TOW #1 - Cheer As A Sport

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators wrote the text I chose for my first TOW. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators is a safety organization that was formed to develop safety rules, which would guide cheerleading programs.

            This piece states the definition of a sport, and describes the effects of cheerleading being considered either a sport or an activity. The piece went on to classify cheerleading as an “athletic activity.”

            This essay was meant to inform non-cheerleaders about the effects of improperly classifying the “athletic activity.” The essay was written after the Women’s Sports Foundation listed elements defining a sport. I would say it was not written for cheerleaders because it explains basic components of cheer.

The author of this piece used denotation. They defined the parts of cheer, and wrote the essay without emotion or bias. This shows that the author could be taken seriously, without getting too caught up one way or another.

            The author’s purpose was to convince readers that school cheerleading (not all star cheerleading) is a team, but falls under the classification of athletic activity. I would say that the author did achieve their purpose. They told readers that cheer requires “the strength of football,” which is a well-established sport. They also established the activity side of the title “athletic activity.” The author wrote that high school cheerleading’s primary purpose is not to participate in competitions. This is one of the criteria for sports, so high school cheerleading is just short of being entirely a sport. While anyone who watches my high school cheerleading team can see the athleticism involved, for know I’ll have to roll with being an athletic activity.