Cheerleaders across California view cheer as a very athletic event that requires a lot of commitment. However, a lot of people disagree. The debate was settled when a law was passed to recognize cheerleading as a sport in California. The bill was passed this year, and will take place in the 2017-2018 school year, during which cheerleaders will start to compete in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).

High school cheerleaders participate in a variety of athletic activities, such as encourage athletes during their games and perform at rallies. In light of this, an idea that cheerleading should be considered a sport became a popular topic of discussion among those in favor of this act. Because of this, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to make California one of the many states in the U.S. to recognize cheerleading as a sport.

The law Governor Brown signed requires that CIF views cheerleading as a competitive sport as it does with other sports student athletes play. According to Lorena Gonzalez, a Democratic Assemblywoman, at least eight other states respect cheerleading as a competitive sport. She said that the bill would give cheerleading the appreciation that it deserves. Gonzalez has experience with this matter since she was a cheerleader during her high school and college years. This bill, called AB949, will take effect during the 2017-2018 school year. There has not been new information released about how cheerleading will be affected by this new change, but this is subject to further discussion in the future.
CHS cheerleaders are looking forward to this new change in their sport. Varsity cheerleader, junior Amerlie Nguyen, agrees with the law, believing that cheerleading should be a sport.

“Yes it should [be a sport] because in football, for example, you throw footballs and catch them and we do the same thing [with people],” Nguyen said. “You can break your arm [doing] that.”

Varsity cheerleader and senior captain Nosa Odiase also strongly expressed her opinion that cheerleading should be a sport.

“Cheerleading is a sport because it’s as physically demanding as any other sport,” Odiase said. “It has evolved so much over the years. It requires different aspects of strength, flexibility, cardio, and focus, just like any other sport.”

Students at CHS have mixed opinions about the matter. A student who wished to remain anonymous said that it should not be a sport because it is only the art of cheering and stretching. However, some studnets disagree with this particular point of view and think that it should be considered a sport.

“To cheer you also need to be acrobatic and flexible,” freshman Gilad Bechor said, “You have to work for it and master it through physical activity.”

All in all, through much debate, cheerleading has now been legalized as a sport. The 2017-2018 cheer season will yield a lot of excitement for competitions and events. While many people remain firm in their opinions that cheer is an art form and not a sport, cheerleaders will now see their sport ruled and regulated just like any other by CIF.