Most people don’t think of cheerleading as an athletic competition. However, at almost every level of cheer, judged competitions are regularly held for large crowds. While many cheer routines still contain team-oriented chants and choreographed taunts and jeers, the athletic element of the sport can no longer be ignored. Cheer routines consist of tightly executed flips, lifts and other complicated maneuvers which would test the abilities of the most accomplished gymnasts. Cheerleaders practice difficult routines and maneuvers daily, and need to stay in top shape for competitions. So why does the sport of cheerleading have such a negative stigma?

Cheer organizations like the Northern Virginia Tigers are working to change this perspective. By bringing exciting performances into the national spotlight, they can bring an audience to hard working cheerleaders across the country. They just want to show what cheer is really about, remove the stigma, and validate it as a sport among its peers.