Three Cheers for Cheerleading

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.

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.

Janey Trishon is a writer, and a huge cheerleading fan. Her new book, Cheerleading Secrets, explores all aspects of the sport - from how to get started through to turning professional - and everything inbetween.