There have debates all throughout history trying to cipher out whether or not Cheerleading is an actual sport. At the NCAA Division I level, cheerleading is considered a sport and students are able to obtain scholarships. Teams at the Division I level compete in competitions and are treated with the same respect as other athletes.
At the Division II level cheerleading is under the radar and is treated more as a club rather than a team. For example, UIS’s cheerleading team is not nearly as popular or respected as are the varsity sports. Not because they are not considered athletes, but because NCAA Division II has yet to recognize it as a varsity sport.
Coach Lexi Kirschbaum is an alumnus and was also on the UIS cheerleading team. She is going on her second year coaching here at UIS and has a lot in store for the team. “The squad has 11 cheerleaders, four of them are male”, said Kirschbaum. She went on to say, “This is the first year we have had this many men on the team” and that “adding the diversity of men and women” will “catch people’s attention” and make this year another incredible season.
Cheerleading is a big expense especially with 11 cheerleaders on the squad it will be a struggle to find funding for their uniforms. One of the big fundraisers Kirschbaum said that the squad was doing is selling seat cushions that can be used at any game. Kirschbaum said the team does several of these fundraisers to help defer costs for the cheerleaders.
Because of insufficient funding, UIS cheerleaders are not able to compete in competitions. Kirschbaum said that she and the team will have to save up for something like that.
Kirschbaum does recognize that UIS Cheerleading does not get as much attention as they should get, but she is not by any means offended. She said, “We [She and the squad] are still a part of the athletic department. So we don’t feel as though we are being left out.” She and her team do realize that cheerleading is still evolving, particularly at smaller schools like UIS. She has aspirations that one day the NCAA Division II will see cheerleading as a varsity sport.
On a lighter note the cheerleading team does have some performances soon to come. Homecoming week they will be performing at the men’s and women’s soccer games. They will also be performing at the homecoming pep rally Monday, Oct. 1st. Kirschbaum also mentioned that tryouts will be held in the spring and she can be contacted for more information.
The debate over whether cheerleading should be considered a sport at the Division II level is on that will be talked about for years to come. It is not, though, an impossible fight to win. There would be a lot of people who could benefit from a change like this. Students would benefit the most because then scholarships for cheerleading would be given. The cheerleaders would also have a chance to spend less time fundraising and have the opportunity to compete nationally with other cheerleading teams.
