Cheerleaders champion new Olympic connections

Every cheerleader knows how difficult cheerleading is on your mind and body. Recently the IOC (International Olympic Committee) recognized that cheer is an official sport, so while this doesn’t mean that cheerleading will be in the next olympic games, it means that the International Cheer Union will receive at least $25,000 a year and have the opportunity to apply for more grants.

Peet cheer coach and former CF cheerleader Sydney Schoentag said that “so many people think that they (the cheerleaders) stand on the side and don’t do anything and don’t realize the works everyone puts in at practice.”

And Peet freshman and competition cheerleader Leah Dierks agreed. “I think that it should be included in the Olympics. Cheer takes a lot of different skills like strength, flexibility along with determination and many more,” she said.

This also isn’t a final decision; the IOC can put cheer in the Olympics in three years, but it has to be voted in.

“Cheer is a really hard sport, and having it recognized means a lot,” junior Rachel Schmid, a cheerleader at TNT, said.

Girls and guys can spend upward of three hours at the gym and cheer practice, putting in their blood sweat and tears.

The Olympic endorsement lays to rest the rumors that cheerleading isn’t a sport because regularly people will tell the people in it that it is not.

The reasons vary on why these girls think that cheer is a sport.

“I think the strength that it takes to do competitive cheer is what makes it a sport. Also, teamwork because if the whole team doesn’t work together, then lots of things could happen,” Dierks said.

“I would say the athleticism and strength are key things that a lot of people don’t think about,” Schoentag said.

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