Cheerleading

Cheerleading is not the same childhood activity that most people have become accustomed. In the late 1970s, a new form of cheerleading emerged called competitive cheer. Competitive cheer has gained enormous popularity among females in high schools, colleges and universities; while, traditional side line cheerleading has remained constant (Varnavas, 2009, p. 41). Approximately half of the states in the United States have already recognized high school cheerleading under Title IX legislation (Varnavas, 2009, p. 41). Since the popularity of competitive cheer is increasing, many colleges and universities are looking to improve Title IX compliance with the addition of competitive cheer as a participation opportunity for its female students. These colleges and universities are faced with the dilemma that competitive cheer is not recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a sport; therefore, the researcher feels that competitive cheer should be an intercollegiate varsity sport. The purpose of this position paper is to provide perspective to the problems that colleges and universities face in complying with Title IX and to provide reasons why competitive cheerleading should be an intercollegiate varsity sport.

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, female participation in sports has increased dramatically. Girls and women are no longer relegated to the sidelines, but are suiting up and joining men on the playing fields. The legislation of Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive Federal financial assistance. The law states: “No person in the United States, shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” (Carpenter and Acosta, 2005, p. 3). Title IX was enacted to deal with all aspects of education, including admissions, recruitment, course...