As a cheerleader myself (at 20 years old) I am quite offended by some of these comments. I started cheer at university and think it is a great way to get fit; it covers aerobic exercise, co-ordination, flexibility, strength training and has greatly improved my self esteem since I started.

Lucy, London,

I think this is a fantastic idea, as a dancer and gymnast who was humiliated constantly during "traditional" sports lessons throughout my time at school, both by teachers and other pupils and as a result faked injuries and excuses every single week to get out of participating!

Lucy, Sevilla, Spain

Those who say it isn't sport have clearly know nothing about cheerleading. It's an international, competitive discipline + an equally effective aerobic exercise as other sports. It also teaches coordination + flexibility. Stunting would be more fun but it's prob too dangerous for schools to insure!

Liz, Oxford, UK

Strange article especially as there is no official Governning Body to cheerleading as of yet, although this is being considered by the Sports Council at the moment. I would be surprised to see Gynmastics controlling cheerleading as it is a different discipline, would we let football control rugby?

Fiona, Bucks, Buckinghamshire

I equally cringed when I read this However - and bear with me on this - this may go some way to introducing some form of school spirit into schools. Much as it is easy to mock pep and the stereotype enthusiasm - cohesion is sorely lacking in general youth culture. A bit of glue can't hurt

Georgina Ho, London, UK

An hour playing hockey or netball, doing repeated 100m and 200m sprints, tennis, rounders, cross country runs... this was "good because it focuses on getting a whole body workout".

But ours included the brain! It worked wonderfully for us 20 years ago, too hard for today's child wimps?

Laura Roberts, London, UK

“There are a lot of girls who don’t take to traditional sports who are really keen on the cheerleading. They are drawn into it by American television,” he said.

Yes, exactly. And it's these girls that are the last on earth to be encouraged in their dumb insanity. This isn't sport, it's failure.

Tom Franklin, London, UK

God help us. Will we ever stand up to our lazy, overfed, under intelligent brats and say "you don't like it, well diddums, you don't get what you want all the time, you're going to run 400m round this track even if we have to all stand here and watch you".

Get them doing real sport!!!!

Helen E., London, UK