**Cheerleaders, at the highest level, are both athletes and performers, so it could come down to what classification is best for them** - Cheerleading meets the definition of a sport in several ways, as ['an activity involving physical exertion and often in a competitive nature'](https://www.blhsnews.com/opinion/2018/10/08/cheerleading-is-a-sport/) - The physical and mental toll placed on cheerleaders - not to mention [the danger of their acrobatics](https://time.com/5782136/cheer-netflix-cheerleading-dangers/) - is definitely akin to that of competitive sportsmen and women - Cheerleaders require all the skills a gymnast needs, but execute these skills in a different way – it depends how cheerleaders want the world to see them - As cheerleading currently exists, it is most commonly seen as a performance within another sport - perhaps for it to be more widely considered a sport, better broadcasting of cheerleading competitions are necessary

**Cheerleading should be considered a sport, in fact it is a very dangerous sport and cheerleaders are incredible athletes** - The definition of a sport is ["an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment"](https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/) , there is no doubt that cheerleading requires huge [physical exertion](http://fgcu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fgcu:21433/datastream/OBJ/view/Cheerleading__A_Comprehensive_Study_of_Biomechanics__Common_Injuries__Prevention_and_Rehabilitation_of_Injuries.pdf), with many cheerleaders training long hours in order to compete at a high level. Cheerleading also is a competitive sport with teams [competing against each other at all different levels](https://www.usacheer.org/) - Cheerleading requires huge strength (physical and mental) and technique like other sports, and requires [huge amounts of bravery as it is a very dangerous](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/01/athletes-cheer-deserve-better/605326/) sport with reports finding cheerleading was ["responsible for 65 percent of direct catastrophic injuries to female high school athletes during a 27-year period, according to a 2012 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics" and "a 2009 report from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina that concluded cheerleading accounted for 65.2 percent of all catastrophic injuries in youth sports."](https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2017/10/12/flipside-cheerleading-prevalence-catastrophic-injuries/) - Like other athletes in different sports such as football and rugby, [many cheerleaders practice and train from a very young age and undergo rigorous conditioning and workouts](https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Abstract/2004/12000/A_Strength_and_Conditioning_Model_for_a_Female.2.aspx) - There is no other definition for cheerleading other than a sport, Cheerleading is very different to dance and can't be defined as an art because art (eg. dance) tells a story, whereas Cheerleading (like gymnastics) does not tell a story but is primarily about athleticism, technique and entertainment. - However cheerleading (like other sports) can be classified as a performance. The definition of a performance is ["an act of presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment or the action or process of performing a task or function"](https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/) as it is the act of performing a function to entertain.