Competitive cheerleading is a sport; although many believe it is not. First introduced to the world in the late 1800s, cheerleading began as a sport in which men cheered on sports teams. Comp. Cheerleading is used as a pastime and hobby by people all over the world. Competitive cheerleaders can range from 2 to 24 years old. Although cheerleading is different from many sports, it is still very similar. Just like you compete on the field in football, you compete on a mat in cheerleading. “…you’re going to go out there and compete against other teams, not just one team.” Erin Lenze, coach of the Oil City Oilers competitive cheerleading team, announced why comp. cheerleading is a sport. There are many components to competitive cheerleading and it takes many things to become a cheerleader. Author Leah, California, USA says, "Cheerleading is a rivalry, competition makes you strong. Cheerleading is trying to comfort a sister who is sad, sticking up for each other through thick and thin," showing some of this that you have to put in comp...