Don't Call Me a Cheerleader: Why Song Deserves Its Own Name

We love cheer. We respect cheer. But song and cheer are completely different sports — and calling a songleader a cheerleader is like calling a lacrosse player a tennis player.

Different Props

Song athletes perform with pom poms and signs. Cheer athletes don't use poms at all. When most people picture cheerleaders with pom poms, they're actually picturing songleaders.

Different Skills

In song, athletes perform tricks — walkovers, aerials. In cheer, athletes perform stunts — lifts, pyramids, throws. The skill sets are fundamentally different.

Different Competition

Song teams compete at UDA and NDA. Cheer teams compete at UCA and NCA. At the international level, both compete under the ICU but in completely separate divisions.

So Why Does It Matter?

When 5,935 D1 song athletes compete at UDA Nationals and someone calls them cheerleaders, it erases the sport. As song approaches Olympic recognition, the distinction needs to be clear.

No. I'm a songleader. And it's time you learned the difference.