Cheerleading Uniforms And The History Of This Sport

By Anne Kelley


For those who do not know, cheer leading is an activity that is organized involving a series of cheers to assemble the crowd in many sports events. In some instances it can be considered a sport in its own right. Members of squads participates in competitions wearing colorful cheerleading uniforms along with their fantastic dance moves.

It is normal to see cheerleaders in a lot of sport activities in professional sports games, school dancing competition and many other events related to dancing. Dancers are required to show moves that are complex as well as movements that require physical power. Some people recognize this as an actual sport because of the demands that can somehow be similar to other sports. However, critics have also been skeptical in comparing this to other sports because they believe that it is not as difficult as others seem to believe.

The history of sports in the United States of America is highly related to the history of cheer leading. It was during the football game that took place in a university located in New Jersey when cheering was first performed. The football game was between Rutgers University and Princeton University in the year 1869.

A few years later, the male students of Princeton created an all male group who started cheering in unified chants and yells. They did it to show support to their rugby team. As a result, their team was able to win the game due to their method of motivation.

Thomas Peebles, a graduate of Princeton came to Minnesota. While staying there, he was able to teach the students at the University of Minnesota the yells and chants that were done from his alma mater. During that year, there were two more students that yelled and chanted to motivate the same rugby team. Their actions later on spread like wildfire in their school.

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.

Based on the success of the students, cheer leading continued to develop further. The development was parallel with the fame of sports in many years that came. During this period, new techniques and skills were also created until it reached its current form nowadays.

The field of cheer leading was obviously dominated by males before. However, females began joining the picture in sporting events in the same school by the year 1923. More women dominated the field in 1940. The change of participants was the result of Word World II. It was because males to leave and fight. Nowadays, cheering teams are composed of ninety percent of women.

As techniques changed, so as the cheerleading uniforms that were worn. Acrobatics, tumbling and fight songs were added while signs were used at present. Cheering clinic were also opened for those who are interested although critics believe that aspirants should not try to push themselves too hard physically.




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