A federal court has ruled that cheerleading cannot properly be called a sport because it does not provide for equal opportunities and participation in sports. Has the court gone too far? Pluto is not a planet, cheerleading is not a sport. Is this new distinction a similarly irrelevant play, or is it unfair to disallow cheerleading as a sport because it is comprised mainly of women? “Competitive cheer has become much more athletic and gymnastic—and is increasingly organising itself as a sport, and one that demands commensurate recognition and respect,” says The Guardian.
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Cheerleading Is Not a Sport
A federal court has ruled that cheerleading cannot properly be called a sport because it does not provide for equal opportunities and participation in sports. Has the court gone too far?
Monthly Issue
April 2026
In this monthly issue, we examine how our understanding of energy — and how we source and use it — is evolving.
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