Sport Non-Sport

You see them out on the track at every single game, regardless of the weather, with bright “cheer”ful smiles plastered on their faces. They practice year-round, putting in hours that equal to or surpass those of our football team. Who am I talking about? The Southern University cheerleaders, of course.
This group of very talented young men and women practice daily for at least two hours, they are required to attend a summer workshop and workout in the weight room at least three times per week.
But do you consider cheerleading a sport? Many will disagree with me, but cheerleading is a SPORT, a highly competitive sport. Our cheerleading squad, under the leadership of coach James Harris, is ranked tenth in the nation, that’s tenth out of all the colleges, universities and junior colleges in the United States. The only Historically Black University to be in the top ten, the SU cheerleaders are number one in Black College rankings.
Some will say it’s not a sport because they don’t get scored. Oh, but they do. Every spring the squad prepares new and innovative routines to take to competition. Many years of gymnastics and dance training go into cultivating a good cheerleader. These student-ATHLETES are also responsible for maintaining a 2.5 grade point averages and many of them far exceed that average.
What would we do without groups like the cheerleading squad, the Dancing Dolls, the SU Marching Band, and countless other “spirit” groups we have encountered over the years. Personally I know I cannot picture my life without all the joy that dancing brought me as I was growing up. Fourteen years of training has made dance a very important part of my life.
I cannot imagine not hearing the band entertain us at the games, or not watching the Dolls dazzle the crowd.
All these athletic groups (or highly skilled, very competitive athletic support groups) are very important to this school. They work long, hard hours to represent our school to the best of their abilities.
They are always working to bring new and exciting routines to the fans of Southern University. I feel these groups should be respected for their efforts and given a little more appreciation for what they do day in and day out, all for you…the fans and students of Southern University.