About Cheerleading

Cheerleading as a sport dates back over 100 years, but lately it's become a staple in our pop culture. Cheerleaders encourage their teams at high school, college and professional games, and often compete in local and national tournaments.

Modern cheerleading involves elements of dance, gymnastics, tumbling and stunts. It requires high levels of physical fitness, stamina, dedication and hard work.

History

On November 2, 1898, a University of Minnesota student named Johnny Campbell led a crowd in cheering "Rah rah rah! Sku-u-mar! Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity! Minn-e-so-tah!" Although organized groups had already been cheering at that school, this chant made Campbell the very first cheerleader. That date is known as the birth date of organized cheerleading.

Cheerleading began as an all-male activity, but women started to get into the cheering game in 1923 due to a lack of available sports for females. Around the same time, megaphones, gymnastics and tumbling were incorporated into cheerleading.

Dallas native Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer founded the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) in 1948. The first NCA clinic was held in 1949, and organized cheerleading competitions began in 1967.

The NFL began creating professional cheerleading teams in the 1960s. While the Baltimore Colts were the first team to have a cheerleading squad, the Dallas Cowboys were the first to gain national attention with their cheerleaders in 1976.

Significance

Cheerleading has had a steadily increasing relevance in pop culture. The first cheerleading competition to be televised was the Collegiate Cheerleading Championships, which first aired on CBS in 1978.

In 2000, cheerleading hit the pop-culture spotlight with the movie "Bring It On," starring Kirsten Dunst (who is a real-life former cheerleader). The movie featured two rival high-school cheerleading squads as they prepared for a competition. The movie's popularity led to three sequels: "Bring It On Again," "Bring It On: All or Nothing" and "Bring It On: In It to Win It."

Lifetime TV created a cheerleading reality series in 2006 called "Cheerleader Nation." The series follows a high school cheerleading squad from Lexington, Kentucky, as they prepare to compete for a third national title.

Function

In addition to cheering on teams at the high school, college and pro level, most cheerleading squads also compete in local and national tournaments. That means that cheerleaders must have several crucial skills.

Cheerleaders must be able to pull off sharp, precision movements. They must also be good at gymnastics, dance, tumbling, lifting and/or pyramids. Most cheerleading squads have groups of cheerleaders who are excellent in one or more of these areas.

Considerations

Cheerleading can be an extremely dangerous sport. Formations like pyramids or other lifting and tumbling stunts can lead to serious injuries if not done correctly. Cheerleading is the cause of 65 percent of all disastrous accidents for high school girls.

The most common cheerleader injuries are back injuries, sprained or broken ankles, head injuries, broken arms and elbow and knee injuries. More serious injuries have happened, however, including fractured vertebrae, paralysis, and---as in the case of one 20-year-old teenager in April 2008---even death.

Benefits

Like any demanding sport, cheerleading keeps you in great shape. Cheerleading demands great strength and stamina. In addition, cheerleaders are famous for their flexibility. Cheerleading also instills discipline and time-management skills.

If you're part of a competing team, you'll likely get to travel to other cities or states to take part in tournaments. These trips can offer the type of life experience few other students get to have.

Cheerleading also has social benefits. As a cheerleader, you'll be a performer at regular football and basketball games at your school. You'll be a recognizable face around campus and a great representative of school spirit.

Resources

• National Cheerleaders Association