New AMA policy says cheerleading should be designated a sport because of its rigours and risks

CHICAGO – The American Medical Association is putting its weight behind designating cheerleading as a sport.

The nation’s largest doctors’ group adopted that as policy Monday at its annual meeting in Chicago. AMA members say cheerleading is as rigorous as many other activities that high schools and the NCAA consider sports. Adding it to the list would mean more safety measures for cheerleaders and proper training for their coaches.

The policy echoes one adopted by the American Academy of Pediatrics two years ago.

In other action Monday, the AMA said transgender people should be able to switch the sex designation on their birth certificates without having sex-change surgery.

Most states make the operations a prerequisite. But the new AMA policy acknowledges that gender identity doesn’t always match a person’s birth anatomy.