of the podcast Cheer Talk Radio , who has been coaching at All Star gyms for about 15 years, told me.

High schools and colleges, as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, don’t recognize cheer in general as a sport, indirectly—but powerfully—influencing how All Star cheer is perceived. In 2012, a federal appeals court ruled that schools cannot sanction cheer squads as official athletic programs—the most recent court decision on cheer’s standing as a sport. In that particular case, Quinnipiac University tried to eliminate its women’s volleyball team in order to fund its competitive-cheer squad, which the judge said was “too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic opportunities for students.” The court cited Title IX, the law that prohibits gender discrimination by educational institutions that receive federal funding.

“[Cheer] does not reach the criteria according to Title IX that every other sport also has to reach for the NCAA to qualify it,” explained Deborah Slaner Larkin, Chief of Special Projects at the Women’s Sports Foundation , referring to school-based, not All Star, programs. “There is no structure for competition, minimum financial support, and there aren’t consistent divisions.”

Under Title IX, schools that receive federal funding must give male and female students equal opportunities to play sports, but not necessarily the same sports. So by adding a mostly female cheer squad to its athletic roster, a school can cut another, perhaps more expensive, women’s team—as Quinnipiac tried to do. And so for women’s sports advocates , the issue often isn’t so much that cheer can’t be athletic, but that schools may use it as an excuse to exclude women from sports dominated by men.

As a result, unsanctioned sideline cheer squads at schools can’t give their female members the same benefits as traditional women’s sports teams. If those squads were sanctioned, they’d likely be taking funding away from other teams. Amid all this, All Star cheer has emerged as an appealing third option for young female athletes seeking a more structured, athletically rigorous, and competition-oriented activity. It’s also seeing major strides in its broader quest for legitimacy: Last December, cheer received provisional status as an Olympic sport, which is the first step toward its official inclusion in the Games. In other words, this next decade could see members of squads like Great White Sharks facing off on the biggest athletic stage in the world.

All Star cheer has been slowly distinguishing itself from its school-based counterpart for over a decade. Sampson explained that in 2004, for instance, competitive routines still used recognizable “Go Team!”-type chants, which were phased out in the following years. The elements of both sideline and All Star cheer routines remain the same—from pyramids to the familiar pike and spread-eagle jumps—and each uses the same two positions, flyers and bases.

But in All Star cheer, these skills must be mastered at the highest level. All Star cheerleaders must be gymnasts, too, capable of pulling off advanced stunts with impeccable flexibility, balance, and synchronization. “I think it would be very difficult to argue that tumbling, stunting, competitive cheerleading is not a sport,” Ellen Staurowsky, a professor of sport management at Drexel University who specializes in gender equity, told me. “There’s high risk-taking. They’re getting thrown in the air ... It’s undeniable that we have very serious athletes that are very serious about competing.”

All Star teams have two to three practices a week, each lasting up to three hours, according to Sampson. Some young women have three to five additional hours of classes to build their stunting and tumbling skills. That’s nearly 15 hours per week on top of their regular school responsibilities. Which is not to say that sideline cheer isn’t challenging—collegiate cheerleaders can be highly skilled and sometimes even compete, but their squads’ primary aim is ultimately to root for another team.

Not so with All Star cheer. Peyton Mabry, a 19-year-old student at Texas Christian University, cheered as a flyer with Cheer Athletics, probably the best All Star program in the country. It has won 20 gold medals at Cheerleading Worlds competitions, the most of any gym; this year it won the silver medal in the senior large co-ed division. “You can think of [Worlds] like the Super Bowl of competitive cheerleading,” Mabry told me. Like many of her All Star peers, Mabry is a social-media celebrity: She has more than 584,000 combined followers on Instagram and Twitter .

Competitions consist of different teams performing rehearsed routines usually lasting two minutes and 30 seconds before a panel of judges—similar to, say, a gymnastics event. The goal at competition is to ensure that every stunt, tumble sequence, jump, pyramid, and dance move is flawless, which requires precise coordination. “If one person is missing from the team, then a stunt group can’t stunt, and the pyramid can’t go up. There are three people under me that I have to trust not to drop me,” said Kennedy Thames, a flyer with the Rockstar Beatles. Thames is only 16, but she practices three or four times a week and typically participates in 10 competitions a year.

Competitive cheer is not only strenuous, but also dangerous. “It’s an adrenaline sport. It’s rough,” Sampson explained. All Star cheerleaders often say what they do resembles more conventionally male-dominated sports, like football and hockey. “If something goes wrong, someone could end up in the hospital,” Sampson said. He added that All Star comes with one serious downside: “It’s obscenely expensive. Between private lessons, competition fees, uniforms, and travel, it can be anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 a year.”

That level of expense puts girls who want to cheer in a tough position. They can either join their school squad and potentially miss out on opportunities they might have on an official sports team (like funding, experienced coaches, and practice time). Or they can deal with the exorbitant cost of an All Star gym and make the most of those extensive resources.

Cheer as a whole is still one of the few athletic activities where the majority of teams are women-only (one equivalent might be gymnastics or ice skating, where women are more likely to become famous). But given the uncertain position of sideline cheer, it’s easy to see the appeal of a private All Star gym—a space dominated by female athletes that also adheres to the same demanding standards as any traditional sport.

As a result, competitive cheer’s popularity continues to grow with participants and spectators alike. There are currently 4.5 million registered athletes worldwide who are part of the International Cheer Union, and the International Olympic Committee’s interest in cheer comes in part from its “high youth appeal.” Cheer still has two and a half years of provisional status before it’s eligible to apply to become an official Olympic entry, which means it wouldn’t make its debut until after the 2020 Games in Tokyo. But if the petition is successful, the Olympics will be cheer’s biggest opportunity yet to showcase its potential for athleticism—and to defy the outdated notion that it can’t be a sport.

Should Cheerleading Be Considered a Sport? – Speech (593 Words)

Good (—) to one and all present here. My name is (—) and I am here today to give a speech on why cheerleading should be considered a sport. A sport is an activity that involves physical exertion and in a competitive nature. Cheerleading needs skills and physical exertion and in my opinion, it should be considered a sport.

Cheerleading is similar to many other sports like gymnastics, acrobatics, aerobics, and dance. Cheerleading like all these sports require the athletes to be in shape, talented, trained, and precise. There are also a lot of stunts that are involved in shading such as lifting a person in the air, throwing them, and catching them precisely.

