Sports

A sport, by definition, is "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." There are many people who disagree with this. Many people don't believe that swimming and/or cheerleading are sports. These are the most popular assumptions. Although today, I was told that softball wasn't a sport. By a baseball player. Irony?

I am a strong supporter of the swimming/cheerleading side of the sports debate. I am a swimmer currently, and I was a cheerleader.

Swimming: Being a swimmer, I take offense when people say swimming isn't a sport. Swimmers work so hard at every practice they have. We swim miles and miles each practice too. Football players, soccer players, baseball players, etc. have a whole game (roughly an hour or more) to prove themselves. We have under 3 minutes, unless you're swimming the 500. I can guarantee you that if you had to swim one of our practices, on the same time intervals, same amount of laps and yardage, that we do on a daily basis, you would have a newfound respect for swimmers.

Cheerleading: I used to be a cheerleader. I also have a good friend who is a cheerleader. The stereotype of a cheerleader is a ditzy, snobby, stuck up person. My friend isn't like that at all. My friend is one of the sweetest people I know, smart too. Sure there are some of those kinds of cheerleaders, but you are more likely to find kind cheerleaders than not. I also stick up for the cheerleaders. I know how hard they work and how many hours they practice to get their routines just right. Most people throw balls to each other, they throw people. They throw people, lift people, and do many dangerous stunts to get points and win competitions. They leave practice with bruises, cuts, and mat burns all over their bodies. I have a great respect for cheerleaders.

Next time you criticize a sport, think about all the hard work those players go through. Think about how you would do if you tried it.

~Hayley