While most high school sports play four quarters under stadium lights, cheerleaders and dancers train for months to perfect a routine lasting 2 minutes. Despite the intense training and high-risk stunts both sports require, peers often disrespect their athleticism. This dismissal reflects a wider issue: a cultural stigma treating female-dominated sports as entertainment rather than actual competition.
Because dance blends athleticism with artistry, critics often overlook its demands. For Reily Phillips, sophomore, the lack of official recognition affects everything from peer respect to her physical and mental health.
“I feel like we’re not really valued as much because we’re not one of the big sports that everyone goes to and watches perform,” Phillips said. “Because we are a smaller sport…that makes it hard when it comes to recognition.”
Phillips has been on the varsity dance team since her freshman year and is no stranger to feeling undervalued.
“I feel like a lot of people think that it’s really easy, and it’s just something that anyone can do, but it’s really not. You only have 2 minutes to go out there and prove yourself, [unlike in other sports where] you have the whole game,” Phillips said.
Beyond public perception, dance causes chronic physical strain- a toll Maiya Hageman, sophomore, knows well.
“Often, you do have to push through injuries. Injuries for dancers can be anything from a rolled ankle to broken bones, torn ligaments, and even permanent physical damage,” Hageman said.
While dance looks effortless, mastering a routine requires constant work.
“A typical week looks like having a 7:00 A.M. practice, dance practice during 5th period, and 3-4 hours of studio dance in the evenings on weekdays and extra technique classes on the weekends,” Hageman said. “As dancers, we are trained to look like what we do isn’t hard. I believe that this is where the misconception that dance is easy starts. People don’t often see the training and the process of getting a dance performance ready.”
Kiersten Samojen, senior, recognizes this issue and emphasizes the aspects of cheer that make it a sport that not just anyone could excel in.
“I am very frustrated, especially with the school not considering us a sport because we do not get any funding from the school, and that results in us spending a lot of money and time trying to fundraise for the sport that we love,” Samojen said. “I feel like we are the glue that brings our school spirit together, but we do not get the credit that we should be getting. We are just considered an activity.”
Behind the sport, there are many mechanics and structures which require strength and mastery.
“Stunting and tumbling is a huge part of cheer, and it is also the entire basis of the sport. We do high-risk stunting and tumbling in front of a crowd, and that is exactly what we do for cheer, minus competing, and we dance too,” Samojen said.
While athletes in this industry train hours a day, the public remains split. According to a YouGov poll, 36% of U.S Adults do not consider cheerleading to be a sport, and 16% are unsure. Participants deserve recognition for building their skills with courage and strength, dedicating hours of training to perform at high levels.
“Sometimes things definitely seem easier to the eye than they actually are. People will just look at something, and they will [say], ‘That was awesome. I could probably do that,’ but they can not. Even though it looks fun, there are always going to be bad aspects of something.” Phillips said.
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