Is Cheerleading a Sport?

Is cheerleading a sport? The answer is now up to a judge in Connecticut who will determine the outcome of a lawsuit filed by five volleyball players against Quinnipiac University. The disagreement stems from the university deciding to do away with women's volleyball and replacing it with competitive cheerleading, a sport that costs less and could be offered to more women. In the end, the judge will decide if cheerleading meets the Title IX gender-equity requirements and can be counted as a college sport, but is that the end of it? Not really when you consider the many different types of cheerleading and cheerleaders. How will this decision affect them?

There is no doubt that cheerleading is physically demanding and that cheerleaders are exceptional athletes, but do all cheerleaders and cheerleading programs actually meet the criteria to be considered a sport?