Let's take a deeper look into the background of this news story. A university located in Hamden, Connecticut, Quinnipiac University, has had several problems concerning their budget and violating Title XI law. This law basically ensures that the money that the university is receiving from the government equally shares it between men and women, to prevent discrimination. They cut the women's volleyball team and added in a competitive cheerleading squad, which was actually much cheaper. The decision seemed more efficient, especially considering their budget. This is where it gets a bit confusing: the question of cheerleading as a sport comes into play. Judge Underhill, the key player, decided that since it is not recognized by N.C.A.A., cheerleading will continue to keep its status as "not a sport."
He stated that it's too "underdeveloped" to even be a sport. But what does "underdeveloped" actually mean in this situation? Although cheerleading is a fairly new activity in today's world, people can interpret this word differently. Underhill also said that cheerleading "has all the necessary characteristics of a potentially valid competitive sport." If that's true, then what exactly is holding him back from letting Quinnipiac to keep its squad and to allow the cheerleaders, both men and women, to continue the enjoyment of their sport?
No comments:
Post a Comment