As high school athletics progress year after year, the gym floor and sideline remain divided as people question what is considered a sport.
This question has sparked debates among students, coaches and parents. While sports like football, basketball and soccer receive full recognition — including benefits such as a high school physical education credit — other activities, mainly performing arts like cheerleading and dance, remain a gray area.
“The Greater Miami Athletic Conference office determines that [which activities qualify as sports versus a performing art], which they determine based on what the Florida High School Athletic Association determines, which is the governing body of the state of Florida,” athletic director at Miami Palmetto Senior High, Michael Polizzano, said.
For a sport to count as P.E. credit, it must go through this process, in which the state, local conference and the school all agree to offer it. Once a school accepts a sport, students who participate for two years can use their participation to meet their P.E. requirement. So, for an activity to end up counting, it depends on how far it makes it through the approval process.
This multi-layered classification process can make it difficult for students to comprehend how decisions about athletic eligibility and P.E. credit are determined.
At MPSH, cheerleaders are required to purchase sports insurance alongside other sports teams and have consistent practices and performances at sporting events. However, these activities do not earn the same P.E. credit as other sports teams are granted.
“The biggest misconception that people have about cheerleading [is] that it’s not really a sport and that we just stand on the sidelines, but we do more than that,” junior and varsity spirit and competitive cheerleader Haley Squitero said.
She feels that cheerleading should be recognized as a sport, as the team has to be in top shape to execute various stunts and routines.
The other side of this issue relates to other athletes’ perspectives. Though many may believe that athletes would disagree with the performing arts being considered a credit-worthy sport, sophomore and varsity girls basketball player and dancer in her free time, Devorah Berrebi, also believes that performing arts should be classified as a sport and should offer a P.E. credit.
“I think dance should be classified as a sport because it requires a bunch of stamina, and you really have to push yourself like in any sport, mentally and physically,” Berrebi said. “Sometimes the rehearsals are even very, very long. Like basketball, too, you have long days where you have to stay for games, just like cheer and dance.”
While every high schooler’s experience is shaped by activities they are involved in, how schools define sports remains an ongoing discussion influenced by policy, tradition and beliefs.
