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Cheerleaders: NFL, High School, Uniforms, Pom Poms And Cheerleading
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Published: October 18, 2007
When people started leading crowds in organized cheers on November 2, 1898, few expected the growth and popularity to come. Cheerleaders have been active for many years, but the past few years have been especially monumental. High school rules have gotten stricter, the number of NFL, NBA and other professional teams has grown, and cheerleading is now about a lot more than pom-poms and short skirts.
The tough stunts, required tumbling and intense competition has brought a new level of cheerleaders to the spotlight. With debates ranging from grounded activity to dangerous sport, cheerleaders today have many levels of participation in an international sensation.
Cheerleaders begin as young as age five, joining pop warner youth teams or tiny all-star teams. Most young cheerleaders are taught cute dances and cheers, with the harder tricks and stunts coming as they mature. Most community youth teams concentrate on a team of girls in matching uniforms. Skills and requirements may be few, but the fun and experience is there. As girls and boys age, regulated school programs become a factor, as well as continuing all-star teams.
Both junior high schools and high schools often have cheerleading programs. Cheerleaders often perform at basketball and football games, sometimes expanding to soccer, volleyball, wrestling and hockey. Some school districts are implementing more rules, based on the growing number of injuries. As cheerleaders mature, so do the number of tumbling skills and aerial stunts performed. Schools may require mats for all stunts, or limit cheerleaders to dancing with pom-poms and chanting on sidelines. The regulations enforced by schools often push talented athletes to outside gymnasiums.
Many cheerleaders find a home in all-star gyms: not cheering for a team, but strictly performing for competition. All-star programs can get around the regulations of state schools and district regulations. Harder gymnastic skills and more daring stunts are usually found in all-star gyms. Most cheerleaders are actually converted gymnasts, who have trained at the gym and made a choice either for fun or for scholarship.
While most cheerleaders will say the passion for the teamwork and competition drew them to college tryouts, some are motivated by the money. Many colleges offer full or partial scholarships to members of their cheerleading squads. American Cheerleader magazine publishes a list online, containing 310 schools. The number of scholarships increases with the size of a school's program; larger universities might have four or five squads. Many colleges allow for the most difficult level of competition, accounting for a large part of the over 16,000 cheerleading-related injuries.
Cheerleading does not have to end when school does, as there are all-star gyms with open squads and the options for professional cheerleading. Open squads are all-star teams compromised of adults age 18 and older. There are open categories at many competitions. The option of professional cheerleading is available through many professional sports. The NFL, NBA, NHL and even MLB have teams registered with cheerleaders, dancers or spirit groups. Even though many are called cheerleaders, true cheerleading squads are not common. The Utah Jazz from the NBA and the Baltimore Ravens are two teams that have recently begun having a team of athletes perform tumbling and stunts at games. More teams are following the lead, but many professional cheerleaders remain dancers, simply performing in between quarters with dramatic uniforms, shiny pom-poms and routines strictly with dance movements. Professional cheerleaders often do it for the love of performing, as the average NFL cheerleader may get paid $50 a game or simply with game tickets.
Cheerleading is hard to describe; it is something that must be experienced. Most cheerleaders have had the best memories in their uniforms, some from as young as five years old. Whether it is technically a sport or not, cheerleaders are strong athletes, fueled by pride and a desire to perform. The level of difficulty and amount of school support may vary, but the passion remains for many cheerleaders around the world.
Sources:
American Cheerleader. 2007. McFaddon Performing Arts Media LLC. 17 Oct. 2007. http://americancheerleader.com/issues/September_Oc tober-2007/2007-College-Scholarship-Guide.
Cabot, Heather. "Cheerleading Injuries on the Rise." ABCnews.go.com. 3 Jan. 2006. ABCNews Internet Ventures. 17 Oct. 2007. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1465814.
"Cheerleading." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 17 Oct. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 17 Oct. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cheerlea ding&oldid=165172322.
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Cheerleaders begin as young as age five, joining pop warner youth teams or tiny all-star teams. Most young cheerleaders are taught cute dances and cheers, with the harder tricks and stunts coming as they mature. Most community youth teams concentrate on a team of girls in matching uniforms. Skills and requirements may be few, but the fun and experience is there. As girls and boys age, regulated school programs become a factor, as well as continuing all-star teams.
Both junior high schools and high schools often have cheerleading programs. Cheerleaders often perform at basketball and football games, sometimes expanding to soccer, volleyball, wrestling and hockey. Some school districts are implementing more rules, based on the growing number of injuries. As cheerleaders mature, so do the number of tumbling skills and aerial stunts performed. Schools may require mats for all stunts, or limit cheerleaders to dancing with pom-poms and chanting on sidelines. The regulations enforced by schools often push talented athletes to outside gymnasiums.
Many cheerleaders find a home in all-star gyms: not cheering for a team, but strictly performing for competition. All-star programs can get around the regulations of state schools and district regulations. Harder gymnastic skills and more daring stunts are usually found in all-star gyms. Most cheerleaders are actually converted gymnasts, who have trained at the gym and made a choice either for fun or for scholarship.
While most cheerleaders will say the passion for the teamwork and competition drew them to college tryouts, some are motivated by the money. Many colleges offer full or partial scholarships to members of their cheerleading squads. American Cheerleader magazine publishes a list online, containing 310 schools. The number of scholarships increases with the size of a school's program; larger universities might have four or five squads. Many colleges allow for the most difficult level of competition, accounting for a large part of the over 16,000 cheerleading-related injuries.
Cheerleading does not have to end when school does, as there are all-star gyms with open squads and the options for professional cheerleading. Open squads are all-star teams compromised of adults age 18 and older. There are open categories at many competitions. The option of professional cheerleading is available through many professional sports. The NFL, NBA, NHL and even MLB have teams registered with cheerleaders, dancers or spirit groups. Even though many are called cheerleaders, true cheerleading squads are not common. The Utah Jazz from the NBA and the Baltimore Ravens are two teams that have recently begun having a team of athletes perform tumbling and stunts at games. More teams are following the lead, but many professional cheerleaders remain dancers, simply performing in between quarters with dramatic uniforms, shiny pom-poms and routines strictly with dance movements. Professional cheerleaders often do it for the love of performing, as the average NFL cheerleader may get paid $50 a game or simply with game tickets.
Cheerleading is hard to describe; it is something that must be experienced. Most cheerleaders have had the best memories in their uniforms, some from as young as five years old. Whether it is technically a sport or not, cheerleaders are strong athletes, fueled by pride and a desire to perform. The level of difficulty and amount of school support may vary, but the passion remains for many cheerleaders around the world.
Sources:
American Cheerleader. 2007. McFaddon Performing Arts Media LLC. 17 Oct. 2007. http://americancheerleader.com/issues/September_Oc tober-2007/2007-College-Scholarship-Guide.
Cabot, Heather. "Cheerleading Injuries on the Rise." ABCnews.go.com. 3 Jan. 2006. ABCNews Internet Ventures. 17 Oct. 2007. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1465814.
"Cheerleading." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 17 Oct. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 17 Oct. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cheerlea ding&oldid=165172322.
