When you are watching a football game, it is quite common to see cheerleaders. Cheerleaders can be found at all kinds of sporting events, in fact, and include all skill levels from elementary school to professional athletes. Cheerleading has developed over the years into a true sport. This is due to the fact that cheerleading requires great skill, especially when it comes to performing stunts, tumbles and dances.
History of Cheerleading
Cheerleading was first associated with football games. According to Varsity.com, cheerleading was first documented in the 1880s when an all-male pep squad from Princeton University began rooting for their football team. Then, in 1898, when the University of Minnesota's football team was on a losing streak, medical student Johnny Campbell grabbed a megaphone and rallied people together to cheer on the team. In 1923, women were able to cheer for the University of Minnesota. Through many years, different stunts were added to cheerleading routines, along with dances and gymnastics.
Stunts
Cheerleading stunts may consist of one individual cheerleader or the entire squad. For example, one type of single cheerleader stunt is a split in the air. Basket tosses and the split lift are examples of stunts that require at least three cheerleaders. These roles are the base, the flyer and the spotter. All stunts need at least one spotter for safety. The flyer is the cheerleader who is the air. The base is the cheerleader or cheerleaders who are on the bottom to hold up the flyer.
Tumbling
Tumbles are the gymnastic and acrobatic tricks used in cheerleading routines. Tumbles range in level of difficulty. For example, cartwheels, round-offs and somersaults are on the beginner level of tumbling. More difficult are front handsprings, back handsprings, front tucks, back tucks and layouts. Tumbling comes in both aerial and non-aerial forms.
Dances
The songs used in cheerleading are usually fast paced. This enables the dances to be lively and more exciting. The dances cheerleaders do typically incorporate a wide variety of genres, from hip hop and ballet to jazz and tap. These dances tend to revolve around jumps and leaps. The dancing aspect of cheerleading is most important during performances and competitive cheerleading.
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