Their leaders must be trained appropriately so that they all remain safe and prevent themselves from harm during the act. This shows that cheerleading needs immense recession and practice Tu to be safe and avoid injuries.

They require a lot of physical exertion and skills. The jumping that they do requires flexibility, stamina, and good balance. The cheerleaders jump in an unnatural position which takes a toll on them if they are not trained properly. They require a lot of practice to make their emotions perfect and Sharp for competition.

You are leading is usually not considered as a sport because people do not acknowledge their efforts that they do and do not think they are competent. But it is not so as most cheers compete more than once in a season. It takes a lot of planning, training, and rehearsing to pull them off. Their performances are based on their stunts, creativity, jumping, motions synchronization, etc.

Cheerleading, like most people mistake, is not just about standing on the sidelines and yelling. It requires intense physical activity skills, athleticism, competitiveness, and training. It is unfair to not consider cheerleading as a sport.

According to the women’s Sports Foundation, a sport must be a physical activity and should propel a mass through space or overcome the resistance of mass full stop cheerleading presents this through stunting where the resistance of mass is shown through tossing and holding the girls at various levels while they do their ax and also through their flexibility or flipping and spinning.

As with every other spot cheerleading also has a crowd to impress, coaches and judges, and a demanding schedule. Cheerleading requires intense physical and mental constraints as they are expected to do backflips, spinning, etc. Like every other sport cheerleading also has rules and restrictions.

In competitive cheerleading, they have strict time limits and dimensions of map space score sheets, and the winner is declared at the end of every competition. It doesn’t make sense to say that cheerleading is not a sport as it qualifies every aspect of a sport. It is important that cheerleading should receive the recognition it deserves and should be respected as a sport. I hope I have brought a solution to the ongoing debates regarding the same. Thank you all.

Cheer Debate: Is Cheerleading a Sport?

Posted February 20, 2018 in Library

Share This Post

Every cheerleader gets fired up when someone tries to argue with them that cheerleading is not a sport. Whether it’s a football player in one of your classes, a teacher who talks down about cheerleading, or a friend who doesn’t understand why you’re not involved in something else “more athletic,” you want people to know that being a cheerleader does make you an athlete!

Usually people make negative comments about cheerleading because they know it gets under your skin, but some people truly believe cheerleading has zero athleticism behind it. So, what can you say to prove them wrong and in turn get a little respect? Remember the best argument is an educated one, so give them the facts!

The truth is, there really isn’t a solid definition of “official” sport. When necessary, the office of Civil Rights makes this determination on a case by case basis. The Women’s Sports Foundation has narrowed the field down of what is considered a sport to these elements that are commonly agreed upon to define a sport:

• It must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass. (Stunting… check)! • “Contesting” or competing against/with an opponent is required (Competition… check)! • It must be governed by rules that explicitly define the time, space, and purpose of the contest and the conditions under which a winner is declared. (Time limit, mat size, score sheets… check, check, check)! • Acknowledgement that the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants. (You know those competitions on ESPN? Those are national championships… check)!

So far, cheerleading is four for four! But there are still two more qualifications to meet for cheerleading to be considered a sport. The Women’s Sports Foundation makes it clear that “any physical activity in which relative performance can be judged or qualified can be developed into a competitive sport as long as:

1) The physical activity includes the above defined elements (got them!) and… 2) The primary purpose is competition verses other teams or individuals within a competition structure comparable to other ‘athletic’ activities.”

This is where your argument ends. Not because of any physical definition –as you can see cheerleading meets ALL of the athletic specifications, but because cheerleading’s primary purpose to support high school athletic teams, and competition comes second!

The best thing to do when you are in a “Is Cheerleading a Sport” debate is give them all the facts, Even people still don’t believe that cheerleading is not active enough to be considered a sport, at least you know better… and that’s all that matters!

Remember, winning an argument will not necessarily win you other’s respect. “If people don’t respect your program now, just throw the “sport” title around and see how much worse they think of you,” says Jim Lord, Executive Director of AACCA and former University of Kentucky cheerleader. “Respect is earned, and there are plenty of teams that get it by doing what they are supposed to do and by being good role models.” For more information on the Cheerleading as a Sport argument, check out the AACCA (American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors) website, www.aacca.org.

Share this post

Benefits of Dance

Being a dancer and part of a Dance Team is more than dancing on the sidelines, supporting your school or performing on the competition stage, hoping to impress the judges and fans. You may not realize it at the time, but the benefits of dance can help you navigate life in a unique and incredible […]

Benefits of Cheer

Being a cheerleader is more than strictly cheering on the sidelines, supporting your school or taking the competition mat, aiming to impress the judges and fans. You may not realize it at the time, but the benefits of cheer will help take you into the next steps of life in a unique and amazing way. While […]

Andrew the Elf: Taking Flight To Save Lives

Over $125,000 raised for St. Jude, and it all started with an elf. “Your child has been diagnosed with cancer.” It is something we hear far too often these days. It could be a friend, a loved one, someone you work with or even one of your very own athletes. For me personally, I heard […]

Go for Gold with St. Jude | Varsity All Star

This September, make a difference in the lives of children at St. Jude. Did you know it costs more than $1 billion to operate St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital each year? And almost all of that funding comes from donations. St. Jude treats thousands of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases each year, and it’s made possible by teamwork. When we say teamwork, we mean […]

Let us know who you are:

Varsity Spirit Customer Service

800-533-8022

Varsity Spirit Corporate

6745 Lenox Center Court, Suite 300 Memphis, TN 38115

back to previous step

What can we help you with?

Welcome to Varsity.com

Tell us what you're interested in.

You can change your selection in preferences later.

Personalize Your Experience

Select your favorite.

Search Varsity.com

What can we help you find?

209 Sports Topics: Argumentative Essay & Persuasive Speech Ideas

Persuasive speech is the art of convincing the audience to understand and trust your opinion. Are you ready to persuade someone in your view? Our list of sports persuasive speech topics will help you find a position to take and defend. If you need more options quick, apart from contents of this article, try a speech topic generator for school .

