Which Sport is Harder: Cheerleading or Volleyball?

Cheerleading or Volleyball Which Sport is Tougher? It's a debate that has been and will be argued for years. Which sports are harder? VYPE decided to compare cheerleading to volleyball. First, is cheerleading even a sport? And if so, is it harder than other sports - especially other women's sports? Especially volleyball? VYPE decided to put it to the test and asked two experts on the subject. Katie Slay, a junior at Wakefield High School is one of the best volleyball players in the Triangle. She has been playing volleyball at an elite level since she was in junior high school. Megan Sullivan, a senior at Carrboro High School, is captain of her cheerleading squad. She has been practicing gymnastics since she was a pre-schooler, cheering since the fifth grade, and has won many honors for her gravity-defying tumbling skills. So which sport is harder, volleyball or cheerleading? Power at the Net: Timing is Everything By Teri Saylor Katie Slay stakes herself out right away. Cheerleading is harder than volleyball. "I could not do cheerleading," she declared. "I took gymnastics classes when I was young, but it got too hard, and I grew too tall." At 6'6" Katie, 16, is a statuesque, red-haired beauty. She plays volleyball year round - for Wakefield in the fall and the Triangle Volleyball Club the rest of the year. Last year, the Wakefield High School junior also played basketball for the Cap 7 Women's Conference Champions. Now, basketball has to go. "It was crazy last year," she said. "I had to go from basketball practice to volleyball practice, eating in the car on the way. Then I had to go home and do my homework." She has just returned from a tournament of a lifetime, helping the USA win gold in the NORCECA U-20 Continental Championships in Mexico. Katie has loved volleyball since she was a kid playing in her back yard. She got serious about it in the seventh grade. She sits at the top of the Cap 7 Conference, and is likely to write her own ticket to college. She has the 2012 Summer Olympics in her sights and hopes to play professionally someday. Playing at such an elite level does not come without hard work. Katie practices three days a week for two hours, then participates in a routine that incorporates agility, drills, and conditioning. In addition, she trains weekly for her specific position - middle hitter. During her high school season, mid-August until the end of October, she plays two or three games per week. Club play, which gears up in November and can last through July if her team makes it to the National Championships, is in the form of daylong Saturday tournaments. "I really love the sport a lot," she said. "Sometimes I get tired after a super hard practice, and by the end of the season, I sometimes feel burned out - but not really that much." Tough workouts and many practice hours are just a fraction of what makes volleyball a hard sport. There are sacrifices. "A lot of people don't understand volleyball," Katie said. "On the weekends, I don't have time to hang out with my friends." She is willing to sacrifice because she knows it will pay off. There is media attention. A lot of it. Katie's picture and profile are showing up everywhere. "It's cool, all of the media attention," she said. There's the hype. Can she live up to being "the best?" "I am so honored to have that to live up to, but I know I have a long way to go," she said. "I feel like I have worked hard. My coaches know and I know. (The hype) is not just for me. It's for all those on my team and all those who have helped me and believed in me." There is schoolwork. Katie has a 4.3 GPA. "It can be hard to maintain good grades because I have such a demanding schedule," she said. One quote is meaningful for Katie: "pressure is a privilege." *************************************************************************** Bring It On: One cheerleader gets aggressive about defending her sport By Ashley Baster We've all heard people say, "Cheerleading isn't a sport," or "Cheerleading isn't hard." Take it from Carrboro High's Megan Sullivan—it is. Megan has been cheering since the 5th grade and as her senior year of high school begins, she is looking forward to cheering for the Carrboro Jaguars as the Varsity Squad's Captain. When asked what her reaction was to the familiar "Cheerleading isn't a sport," Megan jokingly admitted, "I actually get into fights about it all the time!" Megan explained that cheerleading began as a support system for traditional competitive sports; only now it has grown into so much more. Now that cheerleading is on the competitive level, squads compete based on the level of skill they've achieved—just as any other team does. Megan and her squad put in endless hours of dedication to excel as athletes. The Carrboro Squad practices 3-5 times a week, performs at least one game, and most girls take additional tumbling classes. The squad also follows a strength training program and commits to a one mile run at every practice. Not only are the girls dedicated athletically, but they have to be meticulous about every move during routines and stunts or someone could easily get injured. In an annual report by the Chapel Hill-based National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, cheerleading accounted for 65.1 percent of all catastrophic sports injuries among high school females over the past 25 years. Megan has experienced such injuries first-hand. During her freshmen year, she tore major muscles in her neck, leaving her in a brace for six weeks. Last year, she dislocated her shoulder during a stunt rotation that grounded her for another four weeks. On top of these injuries, Megan reports she regularly pulls muscles during tumbling exercises. Injuries have not slowed this cheerleader down, though. Not only is she dedicated to her sport, she has incredible drive towards her education. She admits to having some long nights of studying but simply explains, "It's worth it." When asked to give her opinion on why volleyball might be tougher, Megan explained "Team work...just like cheerleading. In volleyball, you work as a team to make sure all your empty spots are covered so no one misses a spike or hit. The difference is, in cheerleading, if someone isn't in the right spot, someone could get seriously injured." Before you ask yourself, "Which sport is harder?" try this exercise: First, close your eyes and imagine a cheerleader. Second, take away the ribbons and pom poms. Third, replace her cheerleading skirt with soccer shorts or track pants. Then, take a good look at the athlete in front of you. Stripped of an image usually associated with the word "cheerleader," I think you'll find a lean, precisioned athlete with incredible dedication to a sport only a few of us can master. Conclusion We are back to our question: Which sport is harder? Cheerleading, with its tumbling, twisting and flying through the air? It is a dangerous sport during which even a slight misstep can lead to serious injury. Perfection is an imperative. Or volleyball, a year round sport, requiring hours and hours of practice, endless numbers of matches, and daylong tournaments over many weekends? It's all relative. For Katie, cheerleading would be a near impossible sport. A high-flying tumbling routine would be a daunting feat for her 6'6" body. And Megan, at 5'1", could more easily scoot under a volleyball net without ducking than nail a spike or block a high shot. This just goes to show that volleyball and cheerleading are equally difficult sports, depending on how you look at them."