At the end of an incredible year,  the team our daughter competes with made it to  the most amazing national competition called, The Summit which is held at the ESPN center in Disney World.
      It was a wonderful experience with friends and family we'll always hold close and we're looking forward to years to come...  

       It's a debate cheerleaders have dealt with for decades.   When it comes to cheer, is it or is it not a sport?  
      I could begin with the obvious by stating the purest definition of a sport which indicates "A sport is an athletic activity requiring skill or physical exertion in which an individual or team competes against another". 
      hmmmm…seems pretty cut and dry.  
     Believe it or not however, you'll still have your doubters.  Let me go back a few years to prove my point.
     Growing up, I cheered.  Our high school team was wonderful due to phenomenal coaches, (Thank You, Libby) amazing hometown support and an  awesome group of girls.  We competed in Nationals year after year, went to Europe to cheer...   

​...even went on to colleges to continue into career paths involved in cheer.

       Most of my best friends to this day are the girls I cheered with.  We are godmothers to each others children,  forever confidants and a constant support due to the experiences and bonds we formed through cheer.  
        Why does this matter or is it even fair to compare this to any other sport?  Absolutely. I need to mention that growing up I also played basketball, volleyball and ran track, yet nothing compared to the requirements or demands of cheer.  
       Nothing.
     I believe the debate exists due to the stereotypical concept of what a cheerleader is - someone who leads a crowd during a football or basketball game and is there to support a team.  That is one element of cheer and it's a wonderful aspect, however beginning around the 80's cheer began to take on a whole different role.  The pure athleticism evolved as competitions began to take place, elevating cheer to a whole new level...and when I say a different level...what this year has involved opened my eyes even more.  
      Our daughter entered the world of extreme cheer.  She joined a gym which again has phenomenal coaches,  (Thank You, Kelly, Liz, DP and Shane) amazing hometown support  and an Awesome group of girls.
    As an elementary student, she just returned from a national competition called, "The Summit" held at the ESPN sports complex in Disney World where the best of the best in the country compete.  After seeing the girls work through days, weeks and months of blood sweat and tears being poured into their routine, it was surreal to see how the world disappeared when their team hit the floor.  When your child is under the lights in front of the judges, no one on this earth can tell you it's not a sport or competition.  The athleticism it takes alone to pull off what these kids did is simply mind blowing.  The team has put more time and effort into this one season, than all three of our sons combined have put into any sport they've been a part of...and as a parent...your heart stops beating once they take the floor.              

       There's nothing you can do but grip your hands and watch, pray, try to keep your heart and your stomach from overtaking your throat as you hold on to every move, every single motion the team makes, hoping it's exact. 

         Then you see their smile.  You see their eyes light up and the joy they have knowing it all comes down to this.  Everything  else melts away and you realize this is what makes it all worth it.  The experiences they'll have, the highs and lows.  
     As wonderfully as the team did, they didn't place this year, however several of the teams from their gym went on to win it all.  Their learning experience made for an intangible  result and the  coaches' words following the competition  provided determination for next year.
      In the end, there is no other conclusion in my mind to the question of whether or not cheer is a sport.  Not only is the answer a resounding yes, it's much more than that.   It's an opportunity where the physical demands, competitive requirements, levels of body and mental endurance combine to result in incredible victories both on and off the floor...all while creating the greatest of lifelong friends, future godmothers to each others children,  forever confidants and a constant support due to the experiences and bonds that will undoubtedly be formed through the sport of cheer.