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Argumentative essays , on the contrary, dwell upon two possible opinions. You can make them balanced or defend one, contradicting the other. If you are unsure which perspective you should adhere to, sports argumentative essay topics are here for you.

Choose one of the following informative sports topics to develop your viewpoint. Plus, you can contact Custom-writing.org experts if you need any help with this or any other assignment.

🔝 Top 10 Topics
🏈 Football Topics
⚽ Topics on Soccer
🏀 Basketball Topics
⚾ Topics on Baseball
🏒 Hockey Topics
✨ Debate Topics
🏟️ General Topics
🤼 Controversial Topics
🏅 Other Topics

🔍 References

🔝 top 10 sports persuasive speech topics.

Athletes are overpaid.
Sport bets are not ethical.
Cheerleading is not a sport.
Extreme sports should be banned.
Colleges spend too much money on sports.
Olympic Games are not relevant anymore.
Women sports need to be promoted better.
Cybersport is as important as other sports.
Men coaches shouldn’t work with women athletes.
Children shouldn’t be allowed in competitions.

🏈 Great Persuasive Football Topics

When we say football, we mean American football. If you need soccer debate topics, then keep on scrolling! The football speech topics are controversial, so some research may be required to succeed.

Football is too violent to be played by children. Should we forbid underage children to play it? Or could we make a “lighter” version for them? Can we say that it teaches kids to show aggression?
In certain parts of the US (Texas and some others), football appears to be a religion. Do you agree with this statement? Does it relate anyhow to the theory of the exceptionalism of the US?
Does football culture praise self-sacrifice for the benefit of the team and playing despite severe pain? Do you think it gives the game the essence of unity and involvement? Can the spectators feel empathy with individual players, or are they concerned with the outcome more?
Are non-contact variants of American football played only by amateurs? Discuss touch football and flag football (or Canadian football). Are these games less fascinating? Should schools adopt them to prevent injuries of children?
Is racism still present in football? Is there a grain of truth in the statement that football players are mostly black while spectators are mainly white? If no, argument your opinion. If yes, how could it be changed for more equality?
Concussion rules in the NFL: do they spoil the game?
What should be done about offensive team names in football?
Deflategate: what does the US judicial system have to do with sports matters?
Should players’ jerseys display ads?
Is Tom Brady or Peyton Manning the greatest quarterback of our era?
Would making a safer helmet encourage the teams to use more violence during the game?
Do you think that real American football can only be played in America?
If tackling in football was forbidden, the game would lose its interest for spectators.
Playing football by children under 14 years old can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other health problems.
Does football popularity suffer because of “nomadic” players who regularly change their teams, depending on who pays more?
When should you start playing football if you would like to become a professional player?
Is it a frustrating experience for students that some schools discontinue their football programs?
Should young athletes get paid for winning a football competition between schools?
Why does the NFL decide in which team a former school player is going to act, and is that fair?
Does dedication to football make childhood less fun?
College football competitions have enormous charitable potential, yet unexplored.
How could football players keep up with practice during the lockdown?
What personality features matter in professional football?
Does football promote mannish aggression?
Is the methodology of the Bowl Championship Series subjective and unfair?
Are college football playoffs better than BCS?
Could women be allowed to play for the NFL?
Is there any difference between football and rugby?
Is Thanksgiving football the best family-building tradition?
A team can play only 16 games in the NFL regular season, and it only stirs up interest.

⚽ Best Soccer Persuasive Speech Topics

The game of soccer offers some good topics for motivational sporting speeches. Just see for yourself:

Goal-line technology and some other innovations have added fairness to soccer. Which state-of-art technologies could make the game even more spectacular? Or do you support the conservative approach? Is the human eye enough to control the results?
Is it reasonable to hire players from other countries to national teams? Previously, the national team consisted of players from the specific area. But now the word “local” is just nominal. More than often, national teams consist of multinational players.
Soccer matches can raise violent confrontation among the spectators. What are the possible measures to avoid aggression and vandalism? Does it depend on the host country?
Why is women’s soccer less popular than its male variant? Women tend to play more gentle, is it the cause? Are there more male spectators who prefer watching men playing soccer?
Is the short career of a soccer player worth the long years of training? Typically, players’ careers last for 15 years. After that, they can work as coaches or fulfill their potential in another activity. Is it enough to be satisfied with one’s life?
Bayern Munich is only a good team because of its excessive funding: the issue of financing in soccer.
FIFA is too corrupt to function and should undergo a major overhaul.
Association football is experiencing a match-fixing crisis.
World Cups produce devastating effects on the countries that host them.
The World Cup bidding process is flawed and encourages human rights violations.
Who is the greatest legend of football: Ronaldo or Messi?
Does soccer need instant replay?
The US population is concerned with soccer during the World Cup only.
Can two good teams have a boring game?
Usually, the same teams win the cup, with minor variations. Is it their merit or a tradition?
Are soccer players’ salaries unreasonably high?
Normally, the same teams win the cup, with minor variations. Is it their merit or a tradition?
Why do soccer games last only 90 minutes?
Should we refuse from extra time, and why?
Goalposts are too thin and should be made thicker. How would it influence the game?
Clubs that buy famous players are criticized. Should they develop their young players instead?
How will technologies transform soccer in the next decades?
The visibility of soccer in America depends on the success of the US team.
Does soccer require more stamina than coordination?
What is the best soccer player of all time?
Does a local club preserve its local specifics if the majority of its players proceed from other countries?
Clubs are increasingly more concerned with selling their players than with earning by vivid performance.
Why do many secondary players become prominent coaches, but only a few famous players become good coaches?
How do natives of African countries become rich and famous soccer players, if their homeland has poor soccer infrastructure?
Is the contemporary FIFA rating methodology fair?

🏀 Basketball Persuasive Speech Topics

As the world’s third most popular sport, basketball naturally draws a lot of attention. Which basketball-related questions can you discuss in a speech on sports?

