Cheerleading Uniforms And The History Of This Sport

By Anne Kelley


A popular organized activity that is related to sports wherein participants cheer, yell and shout to motivate the attendees of most sporting events is known as cheer leading. Professionals claimed that this certain activity is a sport of its own. Those who are members of a cheering squad makes use of cheerleading uniforms that are appealing while they bust their dance moves in court.

Cheerleaders can be seen in most sports activities in schools, professional sports games and other organized dancing competitions. The moves in this certain activity consist of complex tricks that are physically demanding. Others consider this as a sport since cheerleaders are very serious athletes. However, some people question this fact because they believe that the activity is not very strenuous.

The origin of cheer leading is highly affiliated to that of the historical background of sports in America. The football game that occurred in Rutgers University in New Jersey was also the same place where cheering was first executed. The game was between the host school and Princeton University in 1869.

Some years after that, male Princeton students were able to make a group consisting of males that cheered in unity by yelling and chanting. They did those actions in supporting their rugby team. The action produced a positive result as their team eventually won the game.

In 1884, Thomas Peebles who was a Princeton graduate moved to the Minnesota. He later introduced the concept of cheering to the students of the University of Minnesota. In the same year, two more students created yells to inspire their rugby team. Their yell became popular throughout their school after that.

Universities and other colleges were able to adopt and develop new methods of cheering, yelling and as well as fight songs in 1889. However, two consecutive defeats took place the year after that. The loss gave them the courage to try out something new like using megaphones for cheering.

It was a smart move for them to do so because their team eventually won. Due to that, more changes and additional fame followed. Cheer leading became as popular as other sports. After the popularity that it gained, newer skills and techniques were added until it reached its current form.

As what you have learned, cheering was solely made for males. However, an all female group was introduced by the same university in their sporting games in 1923. Females became the majority of member of cheering teams in the early 1940s. The transition of participants was due to the flight of most males to fight during the second world war. At present, ninety percent of cheerleaders are composed of women.

As time went by, additional techniques like tumbling and acrobatics were added to the craft. Along with this are different alterations in cheerleading uniforms were also observed. Clinics and training programs were also added for those potential cheerers. Flashcards are even used these days. However, some believed that some young girls pushed themselves too much by trying on severe regimens and these actions can be really harmful to their bodies.




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