U.S. Judge: Cheerleading Not a Sport

    What a controversial topic! When I first read about this online, my eyes were glued to those five words: cheerleading is not a sport. After cheering and tumbling for a good portion of my 18 years of life, I guess you could say I was pretty upset. I cannot explain how many times I've had people tell me that I am not an athlete and that I am not "playing a sport." I'm simply enjoying a "hobby."
    I mean, I guess I can understand where they're coming from. Many people assume that after watching cheerleaders wave their arms and shout out cheers at sport events, that those individuals standing on those sidelines are in no way true athletes. I mean, it doesn't take much practice to yell out a couple chants and get the crowd to respond, right? But at the same time, can you throw a 120 lb. girl 10 feet in the air and then manage to catch her after she completes some intricate stunt? Or throw a tumbling pass that consists of three back handsprings to a double?
    There's a lot more to the art of cheerleading then people realize, but I want to know what you all think. What's your opinion on this controversial topic?