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

Do we need to raise the basketball rim? In the last century, basketball players have become considerably higher than their predecessors. Would this change favor the game? Or would basketball grow less impressive?
Should complicated goals earn more points? Free throw across the field requires much skill, and it should be rewarded. Thus the written rules would become more complicated, and games would become more interesting for the public.
Current NBA games are more gentle than they used to be a decade ago. Do you agree with the statement? Would today’s legends succeed in the basketball championships of the past?
Think of the psychology of competing in the NBA for many years, yet never gaining any ring. Does it discourage the players? Famous players keep on earning goals while their less prominent teammates are lagging. What could be done for their motivation?
Why is personal contact forbidden in basketball? If it did not constitute a personal foul, like in American football, how would the game be transformed? Would the players require to wear helmets and other protection?
Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time.
The NBA should implement a stricter dress code.
Beyond football: the issue of Native American mascots in basketball.
Should NBA teams be allowed to relocate at will?
What is an acceptable age range for basketball players?
Was Michael Olowokandi the most unsuccessful NBA player?
Michael Jordan was the idol of the 90’s, leaving many other top players without proper attention.
Why did Kevin Durant leave the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Is it a good idea to conduct a second championship among the teams that failed the league?
Who was the most infamous draft bust ever?
Is it possible to make mixed basketball teams of men and women in equal proportion?
How do advanced metrics help the teams to develop their playing strategies?
Are basketball championships a legitimate way to measure the players’ proficiency?
Is basketball the most “athletic” kind of sport?
Does the draft lottery in the NFL make the championship less competitive?
Should college basketball players be paid?
What was the most prominent NBA team ever?
What is the difference between the playing methods of Michael Jordan and LeBron?
Why did the NBA become the most famous league?
Why do basketball rules differ in the US and Europe?
How does the 24-second clock impact the game?
What makes a good basketball player: height, speed, or tactics?
Why is it forbidden to pick up a ball thrown out of play?
What are the common and different features between basketball and streetball?
Why shouldn’t you pick up a dead ball to renew the attack?

⚾ Sports Topics on Baseball

Is baseball your favorite sport? Then research it in more detail by using some of these great ideas of baseball speech topics:

Is designated hitter rule useless? Does it help the weak fielders and players with past injuries to keep up the career? If all players become hitters from time to time, would the outcome get worse for the team?
Can we say that individual baseball players are inherently talented? Imagine that teams are made of players depending on their success, rather than their nationality. For every goal, a player receives a personal point. After gaining enough points, they go to a better team. Would it add more competitiveness to baseball?
What if the best college team be preserved for playing in MLB? In-team relationships and mutual understanding are essential for success. After college, players go to different teams. How does it impact their career?
The most complicated thing to do in all kinds of sports is undoubtedly hitting a baseball. It requires precision and strength. Are these two skills hardly compatible?
Why are steroids one of the most controversial sports topics in baseball? Barry Bonds should have been at the top of the Hall of Fame, but steroid use impeded him. Still, he is a perfect player and deserves such merit. What other debatable examples do you know?
In pitching, control is less critical than command.
The RBI (runs batted in) statistic should not be given so much weight because it is meaningless.
Instant replays should be used in baseball.
Should Major League Baseball implement a salary cap instead of a luxury tax?
Should the designated hitter rule be eliminated?
Does the voting for the Hall of Fame need a reformation?
Will Major League Baseball ever accept steroid use for the Hall of Fame?
When a team wins a baseball championship, it is more about luck than we would like to think.
How did the extended playoff system worsen the game?
Is the 90 feet distance fair, or should it be decreased?
Is it easier to win as a defense team?
Does an excellent offensive system require a better run or a secure pass?
Pitching grants more success in playoffs than hitting.
Why is it dangerous to throw a curveball?
Is it correct to use Wiffle ball for training purposes?
What is the most breathtaking baseball movie?
Which hitter is the best in MLB?
Why is spring training so necessary in baseball, while other kinds of sport have no such widespread practice?
Spring training was canceled because of the 2020 pandemic. What will be the effect?
Does fantasy baseball have something in common with sports?
Should baseball players be trained as universal players, so that they could replace any team member?
Which baseball record will never be surpassed?
Would you choose the best player in the draft, regardless of age, or opt for a college youth?
Would Derek Jeter be a famous baseball player if he wasn’t a shortstop?
Baseball is all about the rivalry between the pitcher and the hitter.

🏒 Hockey Sports Topics

Was Wayne Gretzky the best hockey player of all time?
Does video goal judge make the game fairer, or should debatable goals be dismissed?
In hockey, penalties are easier to score than in soccer.
Think of the drawbacks of playing hockey for a living.
Hockey is the kind of sport that causes the most severe injuries.
What are the most valuable skills and personal traits for a hockey player?
Penalties make the game more exciting. But Is it fair to decide if a team won based on a penalty score?
Players should be severely punished for fights during hockey games.
What makes the outcome of a hockey game?
Would a prominent ice hockey player be a good field hockey player?
What is the most controversial rule in hockey?
If a goaltender violates the rules, another team member is punished. Why is it different from soccer where the goalkeeper is replaced?
Why are the Canadians more concerned with defeating the US than any other national team of the world?
Why are multi-year contracts with players a detrimental practice for a club?
Will the human factor of referees ever be eliminated?
Does NHL need expansion to more teams?
Are 4 on 4 playoffs an excellent way to know the winner?
Hockey has the highest risk of injuries among all kinds of sports.
Hockey is a full-contact sport. Is this the reason for frequent fights, despite that they are prohibited?
Why do women in Canada prefer ringette to ice hockey?

✨ Sports Debate Topics

College athletes can be smart—don’t fall prey to stereotypes.
Student athletes drink Red Bull to get wings, but get health problems instead.
Cheerleading is a sport and should be regarded as such.
Colleges waste too much money on sports programs.
Students should receive money for playing sports.
Animal sports (bullfighting, horse racing, etc.) should be banned.
Hunting in all forms should be prohibited by law.
Extreme activities for entertainment should be banned.
Tobacco and alcohol ads during TV sports events should be outlawed.
All forms of betting on sporting events should be prohibited.

🏟️ General Sports Topics to Talk about

Sports is the best stress reliever and reducer of obesity.
Should athletes be regarded as role models for children?
Instead of being prohibited, the use of steroids should be legalized and monetized.
Should sports fans be somehow censored?
Press conferences should be made mandatory for athletes.
Are gloves helpful for fighting? Hockey players take them off, but boxers put them on.
Every tennis tournament should give a separate award for the loudest player.
Sports management : a more lucrative degree than business administration.
We should have a separate radio station for sports chants so we can always listen to them.

