The first cheerleaders shouted encouragement from the bleachers to the Princeton University football team in the 1880s, according to the International Cheer Union. Early cheerleading squads were exclusively male, whose strong voices defined cheerleading as simply groups of people chanting phrases in unison. The University of Minnesota first allowed women to cheer in 1923, which was about the same time cheerleaders began performing stunts to excite the crowds, like tossing one another into the air or performing acrobatic feats.
Cheerleading Stunts
Cheerleading stunts have historically included difficult tumbling, mounting, pyramids and tosses. Cheerleaders act as bases or flyers in cheerleading stunts. Bases stand upon each other in such ways to build pyramids or act to propel or catch flyers. Over the decades, cheerleading stunts have become more spectacular and difficult to perform, designed to excite and inspire crowds at outdoor football fields. The evolution of cheerleading into other sports has brought the cheerleaders indoors, where the conditions make it safer to build taller pyramids and toss flyers higher into the air.
The Herkie
Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer introduced the world to cheerleading clinics, stunts and equipment. He pioneered the Herkie jump in 1950, performed by extending one leg straight forward and the back leg is bent at the knee. Herkimer invented the first pompom in 1956. Cheerleaders learned basic stunt techniques at these camps and then took the skills home, where local athletes developed more visually exciting variations.
Liberty and Basket Toss
The Universal Cheerleading Association, or UCA, showed the first liberty at its summer camp in 1976. Four cheerleaders perform this stunt, with three cheerleaders acting as the base and one as the flyer. UCA demonstrated the first basket toss in 1979. Cheerleaders perform this advanced stunt by bases locking their arms together to form a basket from which a flyer is tossed 10 to 30 feet in the air.
Modern Safety
Modern stunts include advanced elements like hanging pyramids, tension drops, tic tocs and helicopters. Safety guidelines emerged in 1980, designed to keep cheerleaders safe while performing these types of advanced stunts. The guidelines outlawed many dangerous stunts and tumbling moves. Despite these safety rules, stunts continue to evolve in difficulty and visual appeal. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators issue guidelines to high schools and colleges each year, detailing safety rules governing each stunt.
The increased difficulty of cheerleading stunts has lead to a rise in the number of injuries sustained during high tosses and pyramids. Epic Sports reports cheerleading injuries doubled between 1990 and 2002. Stunts, such as pyramids, caused sprained ankles and wrists, back, elbow and head injuries.
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