Cheerleading 101

Let's be honest: many people watch sporting events, especially professional sporting events, just to watch the cheerleaders. There are even reality television shows that are entirely based on people trying out to be a cheerleader and whether or not they make it through the training. All you have to do is watch one and you can quickly see how tough cheerleaders have to be in order to make teams. Cheerleading has changed greatly over the years. Without cheerleaders rooting for their team on the sidelines there would not be as much game spirit. They can motivate the crowds into cheering on their favorite teams. But there is more to cheerleaders than that. In this article we will cover Cheerleading 101: how it all began and how it has evolved from sporting events into competitions all its own.

When did cheerleading begin?

There are two people generally credited with forming cheerleading unofficially. The first was a Princeton graduate who came up with the idea of leading the men and women in the stands to cheer for their football team during the game. His name was Thomas Peebles. The other gentleman was Johnny Campbell, a University of Minnesota student, who in 1898 got the audience to join in a chant of "Rah, Rah, Rah! Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!" That first chant marked the official beginning of cheering on favorite teams and getting the crowd to participate. The date is officially marked as November 2, 1898. After Campbell succeeded in getting the stands to chant that infamous cheer, the University of Minnesota formed a 6 man squad that continued that cheer and it still continues to this day.

Are there classes you can take to learn cheerleading?

There are plenty of classes you can take to learn cheerleading. Any gymnastics center or dance center in your city will most likely offer cheerleading classes. The classes will focus on learning to work together and learning basic moves such as the pyramid. More advanced cheer classes will begin to incorporate dance moves and gymnastics as the cheerleaders learn to tumble and do cartwheels during their performance.

Where would I see cheerleading being performed?

There are three places you will see cheerleading performed, two of which are alike. The first two are sporting events. You will definitely see cheerleaders performing on the collegiate level at sporting events such as basketball and football. On the same token you will also see cheerleaders performing at a professional level during professional sporting events of the same nature. Another place you might see cheerleaders perform is at competitions. Competitions can yield trophies and large cash prizes, along with notoriety, for middle schools, high schools and colleges.

How important is cheerleading to sports?

Ah, where would the fans be if it were not for the cheerleaders leading them in the school chants? Nowhere is this more seen than in collegiate sports. The cheerleaders get the crowd to help encourage the team to win. It brings fans together as they chant out. Cheerleading also helps keep the players encouraged. Cheerleaders play a huge role in sports. Some may just consider them pretty faces or eye candy but their purpose goes much deeper.

Related topics about Cheerleading
Summer Cheerleading Camp Has Lots of Benefits
While there may be many reasons why a school squad should go to a camp for cheerleaders, it is not the best or logical choice for everyone. You need to carefully consider all aspects, such as your cheerleading abilities, what goals you want to reach for the next school year and if you have the monetary cheerleading resources available to attend.

Cheerleading Competition Events
One of the first things that you have to consider is what type of squad you have; high school, college, etc. You need to be sure which NCA cheerleading competition actually caters to your category. Also be sure to find out if there are specific cheerleading policies in place, such as gender requirements, as some events will allow coed squads while others are girls only.

NFL Cheerleading Opportunities
When they come out onto the field in their blue and white cheerleaders uniforms, this NFL cheerleading squad is perhaps better known than the team that they cheer for, which is of course the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have been entertaining football fans for many years with their stellar performances.