🤼 Controversial Sports Topics

Cybersport: can experienced gamers be considered professional athletes? The speech can revolve around most prominent examples of cyber-sportsmen and their lives.
Should athletes use sports as a platform to promote their political views? Consider focusing on the ethical side of the problem.
The influence of sports on the development of eating disorders in female athletes. In this speech, you can present multiple examples of anorexia and bulimia in female athletes and discuss how disorders affect their lives.
Should gambling be legalized as professional sports across all states? Discuss the legalization of gambling in some countries and elaborate whether other states could use this experience.

🏅 Other Sports Topics

Sports persuasive speech topics: coaching.

Not all great sportsmen can become good coaches.
All’s fair in love and war, but not in sports. Coaches must care for athletes’ health.
Athletes’ inborn talents are more important than the skills of their coaches.
Even good coaches can lose their self-control.
Women coaches should work with women athletes.

Sports Topics to Talk About: Women’s Rights

Bodybuilding is inappropriate for women.
Women’s boxing is less popular than men’s boxing because of stereotypes.
Female tennis players can compete in the men’s league.
Female and male athletes should not get equal salaries in the same sports.
Women athletes are more likely to have injuries than men.

Sports Persuasive Speech Topics: Mind Sports

The first move advantage in chess can help only a good player.
Chess is not a waste of time and intelligence.
Poker players should be allowed to wear headphones during live events.
Chess is not a sport.
The winners of the World Memory Championships should work in international councils.

Sports Topics: Importance of Games

Benefits that daily exercise and sports bring to adolescents with physical or emotional challenges. Discuss how different types of activity (fitness, swimming, running, etc.) influence adolescents’ mood.
How does sport affect human cognitive skills and can it prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s? Focus on some examples from research to prove your point and create a unique speech topic
Regular exercises at a GYM do not only improve one’s health but also positively influence social skills. You might want to present examples from personal life and research, as well as focus on a life of sports stars.
Games can improve children’s fine and gross motor skills. In your speech about this topic, you should focus on typical games used in kindergarten and primary school (for example, sketching and coloring).
Sports and games can become great tools for creating and sustaining strong community ties. During the speech, you can discuss how communities are improved by local championships conducted annually.

Sports Argumentative Essay Topics: Injuries

Increased risk of traumas in young athletes whose bodies are still developing. Talk about prevention methods that coaches and parents can learn and use.
How can a professional athlete prevent most common sports injuries? Review the most common ways of prevention that discussed in media and research.
Psychological issues such as depression and anxiety can increase the risk of getting injured during exercise. The speech can include both personal and professional opinions.
Both men and women need psychological rehabilitation after an injury. To prove it, use recent research on mental illnesses in professional athletes.
Traumas in young athletes can lead to severe long-term outcomes. In this speech, you can focus on the influence of sports on adolescents’ skeletal development.
Sports injuries can negatively impact stress management of athletes. This discussion can revolve around stress management strategies that athletes use in their professional and personal life.

Sports Argumentative Essay Topics: Student Life

Are sports admission essays necessary? Elaborate how and why such admission essays demonstrate student’s awareness of the topic.
Colleges should support the integration of less popular sports such as swimming, fencing, handball, etc. You can engage your classmates in a heated discussion about the pros and cons of less popular sports disciplines.
Sports can positively affect student’s self-perception and confidence. This speech should base on recent research, as well as independently conducted surveys (if possible)
Sports can lead to underperformance in class. Discuss the stereotype that college athletes are less successful in studying than their peers.
High school sports fans and their perceptions of alcohol and drug use. Use recent examples from media that illustrate how drugs and alcohol affect fans and colleges in general.

Sports Persuasive Speech Topics: Health

Overtraining syndrome should not be overlooked in professional athletes. Elaborate how perfectionism negatively affects professionals.
Fitness can help individuals with mental illnesses improve their psychological well-being. Use examples from research to indicate how fitness regulates mood swings and reduces anxiety.
Green exercise and environment as essential aspects of healthy training. The speech needs to focus on the new trend of green activity and the importance of environment and nature for effective exercise.
Sports is not about competitiveness; it is about participation and cooperation. Talk about cooperative games and their impact on social ties of individuals.
Changes in lifestyle can prevent the development of physical and psychological diseases. Present examples of exercise used for the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes type II, obesity, etc.

Feel free to browse for other topics related to sports to prepare great informative speeches or write unique and persuasive essays.

If the typical and popular persuasive speech ideas, like the question of steroids in sports, are getting on your nerves, then stand out from the crowd!

Choose any of these fresh persuasive speech topics on sports to convince your audience and earn high grades.

And what should you do if you need to write an essay instead of a speech?

Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions. Cut 20% off your first order!

Just take any of the prompts above and use it as a sports persuasive essay topic!

Remember that you’re not alone—our experienced writers are always at your service and ready to help you at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to editing.

Now it’s time to get started! Just choose the topic of your dreams and start changing people’s minds.

This might be interesting for you:

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

Easy Steps to More Persuasive Essays
Best Easy Persuasive Speech Topics
Persuasive Speech Outline: How to Write, Tips and Examples
Persuasive Speech Outline: The Recipe for a Successful Outcome
Funny Persuasive Speech Topics: Best Ideas
Racial Profiling Essay: Argumentative & Persuasive Writing
Sport as Speech
When Sports Stand Against Human Rights: Regulating Restrictions on Athlete Speech in the Global Sports Arena
Speech By Sir Craig Reedie At World Forum On Sport And Culture
Sports Essays
Public Speaking and Presentations: Tips for Success
Effective Persuasion Presentation
Sample Outline for Persuasive Speech
Developing an Effective Speech Outline
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to email

Top 100 Research Topics & Titles about Food & TVL

When you look for a good research paper topic, you can easily become the severest critic of any proposed idea. Some topics do not interest you at the very least, while others might shock your teachers. Where is the golden mean? Check out this list of top 100 research paper...

Good Informative Speech Topics: How to Get Thunders of Applause

Do you know the secret place where people go to get their good informative speech topics? Looking for an interesting topic for speech? Congratulations, because you’ve just found it! So, if you’re ready to get some really good topics for an informative speech, all you need to do is to...

348 Interesting Proposal Essay Topics and Ideas for 2024

A proposal argument is an essay in which you describe a specific issue that needs fixing. It focuses on problem solutions. Are you interested in writing high-quality proposal essays? Or maybe you’re wondering what can make your writing truly outstanding? Here you will find answers to these questions as well...

