For some time now, there have been debates on what can and cannot constitute as a sport.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a sport is “a physical activity engaged in for pleasure.” While many define a sport as an activity with some form of a ball, there is no mention of required paraphernalia like a ball, or anything of that matter. As long as the activity requires athletic ability, it can be considered a sport.

Let me be clear: just because the dictionary definition is mindlessly vague, that does not mean everything athletic is a sport. I’m not saying that tag is a sport just because it requires physical exertion. However, take away the game-like nature of tag, and you have an activity designated for track: running.

There are a handful of sports that, while they are designated sports of Oak Park High School, are mocked and disparaged by narrow-minded students. Yes, I’m talking about dance, marching band, cheer and golf.

For some reason, there is a clouded mass of questions surrounding sports of these types

Another thing: handball is legitimized as a sport, but cheer is not? Don’t get me wrong, it takes pure skill and practice to master the perfect “slicey” and combat black and white magic, but unless a person is able to throw a human being into the air and then safely catch them using only your bodies and no extra equipment, they have no right to cast negative judgment as to whether or not cheer is a sport.

What gives them the right to make these athletes feel less than their genuine athletic abilities?

Cheerleaders, alongside the rest of the groups I mentioned, should be called exactly what they are: athletes. And what they do: a sport. We’ve got to give credit where credit’s due

For some reason, marching band is not considered a sport because of the musical element. Some people are simply ignorant enough to believe that “band geeks” couldn’t possibly be athletic. Have you ever tried carrying a 35-pound brass instrument while performing a precisely marched field show to three different memorized music pieces? Odyssey Media Group even reported that injuries are quite common in the marching band world. These injuries can range from tendonitis to overexertion from carrying heavy objects. All athletes can get hurt pursuing their sport, and it’s no different for marchers.

Dance is a trickier debate because some also consider it an art form, rather than a sport. With that I ask, can’t dance be both a sport and an art form?

The way a dancer narrates a story with their body is graceful and elegant, but it’s also extremely difficult and takes an intense amount of athleticism, which deserves to be recognized. It takes practice and dedication to be able to perform an entire routine without showing how much energy they are exerting.

When dancers lift each other or dance on pointe shoes supporting all their body weight on the tips of fully extended feet, it takes a serious amount of strength, but do they let the audience see that? Absolutely not. It would ruin the performance value. They are able to continue to dance without break and without fumbling.

From arabesques to plies, dancers let their bodies conform to every position with admirable grace, while athletically challenging themselves in every move. Most of us can’t even pronounce the names of these positions, let alone practice them.

Some of the skepticism surrounding some sports we have on campus would be because they “don’t work as hard” as whatever sport on campus you think is hardest. Here’s the issue. You cannot compare two completely different sports that way.

Comparing basketball to marching band is like comparing a hamburger to a cheesecake. Just because they are both foods doesn’t mean there is anything similar between them when you truly break it down. They’re both of the same group, yet it’s their uniqueness that keeps them within their group while remaining incomparable.

The dance team may not be able to run as fast as the cross country team, but that doesn’t make them any less of athletes, just athletes of a different trade. The marching band may not be able to kick a ball in a goal as precisely as the soccer team, but that doesn’t demean their ability to maintain a steady airflow while precisely matching memorized music to exacted tempos and militaristic body language. The golf team may not be able to tackle an opposing player like the football team, but that doesn’t downgrade their specialized skills. The cheer team may not be able to swish as many three-point shots as the basketball team, but that doesn’t eradicate the hours spent in the hot sun twirling, flexing and working their pompoms off.

Every sport should be respected. Treat athletes with respect, regardless of the sport they play.