World Of Cheerleading

Birth of an idea

 

The history of cheerleading is closely tied to the sport in the United States as well as crowd participation. It all began with an idea that the universities in Piscataway thought to support American football teams. It is only by the 1880s that the University of Princeton formed an all-male student “pep club” to support their football team with unified chants and yells.

 

In 1884, Thomas Peebles, graduated students of Princeton University, introduced the “pep club” in the University of Minnesota. Five years later the pep club started to grow in schools and universities all around the USA.

 

 

 

Birth of cheerleading

 

In 1898, Jack Campbell also knows as Johnny Campbell, a student of Minnesota, was considered as the first “yell leader” because of his abilities to motivate the crowd and their American football team. With these skills,  Johnny Campbell made Minnesota win the game and then cheerleading was officially born. Based on the success of the winners, cheerleading began to grow and develop over the next years and started to introduce new techniques and skills; this sport would continue to refine itself into its current form.

 

 

 

Women in the world of cheerleading

 

Since cheerleading was only for males for its first 25 years, it is only in 1923 that the first women were introduced to cheerleading in the University of Minnesota; women continued to participate as cheerleaders in other schools in the United States. Females became the majority of cheerleading athletes in the 1940s since the university men students left the country to fight in World War II. Nowadays, women represent more than 90% of the world's cheerleaders.

 

Additionally, the 1920s witnessed cheerleaders adding enhanced techniques and skills such as athletic skills, tumbling, fight song team dances with arm movements called motions and acrobatics to their routines. All these skills were meant to improve their ability to lead and energize the crowd at games.

 

 

 

Expansion of cheerleading

 

In the 1948s, cheerleading training camps and its expansion began. Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, that started his cheerleading career at Nort Dallas High School and later, Southern Methodist University (Texas), requested that he introduce a "cheerleading clinic" in the state of Texas. The clinic had such success that Herkie developped his signature with the "Herkie" jump, the spirits stick and the "pom pon". The pom pon teams, also called "Cheerdance" began to develop on sport sidelines around the United States as an added entertainment and game leadership component.

 

 

 

National Cheerleaders Association (NCA)

 

By the 60s, cheerleading was getting way more popular, it could be found in every high school and grade schools across the United States. It is in 1961, that the National Cheerleaders Association was incorporated by Herkimer. He also conducted cheerleading camps and clinics all around the country. With all these innovations, cheerleading became one of the fastest growing youth activites in the USA.

 

In 1974, the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) was founded by the former General Manager and the Vice President of NCA, Jeff Webb. The association was founded to teach higher levels of skills to cheerleaders across the United States. Pyramids and partner stunts were also introduced to make cheerleading more entertaining, which augmented cheerleading leadership function and cause the beginning of a new era of cheerleading.

 

 

 

Birth of the "cheerleading routine"

 

In July 1975, Jeff Webb's UCA College Spirit Camp Instructors opened their university cheerleader training camp with a demonstration of cheerleading skills incorporating music. The "cheerleading routine" was born. 

 

 

 

Host of the 1st Cheerleading National Championship

 

It is in 1982 that cheerleading started to be seen on television to accommodate the thousands of requests of the new style of cheerleading. Jeff Webb places cheerleading on a new sports television network called  ''Entertainement Sports Programming Network" also knows as "ESPN". This program put cheerleading "on the spotlight" for a good 30 years, which helped cheerleading to be known by other countries such as Canada, Great Britain, Mexico and others.

 

 

 

All Star cheerleading programs begin to develop

 

By 1990, the school of cheerleading  reached 1,7 million  athletes in the USA. Because of it's popularity, non-school organizations begin to offer cheer programs called "All Star" for the interested athletes. Although it initially started in the late 1980's, it is in the 1990's that we really see the beginning of All Star cheerleading.

 

 

 

First World Cheerleading Championships

 

It is in 2004 that the first World Cheerleading Championships occurs at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Cheerleading Worlds happen each year.

 

 

 

Some importants dates

 

• 1987 : Cheerleading safety standarts published, formation of the American Association Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA).

• 1988 : UCA introduces cheerleading in Japan.

• 1989 : UCA introduces parade cheerleading performances in the UK.

• 1991 : UCA introduces cheerleading through Europe.

• 1992 : UCA introduces cheerleading performances in austria and France, NCA in Ireland.

• 1994 : UCA introduces cherleading in South America & Caribbean.

• 1995 : First International Cheerleading Performances (Japan & Chile), at the Walt Disney World Resort.

• 1999 : UCA introduces parade cheerleading in Australia while cheerleading clinics and competition continue to expand around the world.

• 2004 : United States All Star Federation (USASF) and International All Star Federation (IASF) host the 1st World Cheerleading Championships.

• 2013 : International Cheer Union (ICU) hosts the 10th World Cheerleading Championships.