217 Motivational & Inspirational Essay Topics

Sometimes you just wish there was a marketplace with vendors shouting, “Topics for argument essays! Who wants inspirational topics to write about?” Well, you are lucky enough: you’ll find plenty of inspiring things here! Coming up with some argument essay topics is quite easy! In this article, you’ll find some...

260 Controversial Debate Topics and Questions for Discussion

Are you searching for original, thought-provoking, and really controversial debate topics? Here they are! Selecting any of these 25 controversial topics for debate from Custom-writing.org, you can guarantee a heated dispute in class or exciting polemics with your friends. But first, let’s figure it out, what is debate and how you should pick up great...

Memorable Event in School Essay: Writing Tips + Ideas

Perhaps, each person has unforgettable memories of school life. It might be their first day when everything seemed to be exciting and unknown. Or it might be some picnic or trip when they spent a great day outside with their classmates. Writing a high school experience essay requires you to...

205 Essay Topics for Grade 8, 9, 10, 12 + Writing Tips [2024]

We came up with this guide to make school essay writing easy for you. Need some creative writing topics for grade 8? Or recommendations for the 11th-grade expository paper? We’ve got you! Helpful tips and essay topics for grades 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12— our Custom-writing.org team has advice for everyone. Here, you’ll find: 205 great essay ideas; tips on how to write argumentative and persuasive papers. In fact, our recommendations will be...

151 Transportation Essay Topics & Writing Tips

Have you ever thought about the importance of transportation? Every day we see cars, trucks, planes, and ships and never wonder what exactly they are doing. In fact, these vehicles not only transport people from one place to another. They also form a vast system that plays a vital role...

63 Brilliant Ideas for Writing Essays on Family Values

In a few words, family values can be defined as principles, some ideals, and beliefs within a family that are passed from generation to generation. You should keep in mind that family values might change with time. Besides, they may differ from culture to culture.

Essay on India after Independence: How-to Guide and Prompts

India gained its independence on August 15, 1947. Before that, it was a British colony. Since 1947, India has changed a lot, and this is what you will have to discuss in your essay on India after 60 Years of Independence.

World Peace Essay in Simple English: How-to + 200 Topic Ideas

too much hatred, intolerance, and misunderstanding. Desire to change something for better is not enough. However, we do not call you to write such a pessimistic essay on world peace. On the contrary, we suggest you make an essay about global peace that will be full of hope and faith...

Halloween Essay: How to Write, Topics and Essay Ideas

So, there are a few days left before Halloween, one of the favorite American holidays both for kids and adults. Most probably, your teacher will ask to prepare a Halloween essay. And most probably, it is not the first Halloween essay that you need to prepare. We are sure that...

awesome man?

Thank you 🙂

What a choice!

This list seems pretty bias.

Thanks for the feedback!

This is very helpful for students that are interested in public speaking.

Thank you a lot for the feedback 🙂

All the best!

Great ideas!

Some confusion. I have some doubts.

Please, share your doubts with us. We appreciate your feedback, Pravallika!

Nice post, bravo!

Thanks for the feedback! Come back for more.

Share full article

Supported by

The A.C.L.U. Said a Worker Used Racist Tropes and Fired Her. But Did She?

The civil liberties group is defending itself in an unusual case that weighs what kind of language may be evidence of bias against Black people.

The facade of the A.C.L.U. building in Washington.

By Jeremy W. Peters

Kate Oh was no one’s idea of a get-along-to-go-along employee.

During her five years as a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, she was an unsparing critic of her superiors, known for sending long, blistering emails to human resources complaining about what she described as a hostile workplace.

She considered herself a whistle blower and advocate for other women in the office, drawing unflattering attention to an environment she said was rife with sexism, burdened by unmanageable workloads and stymied by a fear-based culture.

Then the tables turned, and Ms. Oh was the one slapped with an accusation of serious misconduct. The A.C.L.U. said her complaints about several superiors — all of whom were Black — used “racist stereotypes.” She was fired in May 2022.

The A.C.L.U. acknowledges that Ms. Oh, who is Korean American, never used any kind of racial slur. But the group says that her use of certain phrases and words demonstrated a pattern of willful anti-Black animus.

In one instance, according to court documents, she told a Black superior that she was “afraid” to talk with him. In another, she told a manager that their conversation was “chastising.” And in a meeting, she repeated a satirical phrase likening her bosses’ behavior to suffering “beatings.”

Did her language add up to racism? Or was she just speaking harshly about bosses who happened to be Black? That question is the subject of an unusual unfair-labor-practice case brought against the A.C.L.U. by the National Labor Relations Board, which has accused the organization of retaliating against Ms. Oh.

A trial in the case wrapped up this week in Washington, and a judge is expected to decide in the next few months whether the A.C.L.U. was justified in terminating her.

If the A.C.L.U. loses, it could be ordered to reinstate her or pay restitution.

The heart of the A.C.L.U.’s defense — arguing for an expansive definition of what constitutes racist or racially coded speech — has struck some labor and free-speech lawyers as peculiar, since the organization has traditionally protected the right to free expression, operating on the principle that it may not like what someone says, but will fight for the right to say it.

The case raises some intriguing questions about the wide swath of employee behavior and speech that labor law protects — and how the nation’s pre-eminent civil rights organization finds itself on the opposite side of that law, arguing that those protections should not apply to its former employee.

A lawyer representing the A.C.L.U., Ken Margolis, said during a legal proceeding last year that it was irrelevant whether Ms. Oh bore no racist ill will. All that mattered, he said, was that her Black colleagues were offended and injured.

“We’re not here to prove anything other than the impact of her actions was very real — that she caused harm,” Mr. Margolis said, according to a transcript of his remarks. “She caused serious harm to Black members of the A.C.L.U. community.”

Rick Bialczak, the lawyer who represents Ms. Oh through her union, responded sarcastically, saying he wanted to congratulate Mr. Margolis for making an exhaustive presentation of the A.C.L.U.'s evidence: three interactions Ms. Oh had with colleagues that were reported to human resources.

“I would note, and commend Ken, for spending 40 minutes explaining why three discreet comments over a multi-month period of time constitutes serious harm to the A.C.L.U. members, Black employees,” he said.

