Cheerleaders

Cheerleading's humble beginnings

Cheerleading has many fascinating qualities

Images: Left to Right. Jennifer Abbott - Cassie McLaughlin - Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders - Miami-dolphins

Cheerleading's humble beginnings

Cheerleading has been growing in popularity ever since undergraduate Johnny Campbell stood up at a football game and yelled “Rah, Rah, Rah…” one day in 1898. It has gained a lot of recognition and respect since its humble beginnings.

Commonly used as a way to rouse the school spirit, cheerleading has been a major part of competitive sports and has become a separate sport itself. Cheerleading began in the 1880’s, when male students led a crowd in chants. It has been said it started at Princeton University as a way of stimulating the crowd at football games. After a few years, a Princeton graduate, Thomas Peebles, introduced this idea to the University of Minnesota.

A student named Johnny Campbell reportedly got so excited at a game that he led the crowd in an organized chant, making Johnny the first cheerleader. By the 1920’s, women started participating in cheerleading, and by the 1940’s, cheerleading became mainly a female activity. In 1948, Lawrence Herkimer, better known as Herkie, established the first cheerleading clinic. The National Cheerleading Association held its first clinic with 52 girls in attendance. Herkie made slogans, buttons and ribbons to raise money.

By the following year, the clinic grew to 350 cheerleaders. By the 50’s, most schools in America had formed their own cheerleading squads, and by the 60’s, competitions began to appear. The annual “Top Ten College Cheer Squads” and “Cheerleader All-America” were two of the first cheerleading competitions.

The early 70’s saw the rise of the Baltimore Colts organized cheerleading squad. But it was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who gained popularity because of their “pom-pom Broadway style” dance. By the 1980’s, cheerleading became more competitive with more difficult stunts and the incorporation of gymnastic movements. Safety guidelines were established and coaches as well as sponsors were trained.

Cheerleading provides detailed information on Cheerleading, Cheerleading Uniforms, Cheerleading Cheers, Cheerleading Stunts and more. Cheerleading is affiliated with Gymnastics Instructions.

Cheerleading has many fascinating qualities.

Being a cheerleader shows leadership abilities and positive attitudes. It is a great way to build self confidence. Cheerleaders work together as a team with no particular person standing out. The whole team works together to create the impression they give others.

Cheerleaders uses their cheers and chants combined with routines to reach out and grab the crowd’s attention. They can take a boring game with little excitement and make it interesting and fun. They can add to the enthusiasm of a great game. Everyone expects cheerleaders to be on the sidelines of their favorite sport.

The use of gymnastics plays an important role in cheerleading. Combine this with song and dance and you have everyone’s attention. At times cheerleading has been considered a dangerous activity, even though when compared to sports like football and basketball; far fewer injuries have been recorded. With all the safety guidelines that are in place today cheerleading has been able to overcome these worries.

Every cheerleading squad has a signature cheer that is specifically for their team. This is a tradition that will probably last as long as cheerleading itself will be with us. Most of the time it includes the name of the school or organization that the team is affiliated with.

All-star or competitive cheerleading can consist of a small or large group of men and women performing their best stunts and routines. They only have a few minutes to perform but what they can accomplish in that time can be quite amazing. Cheerleading is an exciting and fascinating profession.


	Home Cheerleaders How Do You Become a Cheerleader Basic Cheerleader Motions Cheerleading Etiquette and Cheerleading Safety Cheerleaders Cheerleading's humble beginnings Cheerleading has many fascinating qualities Images: Left to Right. Jennifer Abbott - Cassie McLaughlin - Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders - Miami-dolphins Cheerleading's humble beginnings Cheerleading has been growing in popularity ever since undergraduate Johnny Campbell stood up at a football game and yelled “Rah, Rah, Rah…” one day in 1898. It has gained a lot of recognition and respect since its humble beginnings. Commonly used as a way to rouse the school spirit, cheerleading has been a major part of competitive sports and has become a separate sport itself. Cheerleading began in the 1880’s, when male students led a crowd in chants. It has been said it started at Princeton University as a way of stimulating the crowd at football games. After a few years, a Princeton graduate, Thomas Peebles, introduced this idea to the University of Minnesota. A student named Johnny Campbell reportedly got so excited at a game that he led the crowd in an organized chant, making Johnny the first cheerleader. By the 1920’s, women started participating in cheerleading, and by the 1940’s, cheerleading became mainly a female activity. In 1948, Lawrence Herkimer, better known as Herkie, established the first cheerleading clinic. The National Cheerleading Association held its first clinic with 52 girls in attendance. Herkie made slogans, buttons and ribbons to raise money. By the following year, the clinic grew to 350 cheerleaders. By the 50’s, most schools in America had formed their own cheerleading squads, and by the 60’s, competitions began to appear. The annual “Top Ten College Cheer Squads” and “Cheerleader All-America” were two of the first cheerleading competitions. The early 70’s saw the rise of the Baltimore Colts organized cheerleading squad. But it was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who gained popularity because of their “pom-pom Broadway style” dance. By the 1980’s, cheerleading became more competitive with more difficult stunts and the incorporation of gymnastic movements. Safety guidelines were established and coaches as well as sponsors were trained. Cheerleading provides detailed information on Cheerleading, Cheerleading Uniforms, Cheerleading Cheers, Cheerleading Stunts and more. Cheerleading is affiliated with Gymnastics Instructions. Cheerleading has many fascinating qualities. Being a cheerleader shows leadership abilities and positive attitudes. It is a great way to build self confidence. Cheerleaders work together as a team with no particular person standing out. The whole team works together to create the impression they give others. Cheerleaders uses their cheers and chants combined with routines to reach out and grab the crowd’s attention. They can take a boring game with little excitement and make it interesting and fun. They can add to the enthusiasm of a great game. Everyone expects cheerleaders to be on the sidelines of their favorite sport. The use of gymnastics plays an important role in cheerleading. Combine this with song and dance and you have everyone’s attention. At times cheerleading has been considered a dangerous activity, even though when compared to sports like football and basketball; far fewer injuries have been recorded. With all the safety guidelines that are in place today cheerleading has been able to overcome these worries. Every cheerleading squad has a signature cheer that is specifically for their team. This is a tradition that will probably last as long as cheerleading itself will be with us. Most of the time it includes the name of the school or organization that the team is affiliated with. All-star or competitive cheerleading can consist of a small or large group of men and women performing their best stunts and routines. They only have a few minutes to perform but what they can accomplish in that time can be quite amazing. Cheerleading is an exciting and fascinating profession.