Paisley Smith gets a boost from her teammates at a cheer competition last year.

Shutterstock.com (background); Courtesy of Smith family (Paisley Smith)

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Is Cheerleading a Sport?

A leading group of doctors wants cheerleading to be recognized as an official sport. 

March 17, 2025
By Cailin Loesch

As You Read, Think About: What do you think makes an activity a sport?

Last summer, cheerleader Paisley Smith was practicing an Arabian tumbling pass. It involves several acrobatic maneuvers in the span of a few seconds. Paisley launched into a handspring. Then she did a backflip and twisted her body in midair before landing on her feet. As her hands hit the mat for another handspring, something went wrong. 

“I heard the snap,” recalls the 10-year-old from Bentonville, Arkansas. “It hurt really bad, and I was scared.” 

Paisley had broken her elbow. A surgeon inserted a metal screw in her elbow to keep it in place while it healed. But Paisley says the worst part wasn’t the pain. It was not being able to cheer. 

Paisley is one of the more than 3.5 million cheerleaders in the United States. Most are between the ages of 6 and 17. Paisley spends about 25 hours a week, year-round, practicing. 

“This is a risky sport,” she says. “You’re being tossed in the air by athletes your own age. They throw you as high as they can and try to catch you before you hit the ground.”

Despite the skill involved, cheerleading isn’t considered a sport by many high schools and colleges. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants that to change. The AAP is a group of doctors who set guidelines to keep kids safe and healthy. 

In November, the AAP released a report about the risks of cheer. The report also calls for cheerleading to be officially recognized as a sport. Experts hope this will improve safety regulations, or official rules.

Last summer, cheerleader Paisley Smith was practicing an Arabian tumbling pass. It involves many acrobatic maneuvers. They happen in just a few seconds. Paisley launched into a handspring. She did a backflip and twisted her body while in the air, before landing on her feet. Then her hands hit the mat for another handspring. But something went wrong. 

“I heard the snap,” Paisley recalls. The 10-year-old is from Bentonville, Arkansas. “It hurt really bad, and I was scared.” 

Paisley had broken her elbow. A surgeon inserted a metal screw in it. That kept the elbow in place while it healed. But Paisley says the worst part wasn’t the pain. It was not being able to cheer. 

There are more than 3.5 million cheerleaders in the United States. Most are between ages 6 and 17, like Paisley. Paisley practices about 25 hours a week, all year long. 

“This is a risky sport,” she says. “You’re being tossed in the air by athletes your own age. They throw you as high as they can and try to catch you before you hit the ground.”

Cheerleading involves a lot of skill. But it isn’t considered a sport by many high schools and colleges. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants that to change. The AAP is a group of doctors. They set guidelines to keep kids safe and healthy. 

In November, the AAP released a report about the risks of cheer. The report also says cheerleading should be officially recognized as a sport. Experts hope this will improve safety regulations, or official rules.

Courtesy of Smith family

Paisley wore a cast for three weeks after she broke her elbow last year.

New Heights

Cheerleading began in the late 1800s as a way to pump up crowds at sporting events. For decades, cheerleaders mostly chanted and waved pom-poms. 

Cheer has evolved over the years. It’s no longer only about supporting basketball and football teams. Today youth cheer teams face off in hundreds of competitions in the U.S. each year. Cheerleaders learn many of the same complicated skills that gymnasts do. They also create human pyramids and get tossed high in the air. All these high-flying moves can be dangerous.

“The force and height of those stunts can put cheerleaders at risk for severe injuries,” says Eva Seligman. She’s a sports medicine doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Nearly 19,000 emergency room visits were reported for female cheerleaders from ages 12 to 18 in 2023. That’s according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. And many more injuries may not get reported because cheer injuries aren’t tracked the same way as those in official sports. 

“Once we understand what injuries are occurring, we can better prevent them,” Seligman explains.

Cheerleading began in the late 1800s. The activity was a way to pump up crowds at sports games. For decades, cheerleaders mostly chanted and waved pom-poms. 

Cheer has evolved over the years. It’s no longer just about supporting basketball and football teams. Today youth cheer teams take part in hundreds of competitions in the U.S. each year. Cheerleaders learn many of the same difficult skills that gymnasts learn. They get tossed high in the air. They also create human pyramids. All these high-flying moves can be dangerous.

“The force and height of those stunts can put cheerleaders at risk for severe injuries,” says Eva Seligman. She’s a sports medicine doctor. She works at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.  

In 2023, nearly 19,000 emergency room visits were reported for female cheerleaders ages 12 to 18. That’s according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But many more injuries may not get reported. Cheer injuries aren’t tracked the same way as injuries in official sports. 

“Once we understand what injuries are occurring, we can better prevent them,” Seligman explains.

Jumping Ahead

The AAP is calling for cheer to be recognized as a sport by all state athletic departments. That would lead to stronger safety guidelines. At the college level, soccer players, gymnasts, and other athletes aren’t allowed to practice for more than 20 hours a week during their seasons. But many college cheerleaders are pushed beyond that limit.

Paisley looks forward to cheering in high school and college. She hopes the sport she loves gets the respect it deserves.

“Cheerleading has led to so many opportunities for me,” Paisley says. “I’d be really happy to have more experts help us with what we need.”

The AAP says cheer should be recognized as a sport by all state athletic departments. That would lead to stronger safety guidelines. College athletes, like soccer players and gymnasts, aren’t allowed to practice for more than 20 hours a week. That’s during the season. But many college cheerleaders are pushed beyond that limit.

Paisley looks forward to cheering in high school and college. She hopes the sport she loves gets the respect it deserves.

“Cheerleading has led to so many opportunities for me,” Paisley says. “I’d be really happy to have more experts help us with what we need.”

Sports for All

In 1972, Congress passed a law called Title IX. It requires public schools to offer male and female athletes the same opportunities. Because cheerleading isn’t officially considered a sport, it doesn’t count under Title IX. That means schools don’t have to include cheerleading when making sure athletes are treated equally. This can lead to unfair practices. For instance, many cheerleaders, most of whom are female, don’t qualify for athletic scholarships to college.

In 1972, Congress passed a law called Title IX. It requires public schools to offer male and female athletes the same opportunities. Because cheerleading isn’t officially considered a sport, it doesn’t count under Title IX. That means schools don’t have to include cheerleading when making sure athletes are treated equally. This can lead to unfair practices. For instance, many cheerleaders, most of whom are female, don’t qualify for athletic scholarships to college.

Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

1. How could recognizing cheerleading as a sport help to improve cheerleaders’ safety?

2. According to the article, how has cheerleading changed since the 1800s?

3. Summarize the main idea and key details of the sidebar, “Sports for All.”

1. How could recognizing cheerleading as a sport help to improve cheerleaders’ safety?

2. According to the article, how has cheerleading changed since the 1800s?

3. Summarize the main idea and key details of the sidebar, “Sports for All.”

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