Yes, she had complained about Black supervisors, Mr. Bialczak acknowledged. But her direct boss and that boss’s boss were Black.

“Those were her supervisors,” he said. “If she has complaints about her supervision, who is she supposed to complain about?”

Ms. Oh declined to comment for this article, citing the ongoing case.

The A.C.L.U. has a history of representing groups that liberals revile. This week, it argued in the Supreme Court on behalf of the National Rifle Association in a First Amendment case.

But to critics of the A.C.L.U., Ms. Oh’s case is a sign of how far the group has strayed from its core mission — defending free speech — and has instead aligned itself with a progressive politics that is intensely focused on identity.

“Much of our work today,” as it explains on its website, “is focused on equality for people of color, women, gay and transgender people, prisoners, immigrants, and people with disabilities.”

And since the beginning of the Trump administration, the organization has taken up partisan causes it might have avoided in the past, like running an advertisement to support Stacey Abrams’s 2018 campaign for governor of Georgia.

“They radically expanded and raised so much more money — hundreds of millions of dollars — from leftist donors who were desperate to push back on the scary excesses of the Trump administration,” said Lara Bazelon, a law professor at the University of San Francisco who has been critical of the A.C.L.U. “And they hired people with a lot of extremely strong views about race and workplace rules. And in the process, they themselves veered into a place of excess.”

“I scour the record for any evidence that this Asian woman is a racist,” Ms. Bazelon added, “and I don’t find any.”

The beginning of the end for Ms. Oh, who worked in the A.C.L.U.’s political advocacy department, started in late February 2022, according to court papers and interviews with lawyers and others familiar with the case.

The A.C.L.U. was hosting a virtual organization-wide meeting under heavy circumstances. The national political director, who was Black, had suddenly departed following multiple complaints about his abrasive treatment of subordinates. Ms. Oh, who was one of the employees who had complained, spoke up during the meeting to declare herself skeptical that conditions would actually improve.

“Why shouldn’t we simply expect that ‘the beatings will continue until morale improves,’” she said in a Zoom group chat, invoking a well-known phrase that is printed and sold on T-shirts, usually accompanied by the skull and crossbones of a pirate flag. She explained that she was being “definitely metaphorical.”

Soon after, Ms. Oh heard from the A.C.L.U. manager overseeing its equity and inclusion efforts, Amber Hikes, who cautioned Ms. Oh about her language. Ms. Oh’s comment was “dangerous and damaging,” Ms. Hikes warned, because she seemed to suggest the former supervisor physically assaulted her.

“Please consider the very real impact of that kind of violent language in the workplace,” Ms. Hikes wrote in an email.

Ms. Oh acknowledged she had been wrong and apologized.

Over the next several weeks, senior managers documented other instances in which they said Ms. Oh mistreated Black employees.

In early March, Ben Needham, who had succeeded the recently departed national political director, reported that Ms. Oh called her direct supervisor, a Black woman, a liar. According to his account, he asked Ms. Oh why she hadn’t complained earlier.

She responded that she was “afraid” to talk to him.

“As a Black male, language like ‘afraid’ generally is code word for me,” Mr. Needham wrote in an email to other A.C.L.U. managers. “It is triggering for me.”

Mr. Needham, who is gay and grew up in the Deep South, said in an interview that as a child, “I was taught that I’m a danger.”

To hear someone say they’re afraid of him, he added, is like saying, “These are the people we should be scared of.”

Ms. Oh and her lawyers have cited her own past: As a survivor of domestic abuse, she was particularly sensitive to tense interactions with male colleagues. She said she was troubled by Mr. Needham’s once referring to his predecessor as a “friend,” since she was one of the employees who had criticized him.

Mr. Needham said he had been speaking only about their relationship in a professional context.

According to court records, the A.C.L.U. conducted an internal investigation into whether Ms. Oh had any reason to fear talking to Mr. Needham, and concluded there were “no persuasive grounds” for her concerns.

The following month, Ms. Hikes, the head of equity and inclusion, wrote to Ms. Oh, documenting a third incident — her own.

“Calling my check-in ‘chastising’ or ‘reprimanding’ feels like a willful mischaracterization in order to continue the stream of anti-Black rhetoric you’ve been using throughout the organization,” Ms. Hikes wrote in an email.

“I’m hopeful you’ll consider the lived experiences and feelings of those you work with,” she added. (Citing the ongoing case, the A.C.L.U. said Ms. Hikes was unable to comment for this article.)

The final straw leading to Ms. Oh’s termination, the organization said, came in late April, when she wrote on Twitter that she was “physically repulsed” having to work for “incompetent/abusive bosses.”

As caustic as her post was — likely grounds for dismissal in most circumstances — her speech may have been protected. The N.L.R.B.’s complaint rests on an argument that Ms. Oh, as an employee who had previously complained about workplace conditions with other colleagues, was engaging in what is known legally as “protected concerted activity.”

“The public nature of her speech doesn’t deprive it of N.L.R.A. protection,” said Charlotte Garden, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, referring to the National Labor Relations Act, which covers worker’s rights.

She added that the burden of proof rests with the N.L.R.B., which must convince the judge that Ms. Oh’s social media post, and her other comments, were part of a pattern of speaking out at work.

“You could say this is an outgrowth of that, and therefore is protected,” she said.

The A.C.L.U. has argued that it has a right to maintain a civil workplace, just as Ms. Oh has a right to speak out. And it has not retreated from its contention that her language was harmful to Black colleagues, even if her words were not explicitly racist.

Terence Dougherty, the general counsel, said in an interview that standards of workplace conduct in 2024 have shifted, likening the case to someone who used the wrong pronouns in addressing a transgender colleague.

“There’s nuance to the language,” Mr. Dougherty said, “that does really have an impact on feelings of belonging in the workplace.”

Jeremy W. Peters is a Times reporter who covers debates over free expression and how they impact higher education and other vital American institutions. More about Jeremy W. Peters

IMAGES

Persuasive Speech
How Cheerleading Is a Sport? Free Essay Example
Persuasive Speech
Cheerleading is a Sport Persuasive Speech
Cheerleading is a Sport Essay (600 Words)
Persuasive Speech; Cheerleading is a Sport

VIDEO

Cheerleading Dramatic Sports Photography. #sonya7rv #sportsphotography #sportsphotographer #cheer
ENorth_Persuasive Speech
Persuasive Speech Rehearsal Video- Service dogs
Persuasive Speech
Informative Speech- Types of Cheerleading
PERSUASIVE SPEECH did i persuade u?

