Spectators at sporting events, regardless of whether they are junior league, school events, university tournaments or big professional sporting events, are used to being entertained and sometimes even awed by cheerleaders. Cheerleaders have almost become an accepted part of any event. Spectators even feel cheated if they are not present during a match. Indeed, cheerleading is a popular activity everywhere, Morganville NJ to Las Vegas.
In modern times cheer leading is almost synonymous with sporting events but the practice has an age old history. Descriptions of battles in the Bible include many references to special squads of men that blew their bugles, banged their drums and clashed their cymbals to instil fear in their enemies and to motivate their own armies. These special squads were nothing but cheerleaders. The tradition of employing special motivational squads during battle persisted throughout the ages.
In modern times, the first occasion of organised cheer leading was recorded at Princeton University in 1877. A small squad of male students taught the spectators of football matches a cheer and directed them towards chanting the cheer over and over again in support of their team. To this day Princeton use that original cheer. In America, the practice took hold at the University of Minnesota in 1884, when an old Princeton student introduced it there.
For a long time, females were not allowed to become cheerleaders since the antics of the cheerleaders were seen as unladylike. It was only in 1923 that females were allowed to become part of cheer leading squads. This also happened at the Minnesota University. Females as cheerleaders did not catch on for a long time, however. Nevertheless, by 1975 cheer leading was viewed as an almost exclusively female sport.
Even after all this time the main objectives of cheer leading have not changed significantly. Cheerleaders are there to motivate the players, to rally them under a single banner and to get the supporters fully on their side. These days, however, cheerleaders also play an important role in the entertainment of the crowd. They offer special, often spectacular performances before and during games. These performances have become standard fare at matches.
The popularity of cheer leading has shown astonishing growth. At many schools and universities it is deemed a great honour to be selected for the cheerleader squad. The activity has become so demanding and exact that some sporting experts day that it has become a sport in itself. There are now special tournaments for cheerleader squads and the routines performed by these squads have become intricate, difficult and thoroughly entertaining.
There has been criticism, especially about the dismal safety record of cheer leading as a sport. In fact, statistics show that cheer leading is one of the most dangerous sports and there are numerous cases where participants sustained very serious injuries and a number of cheerleaders have even been killed during events. Other critics are dismayed by the fact squads wear skimpy uniforms. They view the sport as degrading for women.
There can be no doubt that cheer leading is a demanding sport. Participants need to master complicated movements and they need to be very fit. Competition is fierce and only the very best can expect to be selected to the top squads.
In modern times cheer leading is almost synonymous with sporting events but the practice has an age old history. Descriptions of battles in the Bible include many references to special squads of men that blew their bugles, banged their drums and clashed their cymbals to instil fear in their enemies and to motivate their own armies. These special squads were nothing but cheerleaders. The tradition of employing special motivational squads during battle persisted throughout the ages.
In modern times, the first occasion of organised cheer leading was recorded at Princeton University in 1877. A small squad of male students taught the spectators of football matches a cheer and directed them towards chanting the cheer over and over again in support of their team. To this day Princeton use that original cheer. In America, the practice took hold at the University of Minnesota in 1884, when an old Princeton student introduced it there.
For a long time, females were not allowed to become cheerleaders since the antics of the cheerleaders were seen as unladylike. It was only in 1923 that females were allowed to become part of cheer leading squads. This also happened at the Minnesota University. Females as cheerleaders did not catch on for a long time, however. Nevertheless, by 1975 cheer leading was viewed as an almost exclusively female sport.
Even after all this time the main objectives of cheer leading have not changed significantly. Cheerleaders are there to motivate the players, to rally them under a single banner and to get the supporters fully on their side. These days, however, cheerleaders also play an important role in the entertainment of the crowd. They offer special, often spectacular performances before and during games. These performances have become standard fare at matches.
The popularity of cheer leading has shown astonishing growth. At many schools and universities it is deemed a great honour to be selected for the cheerleader squad. The activity has become so demanding and exact that some sporting experts day that it has become a sport in itself. There are now special tournaments for cheerleader squads and the routines performed by these squads have become intricate, difficult and thoroughly entertaining.
There has been criticism, especially about the dismal safety record of cheer leading as a sport. In fact, statistics show that cheer leading is one of the most dangerous sports and there are numerous cases where participants sustained very serious injuries and a number of cheerleaders have even been killed during events. Other critics are dismayed by the fact squads wear skimpy uniforms. They view the sport as degrading for women.
There can be no doubt that cheer leading is a demanding sport. Participants need to master complicated movements and they need to be very fit. Competition is fierce and only the very best can expect to be selected to the top squads.
About the Author:
The NJ premier gymnastics offers cheerleading classes to all the local girls. To take part today, visit this website now at http://NJPremierGymnastics.com.
