A sport is "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." The main reason I am so interested in this research question is because cheerleading has been a huge part of my life for the past ten years. I have grown up doing it every day and it means so much to me. So many people are in a debate over whether they believe cheerleading is worthy of being a sport or not, even those who do not participate in it still have something to say. All the time I listen to people say that cheerleading is not a sport because its just girls cheering on the sidelines in short skirts, however, throughout the years cheerleading has evolved into much more than makeup, bows, and mini skirts. It is now a major competitive activity known and performed all around the world, but the question still stands, is it actually a sport? The debate has yet to end. Being a part of all different types of cheerleading over the past ten years I believe I am a very reliable person to argument this topic. I have both cheered on the sidelines and performed in major competitions around the world. Though everyone, from someone who has actually participated in it, views cheerleading differently, there is no doubt in my mind that it has all of the characteristics of an official sport.

Bonesteel's article is an informative source written on cheerleading. He does not argue over whether he believes cheerleading should be a sport, but rather informs the readers of the dangers that come with it and how making it a sport would call more recognition, allowing it to be made safer. Though it sounds like he is taking a side in the debate he is really just informing the audience about cheerleading so they have more knowledge before jumping to any conclusions. This author wrote the article with little bias, allowing the readers to come to their own decision. This was a smart choice because, ultimately his goal was not to persuade but to make the audience more knowledgeable on the topic. By making this an informative article he is allowing for a wide range of readers, not just those interested in reading a persuasive article as to why cheerleading should be a sport. Matt Bonesteel is also a very credible author because he is a sports editor for the Washington Post. This shows that he has to know his information in order to write a credible article that is published to a popular website. The article was written in June 2014, which could have an effect on the credibility of the source; however, the basic information does not change in a matter of two years. Though the article was written a while ago, and cheerleading has evolved a great deal since then, it does not change why it qualifies to be a sport.

The article "Make Cheerleading a Sport: Doctors" is a very persuasive article because it is giving the readers specific reasons as to why cheerleading should be a sport. The article states that if cheerleading were made an official sport then more money would be put towards it allowing for better safety regulations. This is important because the amount of injuries in cheerleading have been increasing each year because it is becoming more dangerous. The article gives evidence when talking about how girls are thrown up to fifteen feet in the air with a serious risk of injuries. Safety regulations need to be more restrictive in order to keep athletes safe. This article strongly values the safety of the cheerleaders and is biased towards one side. This article was found in the sports section of the Daily News, which is a very credible source because everything has to be reviewed and edited in order to be published. Although the article was written in 2012, it does not change the fact that cheerleading is dangerous and is only becoming more risky for the people participating in it. However this article could be a little less credible because since 2012 it is possible that more safety regulations could have already been added to cheerleading in that amount of time.

The last article, "Reasons Why Cheerleading Is a Sport" is a very persuasive source that breaks cheerleading down and clearly defines why it qualifies to be a sport. It states that cheerleading is a high intensive activity where teams compete against other teams in major competitions for a national title and that a lot of physical energy is required just as in many other sports. This article not only persuades readers to see cheerleading as a sport but values the actually values the qualities it has to be considered a sport. The author is Lori Selke, a writer, journalist, and editor for all different topics. She has a lot of experience when it comes to writing and editing which would make this a strong and valid source. This article was also written in 2015, which is very recent, and it shows that this topic is still being strongly debated after all these years.

This research question is very arguable because many people have different opinions on the subject and it is a big debate. Many people can find reasons as to why cheerleading is not a sport and many people can also justify the reasons that it should be considered a sport. The sources that I found all agree that cheerleading is a high intense activity and is not given enough recognition for its physically demanding and dangerous aspects. It is one of the most dangerous activities for the athletes that participate in it and all the authors agree that safety regulations need to be stronger in order to reduce the amount of injuries. The two persuasive articles both take the side debating that cheerleading is a sport, so it makes my perspective very strong towards it being a sport. I may not need to revise my research question because throughout the years cheerleading has shown that it deserves to be a sport, however, I think I need more sources to back up both sides of the argument and make my point stronger.