COMMENTS

Is Cheerleading a Sport: [Essay Example], 1389 words
Why Cheerleading is a Sport (essay) Cheerleading requires athleticism like any other sport, you must be in shape and be at a great fitness level to be involved in the activities. In a journal of 2016 from Postmedia Network Inc. titled "The power of cheer; Cheerleading promotes athleticism, responsibility", a father of four girls who are ...
Persuasive Essay: Why Is Cheerleading A Sport?
Cheerleading is a sport that often goes unacknowledged for its athletic demands and time commitment required from its athletes. There are two main types of cheerleading today: high school cheering and competitive cheering. The main difference between the two is the amount of athleticism each athlete needs to obtain.
Why Competitive Cheer is a SPORT.
Competitive cheerleading is a year-round sport, with the new season typically starting in late May or early June. For an activity to truly be considered a sport, it must involve competition against others. In competitive cheer, teams compete against each other in a head-to-head fashion and are evaluated according to a standardized set of rules.
Reasons Why Cheerleading Is a Sport
Competitive cheerleading is directed by a coach, much as other team sports are directed by a coach or coaching staff. The coach will direct the routines, supervise training and motivate her charges to compete at their highest level. Coaches are trained not only in supervising stunting but in safety as well. Some coaches are highly sought-after ...
Persuasive Speech
I could go on about this topic for hours but with my time limited to 4-6 minutes I decided to focus on a few points. Enjoy!
Persuasive Speech About Cheerleading
Competiive cheerleading is a sport that cheerleaders love to do. Cheerleading can teach you life lessons and values. They teach you teamwork, dedication, and responsibilites. Until you do the sport you really can't have have a say in it. People tell me all the time that it isn't, but it's okay because I know it is.
Cheerleading As A Sport
This piece was written as a persuasive essay for my Honors English 3 class. I hope people will open their minds to the competitive side of the sport of cheerleading.
Persuasive Essay: Is Cheerleading A Sport?
Cheerleading is simply entertainment for viewers and is a social club for its participants. "Sports Beat - The Sport of Cheerleading: It's a lot More than Just Pompoms and Smiles," points out that a main benefit of cheerleading is the ability to "easily transition into the entertainment industry" (Hatton C-04).
Cheerleading : An Persuasive Speech On Cheerleading
Cheerleading is simply entertainment for viewers and is a social club for its participants. "Sports Beat - The Sport of Cheerleading: It's a lot More than Just Pompoms and Smiles," points out that a main benefit of cheerleading is the ability to "easily transition into the entertainment industry" (Hatton C-04).
Cheer Is A Sport Persuasive Essay
Cheer Is A Sport Persuasive Essay. The audience in this is the people who do not think that cheer is a sport. A specific gender would be mostly boys. I often find myself into specific arguments all the time whether or not cheer is a sport. A specific age group is normally between the age of 10-20. The average reader is anyone who does not think ...
Why Don't More People Consider Competitive Cheerleading a Sport?
May 2, 2017. In one episode of the reality-TV show Cheer Squad, four members of a competitive-cheerleading team sit on blue mats at their gym discussing a common problem they face. Their all-girl ...
Being a Cheerleader
Not because of any physical definition - as you can see cheerleading meets ALL of the athletic specifications. But, because cheerleading's primary purpose is to support high school and college athletic teams. Competition comes second! In other words, cheerleading is more than a sport. In 2011, USA Cheer, the national governing body for ...
Should Cheerleading Be Considered a Sport?
A sport is an activity that involves physical exertion and in a competitive nature. Cheerleading needs skills and physical exertion and in my opinion, it should be considered a sport. Cheerleading is similar to many other sports like gymnastics, acrobatics, aerobics, and dance. Cheerleading like all these sports require the athletes to be in ...
Cheerleading Persuasive Speech
Cheerleading Persuasive Speech. 874 Words4 Pages. Do you believe doing flips, jumps and shouting is a sport? Cheerleading is a sport. Seventy-two percent of people believe it is and twenty-eight percent believe it is not a sport, according to Debate.org. I am one of those people who not only believe cheer is a sport, but know it is a sport.
Cheerleading is a Sport by Hailey Howard on Prezi
Cheers require tight arms and fists. and lots of energy. Becomes a natural. habit in cheering. difficult and goal oriented. requires skill and teamwork. different because we only get one chance. 2 minutes & 15 seconds. Strong legs and arms.
Cheerleading Is not a Sport: Persuasive Essay
Introduction: Cheerleading has long been a subject of debate regarding its classification as a sport. While some argue that it requires physical prowess and teamwork, I firmly believe that cheerleading falls short of the criteria that define a sport. In this persuasive essay, I will present arguments and evidence to support the claim that ...
Cheer Debate: Is Cheerleading a Sport?
So far, cheerleading is four for four! But there are still two more qualifications to meet for cheerleading to be considered a sport. The Women's Sports Foundation makes it clear that "any physical activity in which relative performance can be judged or qualified can be developed into a competitive sport as long as: 1) The physical activity ...
209 Sports Topics: Argumentative Essay & Persuasive Speech Ideas
🔝 Top 10 Sports Persuasive Speech Topics. Athletes are overpaid. Sport bets are not ethical. Cheerleading is not a sport. Extreme sports should be banned. Colleges spend too much money on sports. Olympic Games are not relevant anymore. Women sports need to be promoted better. Cybersport is as important as other sports.
Persuasive Speech: Competitive Cheerleading a Sport
Brittany Ure discusses why cheerleading should be considered a sport.
Persuasive Essay: Why Cheerleading Is A Sport
A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team is competing against one another to win. The sport cheerleading contains a wide range of physical exertion including: tumbling, various jumps and tricks, stunting, and choreographic dances, thus resulting in needing great stamina.
Persuasive Speech
About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright ...
The A.C.L.U. Said a Worker Used Racist Tropes and Fired Her. But Did
"The public nature of her speech doesn't deprive it of N.L.R.A. protection," said Charlotte Garden, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, referring to the National Labor Relations ...